XT Appliances · Warren
Washer shaking, banging or walking on spin
Most often an unbalanced load or a washer that isn't level; once those are ruled out, worn shocks or suspension springs are next.
On the spin the basket turns fast enough that any imbalance in the load gets flung outward. The suspension's job is to soak that up so the tub moves and the cabinet stays put. Banging and walking mean the tub is swinging further than it should, and the reason is often outside the washer.
Rule out the easy causes
Start with the load. One heavy item, or sheets wound into a rope on one side, can make a healthy washer bang. Stop the cycle, spread things out and spin again. If it settles down, the washer was never the problem.
Next, the floor. A washer that rocks when you press on opposite corners will shake on every spin, so adjust the feet until all four sit firm. If the machine is new and has banged since the first load, check the back for shipping bolts. They hold the tub rigid for delivery, and with them in, the suspension can't move at all.
When it's the washer
If a balanced load on a level machine still bangs, and the shaking builds as the spin speeds up, the suspension is worn. Front-loaders use shock absorbers under the tub, while top-loaders hang the tub on springs. With the washer empty and unplugged, push the tub down and let go. A healthy suspension lets it settle back slowly, and a worn one lets it bounce.
Front-loaders have one more suspect. The drum is held to its shaft by a cast aluminum spider on the back, and detergent and trapped water corrode it until the arms crack. Black or grey flakes on your clothes are the giveaway, along with heavy play and a clunk when you rock the empty drum by hand. A worn bearing alone doesn't give that clunk. Call before it gets worse, because the arms keep eroding until one breaks.
If what you hear is more of a roar than a bang, rising and falling with spin speed while the washer stays quiet through the fill and wash, the tub bearing is wearing out. Spider and bearing repairs both mean taking the tub apart, and we'll tell you whether the repair makes sense for your machine before you decide.
On the visit we check the leveling and the suspension, rock and turn the drum by hand, and listen through a spin before we name a part.
What it usually turns out to be
- Cleaning or upkeepUnbalanced loadOne heavy item, or bedding bunched to one side, throws the tub off center at spin speed. If the banging stops once you spread the load out, nothing is broken.
- Cleaning or upkeepUnlevel machine or shipping bolts left inA washer that rocks on its feet shakes on every spin. On a new install, the shipping bolts that hold the tub still for delivery have to come out of the back, or it bangs from the first load.
- PartWorn shocks or suspension springsFront-loaders damp the tub with shock absorbers, and top-loaders hang it on springs. When they wear, the shaking builds as the spin speeds up and the washer walks, even with a balanced load.
- PartCorroded spider arm (front-load)The aluminum bracket that holds the drum to its shaft corrodes and cracks. Black or grey flakes on your clothes, and a drum that clunks when you rock it, point here.
- PartWorn tub bearingA roar or grind that rises with spin speed and goes quiet during the wash is the bearing. On a front-loader, rusty water under the machine often comes with it.
Try this first
- Stop the cycle, spread the load evenly around the tub and run the spin again.
- Press down on opposite corners; if the washer rocks, adjust the feet until all four sit firmly on the floor.
- On a newly installed washer, look for shipping bolts in the back; the owner's manual shows how to take them out.
- With the washer empty and unplugged, push the tub down and let go: it should settle back slowly, not bounce.
Stop using it and call now if
- It walks far enough to pull on its hoses or power cord
- Grinding, or a drum that clunks and drops when you rock it
- A burning smell from the washer