Fix a Shaking Washing Machine

When the timer changes from wash/rinse to spin, and the washing machine begins to shake, rattle, and bump, it is time to either level the machine properly, or rebalance the clothes in the drum. See Step 1 for tips on how to do each.

Steps

  1. Find out the reason for the shaking during the spin cycle. The cause will usually be either a badly out of balance load, or a poorly leveled and set up machine.
    • Balance the load of clothes by opening the lid, and looking to see if there is a lot more on one side of the agitator than the other, and if this is the problem, move them around, close the lid, restart the spin cycle, and observe the results. You may try repositioning the clothes in the tub slightly more if you original efforts helped significantly.
    • If the machine is brand new and already started behaving this way from its first use, then it is possible that the shipping bolts were not removed from the back of the machine before first use. This would cause violent vibration during the spin cycle. You can check if this is the case easily by opening the door on a front-loader washing machine and pushing down on the drum. If the shipping bolts are still fixed to the machine, then the drum will not move vertically at all. If they have been removed by the person that installed it, as they should have been, then the drum should sink slightly under the pressure of your hand and then spring back up when released.
  2. Try to tip or tilt the machine. If it wobbles when you do, the adjustment screws on the machine's base may not be set correctly, or on older machines, the threads may be stripped or corroded out, causing them to fail.
  3. Re-level your machine and ensure it is supported correctly. This is done by kneeling down in front of the machine, and rocking it to see which corner seems to be floating, or not in contact with the floor. The leveling screw should be screwed out (clockwise, if viewed from above), which lengthens it, or the adjacent side should be screwed in (shortened), so that each leveler is in contact with the floor.
  4. Use a pair of pliers if the thumbscrews are too tight to turn with your fingers, and spraying the screws with a lubricant may help, also.
  5. Restart your machine when you have made sure all the leveling screws are in contact with the floor.
  6. Use shims to support the machine if the screws have become unusable for some reason (broken, stripped, or otherwise damaged). Shims can be made of almost any resilient, non-degradable material which can be cut easily, like scrap vinyl composition tile, rubber matting, or even plastic margarine container lids.
  7. Cut a number of shims, about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} in width, and stack them under each corner where they are needed, until the corners are equally supported.
  8. Restart the machine and observe your results.

Tips

  • Worn drive assembly parts may also cause vibration in older washing machines, in which event, these steps will not correct the problem.
  • Before tilting the machine, check the water supply hoses, the discharge hose, and the power cord to make sure there is enough slack to prevent damage.
  • Get someone to hold the machine up, or find something to chock it with while adjusting screws.
  • Washing machines should be set up level to operate correctly, so using a small torpedo, carpenter's spirit level, or other means of accomplishing this will help.
  • Unload any contents from the machine before working on it if possible, to decrease the weight of it.

Warnings

  • Disconnecting the power is always a good idea before doing any work on an electrical appliance.

Things You'll Need

  • Slip joint pliers, vice grip pliers, or channel lock adjustable pliers.
  • Spirit or torpedo level.

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