What is Causing Your Shaky Washing Machine?

If you are running a load of laundry and noticed that your washing machine is rocking from side to side and causing a loud racket to go with it, you may be concerned. However, as far as washing machine problems go, this one isn’t too bad to fix. Usually, the cause is something that requires only a specific quick action to get your machine working correctly, and not an actual repair.

Unbalanced Load

In many cases, if the washing machine starts rocking, all the clothing has been pushed to one side and the load has become unbalanced. Items may feel similar in weight when dry but are much heavier when wet. Towels, for example, become weighed down with water, and when they all end up on one side during the spin cycle, it creates rocking. You simply need to go in there and rebalance the load manually.

Leveling Legs

If your load is still balanced, the next suspect should be the leveling legs on the bottom. Over time, these can go out of level. When this happens, the machine begins to rock as one leg is shorter than the rest. As the legs twist, you simply need to twist it down until it hits the floor again. If the leg is broken, you can get a replacement that just screws right into the slot.

Shock Absorbers

If the above obvious reasons check out, then you may actually have to make a real repair. When everything else checks out, it could be that the shock absorbers are no longer functioning fully. These dampen the vibration that comes from the washing machine and can cause it to vibrate excessively. However, replacing these shock absorbers does require some disassembly of your appliance, and you may feel more comfortable contacting a professional repair service to get the job done quickly and correctly.