Front loader washer - unbalanced and load spinning
#1
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Front loader washer - unbalanced and load spinning
Hi all,
I'm hoping others can help out with whether or not my brand new LG front load washer has issues - I've owned the unit for less than a month. It seems that with a standard load, and spin on medium, the drum in the washer spins unbalanced. I'm not an expert, but is the video of the spin normal?
Here is the quick video showing the drum/noise during the spin cycle. Let me know if there are other tests I can provide the video for to help identify if there are issues with the drum - and unbalanced.
Washing Machine Spin
Thanks,Rob
Here is the quick video showing the drum/noise during the spin cycle. Let me know if there are other tests I can provide the video for to help identify if there are issues with the drum - and unbalanced.
Washing Machine Spin
Thanks,Rob
#2
Welcome to the forums.
I'm not an authority on front loaders but that doesn't look normal to me. I would think the tub should spin fairly evenly. My partner may have a better idea.
Did you try changing loads to see if it made a difference ?
I'm not an authority on front loaders but that doesn't look normal to me. I would think the tub should spin fairly evenly. My partner may have a better idea.
Did you try changing loads to see if it made a difference ?
Last edited by PJmax; 02-09-19 at 06:04 PM.
#3
To level your front load washer. First throw away the level not needed. 2. make sure it is solid on floor no wobble. 3. wet 3 or 4 towels and get washer to a high spin 4 take one of the front legs and adjust while in spin If shake gets worst you are going the wrong way. you will see the washer smooth out. This could take as little as a 1/2 turn or as much as a couple of turns
If washer is in a pan this is much harder as you will have to tilt washer each time you try to make a adjustment.
I just looked at video and yours looks like a bent basket with that much wobble in a empty washer. I would call either LG or where you bought it from and get a new washer. make sure all the packing materials have been removed and shipping bolts taken out from back. In many years of repairing have never seen a empty washer bounce like yours.
If washer is in a pan this is much harder as you will have to tilt washer each time you try to make a adjustment.
I just looked at video and yours looks like a bent basket with that much wobble in a empty washer. I would call either LG or where you bought it from and get a new washer. make sure all the packing materials have been removed and shipping bolts taken out from back. In many years of repairing have never seen a empty washer bounce like yours.
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Thanks all - appreciate your responses. I’ve tried several loads with the same result. What I did notice is that the shaking seems to be worse in the middle spin cycle. For the very end spin - which is the highest - it seems to spin much faster and balanced.
I did check the leveling as suggested, so I think the washer is fine there. Either way, I’m worried the drum being unbalanced like in the video will cause other damage down the road, so will call LG.
Thanks both,
Rob
I did check the leveling as suggested, so I think the washer is fine there. Either way, I’m worried the drum being unbalanced like in the video will cause other damage down the road, so will call LG.
Thanks both,
Rob
#6
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pugsl,
We have vibration issues with a Whirlpool front loader and all feet are meeting the floor and there is no rocking. Is there more adjusting that needs to be done? The vibration seems to be from the load not being balanced properly by the washer. Will adjusting front feet fix this right away? Or will it take another spin to re-balance the load? Thanks
We have vibration issues with a Whirlpool front loader and all feet are meeting the floor and there is no rocking. Is there more adjusting that needs to be done? The vibration seems to be from the load not being balanced properly by the washer. Will adjusting front feet fix this right away? Or will it take another spin to re-balance the load? Thanks
#7
In the last 10 years before I retired it fixed all the one's I did. Somethings it will not fix. bent basket very, very rare, Weak flooring. If you can step on flooring with a glass of water about a foot away and water moves floor is weak. Just step don't stomp. Just take the easiest to reach.Could take as little as a 1/2 turn to fix.
#8
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pugsl,
Thanks for the reply. The flooring is tiles on top of wood, and the washer is in the main floor with a basement underneath. I tried your glass of water method and I see one very, very faint vibration from walking a foot away. The thing is, I can feel when the dryer drum turns in a bathroom located behind the dryer if I hold my fingers underneath the sink, but I don't feel the washer. Dryer leveling issue?
We had no issues for nine years with our previous Whirlpool front load washer which we replaced because it started developing the vibration issue. The vibration issue started after I moved the washer couple of inches to the left to see if I am able to replace the hoses myself. After that, I tried couple of months of trying to level it thinking it came out of original level, but couldn't get it level with a carpenter's level and probably made matters worse. A technician blamed on the failing bearings, and said leveling with carpenter's level is not needed because according to him, washer was solid (he rocked it). Even then, that washer would spin without vibration if the load was balanced, which was about 10% to 20% of the time. But a load which did not cause vibration from unbalanced load on one spin cycle, will cause it in another spin cycle when washer goes to spin without balancing the load. We were so frustrated thinking it was a load balance issue and decided to replace than further damage the house. Sadly, we probably made two mistakes: 1) Decided to replace it with another Whirlpool, and 2) had it installed by a different company who leveled it by rocking it. Lowe's installed our previous Whirlpool.
What I did before reading your post was try to level it with 9in and 24in level. It is impossible to level it with 9in, because the level gives me different levels on the same side. This is an issue we had with our previous washer. So, I waited till high spin and tried to lift up front legs from the bottom one by one and try to raise the rubber leg with my fingers. Are there still more turns to be squeezed out? The feet is completely rubber and it is easy to chip it, that's why I didn't use a wrench with jaws to turn it. The nut wrench is too big to fit in both of the gaps on front feet.
If all else fails, I'm going to return it and get an LG from Lowe's, who I am hoping will do a proper installation.
Thanks for the reply. The flooring is tiles on top of wood, and the washer is in the main floor with a basement underneath. I tried your glass of water method and I see one very, very faint vibration from walking a foot away. The thing is, I can feel when the dryer drum turns in a bathroom located behind the dryer if I hold my fingers underneath the sink, but I don't feel the washer. Dryer leveling issue?
We had no issues for nine years with our previous Whirlpool front load washer which we replaced because it started developing the vibration issue. The vibration issue started after I moved the washer couple of inches to the left to see if I am able to replace the hoses myself. After that, I tried couple of months of trying to level it thinking it came out of original level, but couldn't get it level with a carpenter's level and probably made matters worse. A technician blamed on the failing bearings, and said leveling with carpenter's level is not needed because according to him, washer was solid (he rocked it). Even then, that washer would spin without vibration if the load was balanced, which was about 10% to 20% of the time. But a load which did not cause vibration from unbalanced load on one spin cycle, will cause it in another spin cycle when washer goes to spin without balancing the load. We were so frustrated thinking it was a load balance issue and decided to replace than further damage the house. Sadly, we probably made two mistakes: 1) Decided to replace it with another Whirlpool, and 2) had it installed by a different company who leveled it by rocking it. Lowe's installed our previous Whirlpool.
What I did before reading your post was try to level it with 9in and 24in level. It is impossible to level it with 9in, because the level gives me different levels on the same side. This is an issue we had with our previous washer. So, I waited till high spin and tried to lift up front legs from the bottom one by one and try to raise the rubber leg with my fingers. Are there still more turns to be squeezed out? The feet is completely rubber and it is easy to chip it, that's why I didn't use a wrench with jaws to turn it. The nut wrench is too big to fit in both of the gaps on front feet.
If all else fails, I'm going to return it and get an LG from Lowe's, who I am hoping will do a proper installation.
#9
I always used a pair of channel lock pliers on them and never had a problem. If still worried put a rag between jaws and squeeze that way, legs turn pretty easy if lock nut is loosened first. Be sure it is in high spin with 3 or 4 wet towels in tub. Your floor sounds OK.
#10
Member
Okay, I will try the rag and channel lock.
Do you think the washer has to be level with a carpenter level at all sides in order for it to load the clothes evenly before going into spin? I keep thinking this is what's causing the imbalance in load before spin, which causes the washer to vibrate. Have you seen this happen?
Also, I tried a king comforter and it was kind of packed inside the washer, with maybe an inch of free space at the top of the drum, but there was no shaking or vibrating. I am guessing it's because the load was better balanced? Should the drum of a front loader be filled to the very top with laundry while not being overpacked?
Do you think the washer has to be level with a carpenter level at all sides in order for it to load the clothes evenly before going into spin? I keep thinking this is what's causing the imbalance in load before spin, which causes the washer to vibrate. Have you seen this happen?
Also, I tried a king comforter and it was kind of packed inside the washer, with maybe an inch of free space at the top of the drum, but there was no shaking or vibrating. I am guessing it's because the load was better balanced? Should the drum of a front loader be filled to the very top with laundry while not being overpacked?
#11
I never carried a level all the time I did work on washers. Level is nice to start but not necessary, # or 4 wet towels and wait till high spin. Do not put into test mode to do this.
#12
Member
Thanks for the reply, pugsl. Do you have any suggestions on loading on a front loader? Does the laundry have to be filled loosely, but not stuffed, to the very top of the drum?
#14
Member
I tried adjusting one of the front leg during high spin but couldn’t get it to give results.
We washed a twin comforter and one sheet, and in the middle spin cycle, there was no vibration because the load was even throughout the drum. But come to the end of the wash for the final spin, the washer went into high spin with an uneven load and created shaking/vibration. The twin comforter load was about 3/4th full. (Maybe the load needs to be full?)
This is just disappointing coming from Whirlpool. Engineers should have incorporated a sensor to detect if there is an uneven load in low to medium high spin, because even if load appeared even before entering high spin, that doesn’t have to be the case as the spin speed increases.
I will try to return the Whirlpool and get an LG. Hoping for better installation and better results.
We washed a twin comforter and one sheet, and in the middle spin cycle, there was no vibration because the load was even throughout the drum. But come to the end of the wash for the final spin, the washer went into high spin with an uneven load and created shaking/vibration. The twin comforter load was about 3/4th full. (Maybe the load needs to be full?)
This is just disappointing coming from Whirlpool. Engineers should have incorporated a sensor to detect if there is an uneven load in low to medium high spin, because even if load appeared even before entering high spin, that doesn’t have to be the case as the spin speed increases.
I will try to return the Whirlpool and get an LG. Hoping for better installation and better results.
#15
1 comforter will always go off balance. Cannot disperse to balance load. Try with 3 or 4 wet towels.
#16
Member
I understand what you are saying with all legs meeting the floor. And I saw it first hand when I adjusted it and increased the vibration after a certain degree turn on the front leg, such that I had to revert it back. But I still think this vibration on ours is due to all sides not being perfectly level. If all sides are not level, it means that the weight of the 200lb machine isn't distributed evenly on each leg.
#17
Member
How to level front loader properly
Hello all,
I was having a discussion with pugsl in a previous thread, because we had issues with vibration on our old front load washer, and also have the same issue on our new front loader. We purchased the new one because we were advised by a technician that the previous vibration issue was due to failing bearing and it was better to purchase new than fix. The washer is fine (without vibration) if it spins under a balanced load (same as our old front loader), but if that same load is unbalanced on a different spin cycle, then it vibrates. Whirlpool blames it on installation issue because the washer is not level on all sides. Whirlpool's argument is that if the washer is not level on all four sides, then weight of the machine is not equally placed on all four feet, even if they are all meeting the floor.
The installers leveled the washer by rocking the machine and tightening or lowering the leg that was loose. They did not use a carpenter's level. I tried to level it, but I am only able to get two sides level, and if I try to level the others, then the previous two comes out of level.
I am just having trouble as ours is on tile flooring and all tiles seem to have slightly different elevation. I can only get the left side (left front leg to rear leg), and front (front leg to front leg) level, but the other two sides are difficult to level. According to the level, the right rear leg is down from rear-rear and it is also down from the right side (right front leg to rear leg), but if I raise up the right rear leg to make those two sides level, then the front-front and left leg - rear leg side becomes out of level. Adding to the frustration, I can only access three of the legs because of the washer being in a corner.
The original vibration issue on our old front loader happened right after I moved it to replace the hoses, so I am guess it too came out of level because I could not level it properly as well.
I am just trying to reduce vibration and would appreciate any help. Thanks.
I was having a discussion with pugsl in a previous thread, because we had issues with vibration on our old front load washer, and also have the same issue on our new front loader. We purchased the new one because we were advised by a technician that the previous vibration issue was due to failing bearing and it was better to purchase new than fix. The washer is fine (without vibration) if it spins under a balanced load (same as our old front loader), but if that same load is unbalanced on a different spin cycle, then it vibrates. Whirlpool blames it on installation issue because the washer is not level on all sides. Whirlpool's argument is that if the washer is not level on all four sides, then weight of the machine is not equally placed on all four feet, even if they are all meeting the floor.
The installers leveled the washer by rocking the machine and tightening or lowering the leg that was loose. They did not use a carpenter's level. I tried to level it, but I am only able to get two sides level, and if I try to level the others, then the previous two comes out of level.
I am just having trouble as ours is on tile flooring and all tiles seem to have slightly different elevation. I can only get the left side (left front leg to rear leg), and front (front leg to front leg) level, but the other two sides are difficult to level. According to the level, the right rear leg is down from rear-rear and it is also down from the right side (right front leg to rear leg), but if I raise up the right rear leg to make those two sides level, then the front-front and left leg - rear leg side becomes out of level. Adding to the frustration, I can only access three of the legs because of the washer being in a corner.
The original vibration issue on our old front loader happened right after I moved it to replace the hoses, so I am guess it too came out of level because I could not level it properly as well.
I am just trying to reduce vibration and would appreciate any help. Thanks.