Washing machine shakes during spin cycle
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (52199)
Staten Island, New York
November 1, 2022 11:02am CST
Many years ago my parents decided to put in brand new tiles in the basement of their old house, where I now live.
For whatever reason whoever installed the tiles did not tile the entire floor where the washer & dryer are. Behind the washer & dryer and a bit under them there is no tile. Because of that the machines are not level.
When the washer is working and does the spin cycle the machine shakes and it seems to shake a lot. I hope that will not do any damage to it.
I’m not sure if it used to do that before or if it’s doing that only now because the contractor moved the washer & dryer close to the wall. Just recently noticed it.
I was gonna try to put something under the back of the washing machine. I found a few tiles in the basement. They don’t match the floor tile but they won’t really be visible. Issue is how to get it under there.
14 people like this
12 responses
@kaylachan (84823)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1 Nov 22
I think that's normal, especially for older machines because of how fast they spin. It won't hurt the machine. Ours spun so fast once it actually moved. Can be scary to watch. But getting it level should help make it seem less violent.
4 people like this
@kaylachan (84823)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
2 Nov 22
@lovebuglena Yeah, that would be. Getting under there I mean. Can you pull either one forward?
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
@kaylachan Slightly. From side to side. But maybe hubby can pull it further.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
Gotta figure out how to level the dryer as it shakes when it's working. Can't really get under there though and that is a problem.
1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (6029)
• United States
1 Nov 22
Uhh, from experience you should get the tiles under the back of the washer, ASAP! With the washer it's not just a case of it not being level but also with it is the fact that the washer can sustain damage from the shaking. I used to be married to a washing machine repairman and he made bundles with having to replace parts on washing machines that would shake like yours does.
If you have a physical friend that can hold the washer tilted on the front legs (or standing levelers) just tilt the weight forward and then slip the tiles under where the back legs are so that they're level. It's, like I said, not just a case of leveling but also saving money on repairs.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
1 Nov 22
The machine is very close to the wall. Can’t physically get in there. Only thing I can think of would be to try to move it out very far from the wall. Maybe then will be able to place tile under it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
1 Nov 22
I cut a piece from a box and placed it behind machine somehow and then I moved the machine a little and now it seems like it no longer moves when I try to tilt it. If I’m explaining it correctly. But I doubt I was able to get the piece from a box under the machine so not sure why it seems level or steady now.
1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (6029)
• United States
1 Nov 22
@lovebuglena It could be that you aligned the agitator and the tub so that they are level and equal. I've had machines that would shake when they spin, and I would give them a shove and it would solve the problem. You just need to keep an eye on it so if it happens to start again you know that you need to level it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
@popciclecold Definitely have to figure it out because I don't want to damage either machine.
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
I thought I somehow leveled the washer but then I noticed that it moved.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
Don't really need to lift it. More like push it. Still heavy to do though.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (18198)
• Raurkela, India
2 Nov 22
My washing machine sometimes shakes but I have tiles fitted under it. Keep the place without tiles will bring in a ply in the washing machine washer.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
I don't understand why the tile guys never put tile everywhere. Perhaps they could not move the machines and that's why a small part of the floor where the machines are is not tiled.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
3 Nov 22
@aninditasen then I am puzzled as to why they didn’t do the entire floor.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (18198)
• Raurkela, India
3 Nov 22
@lovebuglena I don't think washing machines are that heavy that tile masons cannot move.
@LindaOHio (222624)
• United States
2 Nov 22
If your loads are level then putting the tiles under the washer to level it sounds like a good idea. Have hubby lift the washer and you put the tiles under it or vice versa.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
Problem is the tile would have to be placed where the back of the machines are. You can't physically get in there so not sure how we can place tiles there unless we move both machines somehow much further out from where they are now so we can get in there.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
3 Nov 22
@LindaOHio maybe that can work. Worth a shot.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222624)
• United States
2 Nov 22
@lovebuglena You can push the tiles under with a broom handle or something like that while someone holds up the washer.
1 person likes this
@pitstop (15551)
• Australia
2 Nov 22
@BearArtistLady even tilting it is difficult isn't it.
2 people like this
@BearArtistLady (6029)
• United States
1 Nov 22
Actually, I'm not saying "lift" the machine, just have someone help tilt it forward until it rests on the front feet and put the tile under the area where the hind feet would be. It's a center of balance for the moving of the whole machine. You would have to be "Superman" to lift the whole machine.
3 people like this
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
1 Nov 22
Sometimes I level things with paper that doesn´t show, I guess it is better than have the machine shake. I´m sure that can do a bit of damage.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
1 Nov 22
The way washer and dryer are positioned can’t really get behind the machine to do anything. I doubt I was able to insert piece from a box under the washer but managed to get it behind it and when I moved the machine a little it no longer seems to tilt. Maybe I should stand near it when it spins to see if it will shake a lot.
Dryer tilts when I try to tilt it. Can’t seem to level that. I did put piece from a box behind it too but can’t get it under the machine as can’t reach there. But dryer doesn’t spin as fast as the washer so it should be ok I hope. For now anyway.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
2 Nov 22
I had to get these heavy rubber things to stop my machine from shaking in the old place
But you really can just twist the legs to even it up..the legs on the machine..but they should have tiled the whole place such nonsense.
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
3 Nov 22
I’m not sure if the legs are twistable. These things—will they level the machine?
@LadyDuck (502653)
• Italy
2 Nov 22
@lovebuglena - It's going to be hard to move them. May be you should ask someone to come and check.
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
@LadyDuck I was able to push the washer a little. Perhaps hubby will have an easier time doing that.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Nov 22
It would be easy if we could get ourselves behind the machines. It is pretty much by the wall so can't get in there. We are probably going to have to move the machines forward to do that. Not sure how we can do that with the dryer though as it's connected to an exhaust thing or whatever that's called.
I looked at the dryer yesterday when I turned it on and it shakes too. But I know it's not level so no surprise there. The washer, I thought I had managed to level it but then it moved during the wash.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22244)
• United States
1 Nov 22
When I lived in the trailer, my washing machine would shake when I had a lot of stuff in it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
1 Nov 22
Maybe that can happen even if leveled. And maybe that’s normal. But ours isn’t leveled.
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (59987)
• Philippines
22 Dec 22
That's natural for old washing machine to shake or probably the machine stands in imbalance place.
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
22 Dec 22
It can maybe shake when it spins but it should not shake very hard.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52199)
• Staten Island, New York
27 Dec 22
@Nakitakona I do not stand there and watch as the machines work but I hope they no longer shake a lot when they are on.
@Nakitakona (59987)
• Philippines
22 Dec 22
@lovebuglena Yea, you're right. But I think it can be fixed.
1 person likes this
