Is your LG washer making a grinding noise? Fix it yourself.

Here at Notsealed we like to review some great products to help you around your home and office. Unfortunately today we will be reviewing a new LG washing machine Model WTG8521 that has some serious design issues.

I decided to post this somewhat negative review because LG was of no help fixing what I would have thought was a design warranty flaw. Our LG washer making a grinding noise during the wash cycle.

This caused our top loader washing machine to fail due to foreign material being lodged between the stainless drum and the plastic tub. The end result was a cracked plastic water drum and water everywhere. (Not covered under warranty)

Read on to discover all the problems we had with this LG washer and how to fix it yourself.

Why did I choose the Top Loader LG washer?

We purchased a new LG washing machine after advice from our local retailer a few months ago. This was a replacement for a Simpson washing machine that had lasted over 25 years without a single issue.

I did consider going Simpson (Now Electrolux) again but was persuaded out of this decision due to a special price on the LG model. The fact that the new Simpson washer did not have a lint filter sealed the deal.

Not to mention the dirty clothes pile was stacking up and I need something fast.

LG washer making grinding noise during wash cycle.

Fast forward 5 months and this is where the trouble started. On one wash cycle, there was a huge banging noise that woke up the whole family. The LG washing machine was literally banging itself to death.

It lasted about 10 seconds and then stopped so we thought it was just out of balance. The next wash was ok but then the banging, crashing, grinding, and bashing sounds started again.

I checked the tub and it was not out of balance and there were no metal coins or buttons jammed in the bottom of the LG stainless washing tub. It was all clear.

I spun the tub by hand and it sounded fine so we continued the wash without an issue. The banging only seemed to happen on fast wash, spin cycle not slow or medium.

This means that the LG washing machine grinding noise comes from centrifugal force throwing out a coin or another piece of metal. The gap distance of both the metal and the plastic tub is very small.

Plastic Pieces in the bottom of the Washing Machine Tub

Over the next few days, we noticed that plastic 1/2 circle pieces started to appear inside the washing machine. This indicated that something was failing between the stainless steel tub and the inner plastic tub.

Now I am an electrician myself so I had some suspicion that there was some foreign material jammed in the base somewhere under the agitator. The tight tolerance fit should mean that coins and other debris should be kept out of the inner workings.

One thing I did notice was the base pulsator agitator could wobble side to side and up/down slightly. I thought this was normal. We also started to have some water leakage from the LG washing machine.

So a call to LG was made under warranty and a technician was sent out to diagnose the problem.

How to fix LG washing machine banging noise. Model WTG8521

The LG technician spent around 45 minutes pulling out the base agitator and inspecting the inner plastic washer tub. What he found was an Australian 20c piece that was smashed around pretty badly.

Check out the video below on how to remove the LG agitator pulsator plate.

As he had found a coin between the stainless steel tub and the plastic tub warranty was refused and I was $100 out of pocket.

The coin had also ruptured a hole in the plastic tub and water is now leaking making this 5-month-old tub worthless unless we get a new inner tub. The cost of this repair is huge.

You can fix the LG top load washer grinding noise yourself by removing the bottom agitator screw and removing the offending object. You don’t need any electrical special tools just a flat screwdriver and a Philips screwdriver. Some models may have a hex bolt to take out.

The video below shows how to do this if the agitator plate is stuck onto the spline.

My gripe was there should be no way that a coin this large should be able to get between the LG agitator/pulsator and into the inner workings of the washing machine.

After the tradesperson left I checked out the bottom wash pulsator and it was solid again. A quick dab of silicone fixed my leak and I was back in business.

Now maybe the agitator was not installed properly and that’s where the coin entered or it entered from another area from the side who knows but as far as I’m concerned this is a design flaw.

I tried pushing a 20c coin into various holes and I was able to find two different places where the coin could have entered. Both are on the side of the stainless drum. Not on the bottom. So design flaw.

A quick tip is that I like to put some washer cleaning tablets in to flush out any scale and dirt every month and it has helped make the washer work better with less odor.

Other LG Washing Machine Problems

Another problem we have found is the water level is not always constant. Sometimes a wash level of 4 can be low one day and high another. All with the same amount of clothes.

The slow-closing lid has become a fast-closing lid. Obviously, the spring has failed.

The water stopped draining from the tub. This was caused by a blocked pump filter. Check out how to clean the LG washer water pump filter.

Sometimes one of the lint filters would get knocked off and be floating around the tub. It is like the retaining clip is not strong enough.

Maybe the LG washing machine is only suited for delicate clothing, not my work overalls, denim jeans, and smart clothing.

Conclusion

For the first 5 months, The LG WTG8521 was a great washing machine. The digital buttons were easy to use and I liked the see-through lid. It was fairly quiet until the coin found its way to the agitator and the plastic drum.

All washing machines have 2 drum layers and if you rupture the plastic outer drum it is a pain to repair and must be replaced. If your LG direct drive washing machine is making grinding noises then check underneath the agitator.

In my opinion, coins should not have been able to find its way between the two drums. This is why the holes are small for the water drain. I can actually push coins into various holes and slots in the LG washing machine. This is a serious design flaw in my opinion.

If you are thinking of buying an LG washing machine I would say don’t. Sorry LG you have lost me as a customer. Never again will I buy one of your products. Too many problems and a service department that said: “Sorry not covered by warranty.”