During a spin cycle, your washer works by draining water from your clothes. In the process, the machine gets noisy and also vibrates. The noise and the vibrations are low and manageable as they are a regular occurrence in many washers.
But you know something is not right when your Whirlpool washer begins to vibrate violently. The most prudent and prime thing to do is to check out the cause of this common hitch.
Such violent vibrations can indicate simple hitches such as simple as overloading the tub. Also, there could be damages, among other issues, with your whirlpool washer.
A violently shaking washer can damage your floor or dismantle other parts like the washer door. Besides, the noise is very irritating and can scare your little ones.
In this condition, your washer will also not run the cycle to the end. Having to deal with half-washed clothes in a washer tub is also inconvenient.
Our article will expound on the causes of a shaky whirlpool dryer during the spin cycle and how to make sure your washer gets back to normal. Read and follow simple tips on handling your violently shaking whirlpool washer.
Why Is My Whirlpool Top Load Washer Shaking Violently On The Spin Cycle?
There are several reasons why your whirlpool top load washer is shaking violently.
1. Unbalanced Load
An unbalanced laundry load in your whirlpool top load washer can cause a terrible shake. Your washer vibrates during the spinning cycle because the force of gravity pushes the load against the drum’s exteriors.
The weight leans on one side of the washer, unbalancing the machine. As the drum continues to spin rapidly, it makes the entire unit shake.
Solution
The most valid solution is to mix differently sized gowns in the machine. Single items with similar sizes balance perfectly in the drum.
When the laundry load is evenly distributed inside the tub, the washing machine gains stability and balances perfectly.
2. Overloaded Tub
While it is logical not to leave that little dirty piece of cloth out of the washer, overloading is equally dangerous. Over-filling your washer with a larger load than the capacity can make your machine misbehave while spinning.
Besides your clothes not getting clean, that could lead to hitches like violent tremors that can damage the machine parts.
Solution
It goes without arguing that the only solution to overloading is to stop your whirlpool top loader and pull out the extra gowns that you stashed in. More so, next time you want to clean your clothes hassle-free.
Your washer is precious! Don’t damage your appliance with heavy baggage. Load your washer with the recommended capacity and enjoy your laundry session.
3. Stretched Suspension Springs
Suspension springs are different from shock absorbers. They come in a pair that suspends the drum assembly from its cabinet. That fixes and stabilizes the drum to the washer base. The springs absorb the wash basket’s vibrations when the washer is in the spinning cycle.
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Like other parts of your washing machine, suspension springs can stretch, detach, or break. Any of that will cause violent vibrations and abnormally excessive noise during the spin cycle.
To rule out the problem, you can inspect the suspension springs inside your washer in few below steps;
- Detach the power cord from the supply socket.
- Open the panel of your washer to access the suspension springs.
- Inspect for any damaged or stretched spring. Check whether the suspension springs are securely fixed at both ends.
Solution
If there are abnormalities, you will require a replacement. Order your suspension springs from a whirlpool dealer to ensure that they match with your washer. You can also ask for a technician to handle the replacement task.
4. Uneven Stands
Your washer has legs that support the machine in an upright position. These allow a smooth spin cycle only if they are sitting on a flat surface. If the surface is uneven, your machine will shake.
Solution
Firstly, inspect whether your whirlpool washer is standing firmly with all its legs. You can rock the washer to find out if there are any movements. Use the top-level on to pick the most accurate position. If it is not level, turn the legs clockwise and anticlockwise to adjust them perfectly.
5. Worn Out Shocks
Your machine’s shocks are on the front part of the washer and are usually four. Like your car’s shocks, the purpose is solely to absorb shocks. When the features dampen, the drum loses the energy to spin.
The result is a violent vibration as there is no energy to spread evenly on the washer.
Solution
Worn shocks are dangerous for your washer. The only workable solution for this problem is an outright replacement. Inspect the functions thoroughly to establish if they are worn out.
If you are not a whirlpool expert, you can have a technician check for oil leakages on the shaft or any loose connection. An expert’s eye will rule whether your machine requires shock replacement or repairs.
Before you call a technician, you can use a few DIY steps to inspect the shock absorbers on your washer:
- Detach your washer from the power source before beginning the exercise.
- Look for the shock absorbers at the rear or front panel of your washing machine. The positioning of the shock absorbers depends on your model. But any of the above will be the most likely position.
- Inspect for broken attachments, leakages, and weakened dampening action on the shock absorbers shaft.
- Any signs of worn-out shocks will require a replacement. There are usually two shocks. If you find out that one is worn out or weak, you will replace both. In a few days, the other shocks might as well begin showing similar. That is because the wearing process of shock absorbers is at the same rate.
6. Presence Of Shipping Bolts
If you didn’t remove the shipping bolts during installation, this could be the reason why your whirlpool front load washer is shaking violently while on the spin cycle. Your washer came with the bolts to keep the drum intact and stable during the shipping process.
Solution
At the back of your front load washer, you will locate the shipping bolts. Carefully remove them out of place to free your washer from the violent tremors.
7. Mechanical Failure
Your whirlpool washing machine can suffer normal wear and tear. Wearing off usually happens after several years of use. The washer’s parts begin falling one by one, and one of the signs is the violent shaking.
Solution
If you or your technician find out that a mechanical failure is causing the tremors, you may need some general repair or a complete replacement of your washer. Work closely and keenly to analyze the cheapest solution to your faulty washer.
You may find it ideally economical to get a brand new whirlpool machine rather than spend your money on endless repairs. Besides, the original Whirlpool spares are not cheap.
8. Offending Objects On The Drum’s Surface, Agitator, Or The Inner Drum
Objects like coins, pins, socks, a button, or even a wayward gown in your washer’s drum can get stuck in your tub. If a gown gets caught up in any of the above parts, your washer can react by trembling violently.
Solution
Empty the drum and check for the offending items. Clean out the tub and inspect whether there are damages on the agitator. If you notice any damages, replace the parts for a smooth running of your washer. Ask your technician to do the replacement to avoid further damages.
9. Inadequate Floor Bracing
Is your appliance sturdily braced on the floor? Is the floor even? When you notice your washer trembling violently, inspect the main floor. If the braces are loose or it is uneven, the washer becomes loose and unstable. The result is increased vibrations during the spinning process.
Solution
Give your washer a stable surface and tight braces to keep it fastened in place. A thick sheet of plywood on the floor works perfectly as a base to increase your washer’s stability.
Is It Normal For A Washer To Vibrate During The Spin Cycle?
During a spin cycle, your washer extracts water from your laundry. The beginning of this process marks the end of the wash cycle. A spin cycle reduces the drying time in the dryer or sun drying. As the machine spins your clothes, you will notice some vibrations. These are normal.
But in some instances, the vibrations may turn violent. The violent shaking is an indication of trouble brewing inside your washer. It could also be a simple issue like stuck objects, unadjusted stands, an overloaded drum, or shipping bolts that the technician forgot to remove during installation.
Gauging the magnitude of the vibrations will help you know whether these are normal or abnormal vibrations. If you have used the machine before, you can differentiate between a normal vibration and a violent one.
What if your washer is brand new? Worn-out shocks cannot be the cause of the tremors. Maybe the shocks moved a little bit.
Also, it could be unbalanced washer, overloaded drum, or intact shipping bolts that you left on the washer during installation. Reduce the laundry load to the recommended level and test the machine.
Check whether the shipping bolts are still in place. If so, unbolt and run the spin cycle to check if the vibrations are less. Anything else in the interior that seems abnormal with your machine should receive attention from a qualified technician.
Why Does My Whirlpool Washer Spin Out Of Balance?
A common problem with a whirlpool washer is spinning out of balance. But what causes this issue? We have several causes of whirlpool washer imbalance. Overloading, worn-out shocks, dampened pads, unbalanced stands all can make your washer spin out of balance.
Each one of these causes requires attention for your washing machine to get back to normal operations. Start with the simplest by inspecting the cause and fixing the issue before moving to a more complicated hitched.
For example, check for overloaded tub, unbalanced legs, and then the shocks and suspension springs. Simple DIY tips like the ones we mentioned earlier can help you establish the cause and even fix some hitches that do not require technical procedures.
How Do I Stop My Whirlpool Washer From Shaking?
It is quite a disturbing scene, especially if your whirlpool washer shakes violently for the first time. The loud noise and the tremors in your laundry room will throw you into a panic mood.
That should not bother you as there are simple steps that you can take to stop the shaking and fix the problem for good. We recommend that you establish the cause of shaking to apply the proper fix.
Here are the several easy ways to stop your whirlpool washer from trembling;
- After inspecting your machine and finding the cause of the problem, the next step is to unplug your appliance from the power socket.
An important point to note is never to attend to your washer when the power supply is on for your safety.
- Overloaded tub: Reduce the load and power on your washer.
- Tilted shock absorbers: Adjust accordingly.
- Faulty shock absorbers: Replace the pair.
- Broken suspension springs: Replacement.
- Intact shipping bolts: Remove the bolts.
- Trapped objects in the tub: Remove the objects and replace the agitator if need be.
- Unlevel stands: Adjust the stand to keep the washer level.
- Unbalanced load: Even the load in the tub to create a balance. Mix differently sized gowns to get a perfect balance.
- Uneven floor: Lay a thick base with plywood to flatten the uneven floor.
- Loose braces: Brace your washer tightly to prevent movements during its operations.
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Final Thoughts
Your washer trembling could be a sign of a major or minor problem. You can solve minor hitches through DIY processes. To avoid messing up with the technical details of your washer, always engage an expert to replace broken and worn-out parts.
Before you embark on any process, you have to dig out the cause first. We have laid all the procedures in this guide to make it easy for you to diagnose your washing machine’s simple problems.
We recommend that you begin with the most straightforward processes like reducing your laundry load to free the washer. Overall, you got a sturdy washing machine. A whirlpool washer is robust, durable, long-lasting, and will cause less trouble as long as you treat it appropriately.