Maytag A612 makes bad humming sound when filling

[dlb]

Our old Maytag washer was working great in our last house, then we moved and since then it makes a humming sound when it is filling that is new and doesn't sound good. It still fills and seems to operate fine but it sounds like something is straining so I'm wondering if there is a pump in there or something I should fix before it gets worse. I checked the hoses and made sure they aren't kinked and can't see anything else obvious amiss. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[combo52]

Is the hot or cold valve that is causing the noise?

In either case you need a new inlet valve, the good news is it doesn’t hurt anything till it either stops letting hot or cold water in.

John

 

[DADoES]

 
The machine's pump is involved only during draining.  Filling is via household water pressure.

First investigation is check the supply faucets and plumbing.  Partially close each faucet to see if that affects the noise.  Remove the supply hoses from the machine, check if the debris screens in the inlet valve ports are clogged.

 

[qsd-dan]

Check the hoses for filter screens and make sure they're not plugged. Also, check the filter screens on the the water valve (they will be revealed after removing the hoses at the valve on the washer).

 

[combo52]

Clogged inlet valve screens or water hose screens will never cause a squealing or loud fill condition.

They could cause a very slow fill condition and a very quiet fill condition, however.

John

 

[dlb]

Thanks for the info, boys. What in the inlet valve fails? I wonder if I should try to repair it first before ordering a new one.

 

[combo52]

Failing inlet valve

Some of them are rebuildable you have to find the right parts for the valve You have , there about four different designs in use, given the age of the valve, assuming it the original it’s better just replace it because sometimes the plastic body will crack and cause a flood.

John

 

[dlb]

Hi again. Here's the update on this situation.

I disconnected the hoses at both ends, all the screens were clear.

I tried the washer on hot and cold to see if it made a difference. It seemed to make a slight difference but not much.

Today I finally replaced the inlet valve along with the hoses (the old ones were a little short for where we wanted the washer). I started it up and tried it on hot and cold for a few seconds each. The groan/hum seemed like it was gone, but once I put a load in and let it fully run I realized the sound is definitely still there.

It doesn't seem like there is much else during the filling phase that could go wrong so I'm inclined to ignore it at this point unless it becomes a bigger problem, but I wanted to check in here first and see if there were any other suggestions on things to look at.

Thanks!

 

[combo52]

A recording of the noise would help, it could be the inlet air gap. Have you changed the rubber piece in that sometimes they make a funny noise too.

If the sound is the same on both hot and cold, that could be the problem, overall if it’s working and not leaking, I wouldn’t worry about it unless it’s just really loud and disturbing household.

John

 

[dlb]

Thanks for the response, John. What is the inlet air gap?

The rubber piece you mentioned, do you mean the hose that runs from the water inlet valve to the drum? I did not replace that, though I did notice when I took the old inlet valve out that the rubber hose was pretty swollen where it connects to the inlet valve. It came off fine though, and went on the new one fine.

I'll try to make a recording of the groan/hum when I do laundry today.