How To Fix A Front Load Washing Machine Out Of Balance

Out Of Balance on a front load washer? Here is how to fix your front load washer that is OUT OF BALANCE. Front Load Washers are great washing machines with many amazing features. One major issue about using a Front Load Washer that the manufacturer does not explain is what to do with an “out of balance load”. We will give you some examples so you know how to fix this issue.

Fix Front Load Washer “Out Of Balance”

What can cause “out of balance” on a front load washer?

• Unbalanced loads mean either the clothing is not evenly distributed or the washer may have lost a spring or a shock holding the tub in place. When an out-of-balance load error code shows, the machine shakes which could damage it over time.
• This out of balance load often throws the washer off-balance, and can make the spinning cycle difficult. Stop the washer during the spin cycle and redistribute clothing for more balance. You might want to remove some items in the washer to help offset the imbalance.
• Most of the time, an “out of balance issue ” is from having clothing clumped together in the washer and the washer becomes out of balance. You can solve this issue easily by rearranging the clothing or adjusting the control panel on your washer. See here for getting LG error codes on your washer from out of balance = UB or UE errors.

Out Of Balance on a front load washer

Need a way to level your washer to clear the “out of balance issue”?

Is your washer shaking too much or out of balance? Try this before taking anything apart. It may solve your issue easily. Level your washer by putting 4 towels in the washer and put the washer in spin. Wait until it gets to high spin and adjust the front legs to level your front load washer. The out of balance issue will smooth out by turning the legs to touch the floor in an even manner. Doing this prevents the washer from walking or moving around, even prevents shaking. This can solve the issue with “out of balance” problems.

Prevent a Washing Machine Out Of Balance

NOTE: Many front load washing machines have springs or shocks that hold the wash tub in place. If a spring or shock falls off, the washer will surely become unbalanced. So it is recommended to check with your washing machine manual to see if your front load washer has springs or shocks holding the tub and do some troubleshooting from there.

In extreme but not usual cases, read on below for another issue that can cause the OUB issue but ends up being an issue with the washer itself. Here is one example of an “out of balance” front load washer caused by a missing spring that can be fixed yourself.

How to fix a front load washer with spring issues?

Example: My LG front loader washer experienced a severe out of balance load. When I started the washer it became out of balance and thumped loudly. I checked inside the body of the washer and saw one spring still attached to one side of the tub and after further inspection I noticed the missing spring on the other side.

The source of this particular problem was that one of two springs holding the washer tub in place had come off, causing it to thrash around. To fix this, you need to remove the top, find the missing spring, put it back in place and put the washer back together. To find out if this is your issue, you need to check the springs or shocks that hold the tub in place so you do not get an out of balance load.

Here is how to check inside your out of balance front load washer

• You will need to remove power to the washer by unplugging it from the power source. Remove the top or the back of the washer (depending on the model) and check inside to find out if the out of balance issue is from a missing spring, shock, or something else.
• To remove the top, there are two plastic braces located on the back of the machine. (On some washers – check manual to be sure) One is attached to the lid and goes into a hole in one end of the cabinet; another is attached to body and goes into a hole near where it adheres to the bottom of the cabinet.
• Remove the screws, take off the braces, then press down on the lid while simultaneously sliding it towards the back. The lid should pop loose from the 4 pegs that hold it in place and you can then remove it. After getting into the washer, check at the bottom inside of the washer to see if the spring is disconnected from the tub area.
• Reconnect the spring to the tub. You may have to lift the tub to snap the top of the spring into place into the top frame of the body. Also check the plastic clip that is meant to help keep the spring or shock in place. Once you have the springs in place and securely connected to the washer, reverse the steps to put everything back together. This whole spring/shock replacement or reconnection repair should take less than one hour.

WASHER OUT OF BALANCE FIX – REPLACE SHOCKS ON WASHER

This information above is mostly for front load LG washers. We do know that many GE, Whirlpool, and Samsung washers have springs and shocks that may come off and cause the “out of balance issue “.

We are here to help: If you get “out of balance” errors or your washing machine is making banging sounds while washing and the above information did not help you to fix your washing machine, please let us know your washer model number and the exact issue you are having and we can assist with getting the problem resolved. Use the comments form below to tell us your problem so we can assist.