FixPlainly

Washer shaking, walking or banging

Some vibration during spin is normal. Heavy shaking, banging or walking points to the load, the feet, the floor, or shipping bolts left in after delivery. Whirlpool lists all four.

5 checks, quickest firstAbout 30 minutes if you do them allLast checked against its sources on

Fix Finder

Fix Finder: washer shaking, walking or banging

Work through the checks below, in order.

Turn on JavaScript to use the interactive step-by-step version.

Before you start

  • Anything beyond the quick checks: unplug the washer first.
  • Touching hoses: turn off both water valves behind the washer.
  • After a hot cycle, give the water time to cool. Samsung suggests about an hour.
  • Have towels and a shallow tray ready whenever a step may release water.

More in appliance repair safety basics.

All the checks, in order

  1. Fix the load

    Safe to tryAbout 3 min

    An overloaded or lopsided drum can’t spin smoothly.

    1. Stop the cycle and spread the laundry evenly.
    2. Don’t pack the drum tightly. Clothes should move freely.
    3. Don’t wash one heavy item, like a rug or jean jacket, on its own. Add a few towels.

  2. Check for loose objects

    Take careAbout 5 minTop-load only

    A coin trapped between the wash plate and drum can rattle or stop the drum.

    1. Unplug the washer.
    2. Look around the wash plate for coins or small objects and remove them with tweezers.

  3. Remove shipping bolts

    Take careAbout 10 min

    If the washer is new or was moved, leftover shipping bolts cause loud banging.

    1. Check the back for shipping bolts or spacers and remove them all, following the installation guide.

  4. Level the feet

    Take careAbout 10 min

    All four feet must sit firmly on the floor.

    1. Rock the washer front to back and side to side.
    2. Adjust the feet until it doesn’t rock, then tighten the lock nuts against the cabinet.
    3. On a pedestal, check the mounting screws and foot lock nut are tight.

  5. Check the floor

    Safe to tryAbout 2 min

    A floor that flexes or sags amplifies vibration.

    1. Press down near the washer to feel for flex.
    2. Don’t stand the washer on a raised wooden platform.

When to call a technician

  • It still bangs with a balanced load, level feet and no bolts.
  • You hear grinding or scraping, or the drum looks loose.
  • A vibration sensor code keeps returning, such as LG vS.

Error codes that point here

If your washer shows one of these, open it for the brand’s exact meaning.

LG UELoad out of balanceSamsung UELoad out of balanceWhirlpool OfbLoad out of balance or too large (top-load HE)Whirlpool F7 E1Motor speed problem (front-load)

Questions

Is it normal for a washer to vibrate?

Some vibration during a fast spin is normal. Walking across the floor, loud banging or rocking is not.

Sources

  1. Vibration, Walking or Off Balance: Front Load Washer, Whirlpool Product Help
  2. LG Top Load Washer: Error Code List, LG USA Support
  3. LG Front Load Washer: Error Code List, LG USA Support
  4. Error Codes in Front Load Washers, Whirlpool Product Help
Last checked against its sources on