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An open dishwasher with the lower rack removed and a hand lifting out the cylindrical filter, a few shards of broken glass visible in the sump below.

Dishwasher
Making Loud Noise

Grinding, rattling, knocking or a loud hum that the machine did not make before.

(844) 430-4286

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 5 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 430-4286

What it
usually means.

A dishwasher is never silent, and some sounds are normal: the whoosh of the fill, the swish of spray, the hum and gurgle of the drain. New noise usually means something is caught in a pump or a spray arm is hitting a dish. The time in the cycle it happens, and whether it sounds like grinding, rattling or humming, points to which part.

A drain pump and its hose lie on a towel beside an open dishwasher in a US home kitchen. The 5 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Does the noise happen while filling, washing or draining?
02

Is it a grinding, a rattle, a knock, a squeal or a steady hum?
03

Did it start after a glass broke or a small item went missing from a load?
04

Does it happen with an empty tub too?
05

Is there a thumping in the pipes when the fill stops?

Check these
before you book.

Dishwasher making loud noise: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Spin both spray arms by hand with the racks loaded to see if anything stops them.

02

Remove the filter and look in the sump for glass, pits or small objects.

03

Note which part of the cycle the noise belongs to.

Also worth checking

  • Run an empty cycle and listen; noise with no dishes is mechanical.
  • Check that the machine is secured to the cabinet and not rocking.

How soon does it need a visit?

Not urgent for most noises. A loud buzz with a burning smell, or a grinding that stops the pump, is different: turn off the breaker and do not run another cycle.

The causes,
cheapest first.

5 things dishwasher making loud noise turns out to be, from spray arm hitting a dish to worn wash motor bearings.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    Spray arm hitting a dish

    A tall utensil or a pan handle stops an arm on each turn, which knocks in a regular rhythm.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 low

    Debris in the drain pump

    Glass, pits and bits of bone rattle and grind in the pump during the drain. It is the most common source of a new noise.

    Fixed by drain and pump repair
  3. 03 low

    Water hammer at the inlet valve

    A fast-closing valve on a high-pressure line bangs the pipes. It is loud, but mostly a plumbing matter.

    Fixed by fill and water valve repair
  4. 04 low to moderate

    Chopper blade or impeller damage

    Many machines have a chopper at the pump inlet. A cracked blade or an impeller with a missing vane clatters and weakens the wash.

    Fixed by wash motor and circulation See dishwasher not cleaning dishes
  5. 05 moderate

    Worn wash motor bearings

    Failing bearings in the circulation motor give a growl or a squeal throughout the wash, louder over weeks.

    Fixed by wash motor and circulation
  6. What it costs

    Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side

    Open the cost guide

The makes
it happens on.

27 makes on this site; dishwasher making loud noise can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 27 brands

Dishwasher Making Loud Noise,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A family unloading clean plates from an open dishwasher together in a bright contemporary kitchen, a child handing a plate to a parent
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
dishwasher making loud noise.

It hums loudly but water does not drain. What is happening?
The drain pump is powered but cannot turn, usually because something is jammed in the impeller. Running it again and again can burn the motor out, so clear the filter and sump, then book a visit if it still hums.
Is a new dishwasher supposed to be this loud?
Quieter models are rated in decibels, and anything in the low forties is barely audible. A clicking every few seconds or a gurgle at the drain is normal on most machines. A steady grind is not.
A glass broke inside. What should I do?
Turn it off, remove the racks and pick out all visible pieces with gloves, then take out the filter and check the sump. Pieces left in the pump will grind and chip the impeller.
The pipes bang when the dishwasher stops filling. Is that the dishwasher?
That is water hammer, caused by the inlet valve closing fast on a high-pressure line. A water hammer arrestor on the supply line usually solves it without touching the dishwasher.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing dishwasher making loud noise?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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