Washing Machine Shaking or Walking Across the Floor? How to Fix It

A washer that thumps and creeps across the laundry room floor is hard to ignore. It is also hard on the machine, stressing the suspension and bearings and working the hose connections loose.

The good news is that washing machine shaking often has a simple cause you can fix yourself. Before any check that involves moving or tipping the washer, unplug it and turn off the water taps.

1. Check the Load

This is the most common reason. A single heavy item like a bath mat, a comforter or a pair of work pants can bunch to one side and throw the drum off balance at high speed. A very small load can be just as bad as an overloaded one.

Stop the cycle and spread the laundry evenly around the drum. Add a couple of towels to balance out one heavy item. Wash bulky bedding on the bulky or bedding cycle, which spins more gently.

2. Level the Washer

A washer that is not level will rock during the spin. Set a level on top of the machine, both front to back and side to side. Adjust the front legs by turning them, then tighten the lock nuts up against the cabinet so the legs cannot creep.

Some washers have self-adjusting rear legs. Tip the machine forward a few centimetres and set it back down so they can settle. Once it is level, press down on each corner. It should not rock at all.

3. Remove the Shipping Bolts on a New Washer

If your front load washer is new and has shaken hard since the very first load, look at the back for shipping bolts. These hold the drum still during delivery and have to come out before use. Your manual shows where they are. Running a washer with the bolts in can damage it quickly.

4. Check the Floor

A washer on a springy wood floor will bounce no matter how carefully you level it. This is common in older homes and upper floor laundry rooms. Anti-vibration pads can help, but a floor that visibly flexes may need reinforcing.

Basement concrete is usually solid. Just make sure the feet are not sitting on a crack, a slope toward the floor drain or an uneven patch.

5. Look at a Pedestal or Stacked Setup

Pedestals and stacking kits can make vibration worse. Make sure the pedestal itself is level and the washer is fastened to it as the instructions describe. On a stacked pair, check that the stacking kit brackets are tight.

6. Worn Suspension Parts

If the load is balanced and the washer is level but it still bangs, the suspension may be worn. Top load washers hang the tub on rods or springs at each corner. Front loaders use springs on top and shock absorbers underneath.

On a top loader, with the washer unplugged, press down on the edge of the tub and let go. It should move a little and settle, not bounce up and down. Replacing suspension parts means taking panels off, so most people are better off leaving it to a technician.

7. Bearings or a Broken Drum Support

A rumbling or grinding noise that gets louder as the drum speeds up usually points to worn drum bearings. On front loaders, a cracked spider arm (the metal bracket on the back of the drum) can also cause wobbling and clunking. These are bigger repairs, and on an older machine it is worth asking whether repair or replacement makes more sense.

Still Shaking? Call a Local Technician

If your washer is level, the load is balanced and it still jumps around, it needs a closer look. Al's Appliance offers in-home washer repair in Kitchener and washing machine repair in Guelph, as well as service throughout Waterloo and Cambridge. We will tell you whether it is suspension, bearings or something else, and give you a straight answer on whether the machine is worth fixing.

Need a replacement instead? Our Guelph and Kitchener locations carry new, used and scratch and dent washers, with delivery available. Call 519-824-8828 or visit alsappliance.ca to book.