One of the major problems people have with their dishwashers is making weird noises. One of the most common noises is buzzing noise.

When the noise comes about, it means that your appliance has a problem that you should have looked at by a professional.

Why is my dishwasher making a buzzing sound?

Your dishwasher will make a buzzing noise due to plenty of reasons, including the dishes being poorly stacked, blocked or damaged pump impeller, the dishwasher not sitting at the correct level on the ground, the pump seals being dry, the pump intake being defective, and even due to general wear and tear, especially if your dishwasher is old.

How do I stop my dishwasher from buzzing?

How you deal with a buzzing dishwasher depends on the source of the problem. Here are some of the ways you can solve the problem:

Buzzing due to motor going out

If your appliance is old or you recently bought a poor quality dishwasher, the buzzing sounds might be due to your motor going out.

A tell-tale sign you are having a motor problem is your dishwasher sounding as if it’s grinding on glass or a bunch of mice is making noise while you put on your unit.

To fix this problem, you need to replace the motor. If you are a dab hand at DIY projects, you can do the replacement but for the best outcome, hire a professional to help you out.

Buzzing noise due to a stuck aqua sensor

On the outer left side of your dishwasher, you will have a panel. Behind the panel, you will see a small clear plastic mechanism with attached hoses and wires.

There is also a float and sensor assembly that controls the water level and works as an emergency drain, when there is a problem.

On a closer look, you will see a red stick protruding downward to the base and a Styrofoam float on which the stick rests—this is the pan overflow sensor, and it works such that when the stick is too high, the unit goes into drain and cuts off the fill valve power.

The yellow disk senses the water height, and if you have had your appliance for a long time or have hard water in your home, the disk will get stuck, producing the loud humming sounds you can hear.

To bring the noises to a stop, you need to unstuck the disk and if your appliance is more than 10 years, replace it.

Buzzing due to spray arms hitting the dishes

Is your dishwasher making a deafening buzzing noise? This could be the spray arms hitting the dishes.

Thankfully, fixing this issue is simple as all you need to do is rearrange the dishes to make more space and give the spray arms more room to move.

If the buzzing sounds aren’t rhythmic, you may want to hire an expert to look at the appliance as you might be having a water hammer, which is a more complex problem and should only be fixed by a professional.

Buzzing sound due to poorly loaded dishes

You are bound to have a buzzing noise when you improperly load your dishes.

When you improperly stack your dishes, especially the plastic cups and containers, they rub against each other, causing buzzing noise.

To stop this from happening, stack the dishes properly. Ensure that the dishes are evenly distributed and don’t clash against each other.

This calls for you to ensure that there are no plastic cups or containers near one another.

To confirm that the buzzing noise is due to the dishes, run the dishwasher empty. If the noise continues even after removing the dishes, it could be due to another problem.

Buzzing noise due to an unleveled dishwasher

When your dishwasher isn’t sitting level on the ground or is rubbing against a cabinet or any other unit such as a kitchen bench, it’s bound to make a buzzing noise.

To check whether your dishwasher is sitting level on the ground, use a bubble level and adjust the legs if not level.

If the dishwasher is level, check whether it’s rubbing against the bench at the top or sides. If it is, lower the level, so there is a clear gap between the top of the dishwasher and the bench.

Buzzing sounds due to clogged pump intake

The pump intake catches large food particles and other pieces of debris to prevent the dishwasher from clogging up.

Unfortunately, sometimes a small piece of glass or plastic is stuck in the pump intake, causing a buzzing noise.

To stop the noise, you need to remove the piece of glass or plastic.

Buzzing due to dry pump seals

If you recently bought a dishwasher or haven’t used it for a while, but it’s now making buzzing sounds, the noises might be due to dry pump seals.

To fix this problem and bring the noises to a stop, you need to locate the pump seals in your appliance, then pour 1 quart of water into the bottom of the dishwasher.

Turn the dishwasher on to a cycle, and check if the problem is gone.

Buzzing noise due to old age

Dishwashers aren’t designed to be silent, but they aren’t supposed to be too loud either. So if your appliance makes a loud, weird noise, you have a problem you should address.

One of the reasons your unit will make a loud noise is if it’s old. If you have had your unit for more than 10 years and it’s too noisy, it’s time to replace it.

FAQs

Why is my LG dishwasher buzzing?

Why is my Maytag dishwasher buzzing noise?

Why is my Whirlpool dishwasher buzzing?

Should you hire a dishwasher repair professional?

If you have tried all the troubleshooting and still can’t find a problem with your unit, it’s wise that you hire an expert to help find the problem and fix it.

Of course, work with an experienced professional who knows what they are doing. You don’t want someone that causes more problems than is already there.