A front-load washer spins its drum fast, often much faster than an older top-loader. That's how it wrings so much water out of clothes, and it's also why the floor matters so much. When a front-loader thumps, rattles the windows or creeps across the laundry room during the spin, the cause is usually the floor or the setup, not a broken machine.
This guide works through the likely causes in the order we'd check them.
First, rule out shipping bolts
Front-load washers ship with bolts through the back panel that lock the drum in place for transport. If they aren't removed, the drum can't move on its suspension and the whole machine shakes violently. If your washer is newly installed and shook from day one, check the back panel for bolts or plastic spacers. The installation instructions show where they are.
Is the washer level?
A washer that isn't level rocks during spin. Maytag's leveling guidance describes rocking the washer by its opposite corners to find a foot that isn't firmly touching the floor, adjusting it, and then tightening the lock nut on each foot against the cabinet. It also recommends checking level both side to side and front to back.
The lock nuts matter. Without them, the feet slowly turn from vibration, and a washer that was level when installed can be off within weeks.
Is the floor flexing?
This is the big one in many homes. A washer on a concrete basement or slab floor, like the first-floor utility rooms of Levittown and Willingboro houses, rarely has a floor problem. One on a wood-framed floor, whether in a first-floor laundry room over a crawlspace, a second-floor hall closet or an upper-level laundry in a newer townhouse, can bounce. As the drum spins, the floor flexes, the washer moves with it, and the vibration builds.
Maytag's page puts it simply: vibration you can feel from across the room can be a sign of a flexing floor, and high-spin washers need sturdy floors. The same page mentions that placing and securing ¾-inch plywood under the washer and dryer may help reduce noise and vibration, and refers to the installation instructions for flooring requirements.
How to tell: Stand a few feet away during the spin cycle. If you feel the floor move under your feet, or see items on a nearby shelf rattle, the floor is part of the problem.
What helps: - Moving the washer closer to a wall or over a joist, where the floor is stiffer. - A plywood platform, as Maytag describes. - Reinforcement of the floor framing, which is a job for a carpenter or contractor.
Is it on a pedestal or stacked?
Pedestals raise the washer, which also raises the center of gravity. If the pedestal isn't level or properly attached, vibration gets worse. Stacked units with a dryer on top need the correct stacking kit. If your washer is stacked, our post on stacking kit requirements explains what to check.
Is the load balanced?
Single heavy items such as a bath mat, a comforter or a pair of jeans can throw the drum off balance. Most front-loaders try to rebalance and may slow the spin if they can't. Occasional shaking with heavy loads is normal; constant shaking with every load isn't.
Anti-vibration pads: help or harm?
Rubber pads under the feet can dampen vibration on hard floors. They can also let the washer slide if they're the wrong type or if the floor is slick. They don't fix a flexing floor or an unlevel machine. Use them only after addressing the basics.
Older houses, townhouses and split-levels
In older twins and brick rows, such as those in Norristown, Trenton or Camden, floor joists often span the full width between the side walls, and floors can have more bounce near the middle of the span. Laundry tucked under the stairs or in a rear kitchen may sit right over the most flexible part of the floor. In split-levels where the laundry is on the lower level off the garage, the concrete floor is solid but often sloped toward a drain, so leveling the washer properly takes care.
Signs it's a machine problem
If the floor is solid and the washer is level, persistent shaking can come from:
- •Worn shock absorbers or dampers, which control drum movement.
- •Broken suspension springs.
- •A failing drum bearing, which usually also causes a loud roaring or grinding noise during spin.
- •Loose counterweights on the drum.
These parts wear over time, and continuing to run the washer with worn suspension can damage other components.
Watch the drain hose and water lines
When a washer walks across the floor, it can stretch or kink the hoses behind it. Check them after you've fixed the vibration, and make sure the drain hose is still properly seated. Our guide to washer standpipe problems covers the drain side.
When to call a technician
If you've removed the shipping bolts, leveled the washer, tightened the lock nuts and checked the floor, and the machine still shakes, thumps or roars during spin, the suspension, shocks or bearings may be worn. Our washer repair technicians can inspect the drum and suspension and tell you whether repair is worthwhile. Book a visit online and describe when the shaking starts and how loud it gets.