Unbalanced Washing Machine Drum. How to fix it?

washing mashine1

Washing machines make our lives much easier, freeing us from heavy and exhausting chores, and thus, we spend precious time with those closest to us. However, no appliance can work forever and not fail. Washing machines are no exception. Sometimes you hear that your washing machine starts to hum or shake. Most often, this is due to an unbalanced drum.

When it comes to spinning and your washer vibrates strongly, buzzing and just terribly loud sound – the problem is drum balancing. It is advisable to contact the repair service or fix it on their own as working an imbalanced drum leads to wear and tear of parts of the machine. Consequently, the cost of repair automatically increases. If you are faced with such a challenge and do not see the solution, please, read the article.

Why is the washer Off Balance

One of the most common drum imbalance problems is bearing wear. Try replacing them and test the result.However, there are a number of other reasons why your car hums and shakes. Let’s take a closer look at these reasons:

  • Overloading the drum with laundry

An excessive amount of laundry in the drum is perhaps one of the most common causes of washer shaking. Loading the laundry, people forget that clothes absorb the water and get heavy. To avoid this, learn the modes and settings carefully, considering the weight of dry laundry you can load into your washing machine drum. Surprisingly, an imbalance can occur if there is not enough laundry in the drum. So, find the optimal weight and consider the fabric of your garment. 

  • You don’t remove the transport bolts

Transport bolts are exterior auxiliary fasteners that serve for the safe transportation of equipment. They must be removed after tuning your washer.

  • The damage to the internal parts of the washer

One of the additional reasons why your washer jiggle during the washing process is damage to internal parts like belts, bolts, screws and bearings that hold the machine in place. These parts may have failed due to their age or improper use of the laundry machine. If these are the parts, replace them.

Before you start diagnosing malfunctions with your washer and repairing, be sure to wait until the end of the washing cycle, and disconnect it from the electricity!

  • Why does the washing machine shake during the spin cycle?

As a rule, the washing machine spins at a speed of approximately 600-1400 rpm. In case the washing machine needs to be balanced, it will shake during the spin cycle. Sometimes water from the washing machine may spill onto the floor around the machine during the spin cycle. Determine the causes of imbalance in your washing machine, try to solve the problems that cause it so that your machine stops shaking and humming both during washing and during spinning.

washer off balance

Steps to repair washer drum that unbalanced

It should be mentioned that up-to-date models of LG, Samsung, Bosch, or Ardo washing machines are supplied with automatic drum balancing –  “Imbalance Control”. The system automatically fixes the malfunction and does not allow the spinning process to start. If there is the highest speed when spinning, and the imbalance has not been fixed, the washer will considerably reduce the drum rotation speed. In this way, the machine will prevent damage to internal parts. But, if your washing machine does not have such a function, you can fix the malfunction on your own.

1.Level your laundry machine if needed

Any laundry machine must be level either with the floor it sits on or with the lock nuts that come in the form of knobs on the laundry machine feet that should be adjusted.

Adjust the handles on the legs of the washer and make sure it is on a level surface.

After completing this step, start the laundry machine to check for changes in its operation.

2. Laundry load control

Each laundry machine manual should state the maximum weight of laundry that can be placed inside the machine. If you have adjusted the amount of laundry that you have loaded into the laundry machine, do not forget to fold it compactly and neatly into the drum as well.

3. Remove shipping bolts

To find out exactly whether the shipping bolts have been removed, you should open the door of the laundry machine and press on the bottom edge of the basket. If at the same time the basket moves downwards and springs, it means the bolts have been removed, if there is no movement, then the transport bolts must be removed.

If they remain, you can find them on the back of the unit, you can unscrew them with a wrench. We do not recommend throwing them away, as they may come in handy if you need to transport the laundry machine.

4. Check the internal components of the laundry machine

The next method that helps you balance the drum of a washing machine is to check the internals of the machine for verification.

Let’s consider in detail which components should be checked:

  • Shock dampers

In front-loading washers, it most often has one or more shock dampers. They are located between the support frame and the outdoor bath. Shock dampers must be periodically checked to ensure they do not leak fluid. In the event of a malfunction of at least one shock absorber, it is worth replacing all.

  • Suspension springs

The front and top loaders have multiple suspension springs. Check that both are connected. Not a single spring should be faulty, even if some spring is out of order, it is worth replacing everything.

  • Snubber ring

A failed Snubber ring can also cause your washer to fluctuate and quaver while washing. If the problem still lies precisely in this, you have to supersede this ring, but for this, you will have to put away the suspension springs, consider this fact. So a good solution would be to check everything at once.

  • Checking the belts

Washers have 4 damping belts, if at least one of them fails, it can be the reason why the washer is unsteady. If even one of them does not perform its function, all belts must be substituted.

  • Check bearings

If the housing breaks down, the bearings begin to move. It’ll not be possible to deal with this problem simply by changing the bearings, you need to substitute the aggregate.

There can be any reason for loosening your laundry machine; therefore, it is worth following all our recommendations and checking absolutely every element of the washers that we wrote about.

repair a washer drum

Call a professional appliances repair master

If none of the items brought you the desired result or you have some doubts about your abilities, we advise you to contact a home appliance repair technician.

Our company provides home appliance repair services in Texas state. We repair everything you need from microwave ovens to garbage chutes and even range hoods.

We also repair gas and electric ovens, dryers, stoves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and many other types of household appliances.

The expertise of our employees is the reason why our customers appreciate and choose our company. Our technicians can determine the problem and its cause through our high-tech testing procedures and tell clients the plan and cost of the repair. 

If you need help with your home appliances, we are waiting for your requests to our company.

Business hours:

  • Monday – Thursday, from 8 am to 5 pm
  • on Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm.

We provide prompt and courteous service, and give a warranty to our clients to ensure high-quality service. 

To find out more info about us go to our website. Here, you will find the blog, where a lot of useful information and tips on how to repair malfunctions can be found.

FAQ

On average, a washing machine’s lifespan is about 10-13 years. If you choose a top-loading washing machine as opposed to a front-loading washer, it can last several years longer.

If you have a top-loading washing machine and there are signs of unbalancing, pay attention to its sound when washing. If you hear a loud thump, then you need to balance your washing machine. As a rule, the problem lies in weak or damaged shock absorbers that need to be replaced. Replace it and test the result by turning on the washing machine.

Most often, during the washing of clothes, the washer can make loud sounds, and especially if this happens during the spin cycle of clothes, is the weakening of the bearings or their unsuitability. Check the bearings or have your machine examined by a home appliance repair technician and have them replaced if possible.

You can wash clothes several times in a washing machine with unadjusted bearings since the bearings do not affect the operation of the washing machine itself. However, if the washer operates with broken bearings, it can lead to damage to other components as the basket, shaft, drum, etc

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