How to Fix a “Walking” Washer

Walking is used to describe a washer that shakes so violently that it can often make a back and forth motion so hard that it moves out of place. During the spin cycle, your washer uses high speed to remove excess water from clothes, and under the right circumstances, the clothing can hit the sides of the drum so hard that it creates this violent walking vibration. When this happens, there are a number of causes, but all are easily solved.

Heavy and Imbalanced Loads

The most common and the most innocent cause of walking washers is because the load is too heavy and/or imbalanced. Washable items are not equal in weight when wet. So if you are washing a few towels with your clothing, an item vastly heavier when wet, it can imbalance your washer if all those items move to one side. The fix here is often simply pausing the cycle and redistributing those items.

Unlevel Ground

If the floor below your washer or the feet that the appliance sits on are not even, it can easily cause your washer to wobble during the spin cycle. However, both issues can be fixed the same way – by adjusting the feet. Most washers have feet that can extend or detract in order to create a level working surface. While uneven flooring should be fixed eventually, by extending one foot, you may be able to stop your washer from walking. Alternatively, sometimes the feet can become unlevel after motion, so you will need to check to make sure they are in the right position.

Unlevel Drum

After a particularly heavy load or if you have ignored the other causes of a walking washer, your washer drum may have slipped out of its correct position. If you have checked the legs and the floor, if you place a level on your washer and it is not level, this is a sign that the drum has come out of alignment.

If you can’t figure out your walking washer problem or if your appliances are manifesting more serious problems, contact us to see what Central Valley Appliance can do for you.