A violent shake from an Electrolux front-load washer during spin is a safety issue as well as a noise issue. A moving washer can pull on hoses, damage a floor and, over time, wear the bearings.
Stop and look first
Pause the cycle when you can do so safely. Do not hold the washer with your body. Open the door and look at the load.
Common causes you can fix
- An unbalanced load, such as one heavy towel or a single wet rug. Redistribute the items and add a few more pieces.
- Wet jeans or bedding clumped to one side.
- Unlevel feet. Check the washer with a level, and adjust and lock each foot.
- A soft or sloped floor, common in older Houston homes with raised wood floors.
- Shipping bolts left in a new or moved washer.
Signs that point to a repair
- Banging that continues with a small, balanced load.
- A grinding or rumbling sound that gets louder as the drum speeds up.
- Rust or dark grease near the back of the drum.
- Drum play. With the washer off, pull the drum gently toward you; a little give is normal, but a clunking movement is not.
- A code on the display for an unbalanced or locked drum.
Worn shock absorbers, springs and bearings all cause a similar shake. Which part is worn is not obvious from the shake, so we check each one.
Safety
Do not keep running a washer that is walking or banging. It may tear loose a water hose or damage the drain line. Turn off the water supply if you see leaks.
Older washers
We repair front-load washers that are well out of warranty. If the bearing and the drum are both worn, we tell you if replacement makes more sense.
More about bearings, shocks and springs is on the washer repair page. If shaking continues with a balanced load, reach us by phone or contact form and mention how loud it gets during spin. We schedule a three-hour arrival window and give you the price on paper before any work.