Your washing machine, often, is the cornerstone of your kitchen and chores.
If the washing machine stops working in any way, this can cause a lot of problems, especially if you’re like me and have a habit of letting laundry build up for a while.
If you’re lucky, some of the problems your washing machine can have will be possible to fix by yourself at home.
Some of them will need professional help though if they’re more serious.
If your washing machine is not spinning, there are several different potential reasons for this. This could be because of a fault that builds up over time from regular use, or a sudden failure with the machine itself. Before trying to fix a faulty machine yourself, always check the manufacturer’s instructions.
In this piece, we’ll look at various reasons why your washing machine might not be spinning, common fixes that you can do yourself if the issue is simple enough and other problems you might encounter.
Reasons Why Your Washing Machine Drum Isn’t Spinning
A washing machine that won’t spin could have a number of different things wrong with it.
These could come from build up through regular use or a sudden failure with the machine.
Drain hose clogged: If you use your washing machine regularly, then there will be a build up of lint and fluff from your clothes somewhere in the machine.
This lint can get to the hose at the back of the machine where the water drains out of the drum.
If the washing machine senses that it won’t be able to drain, then in most cases it won’t even start spinning.
Power source: This is one that will seem very obvious, but it never hurts to check.
Make sure the washing machine is plugged in properly!
A slight shift during a cycle could be enough to unseat the plug from the socket.
While you’re at it, you can make sure that the machine is plugged directly into a wall socket rather than an extension cord.
Extension cords sometimes don’t produce the voltage required for a washing machine to work, so plugging directly into the wall is your best bet.
Unbalanced load: This is actually one of the most common reasons why your machine won’t spin.
If the washing machine is filled with a load of laundry that throws the machine off balance, then the drum won’t start to spin.
This usually happens when washing larger items like bedding or heavy jackets.
These items can tend to sit on one side of the drum, which will cause a balancing issue.
Use high efficiency detergent (for front load washing machines): This is a fairly obscure cause, but it could still be the root of your problem.
Front load washers often require high efficiency detergents which don’t foam as much as other soaps.
If the detergent you use foams too much then the sensor in the washing machine will think that the machine is too full, which can lead to lower spin speeds or even the drum not spinning at all.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of different reasons for your washing machine not spinning.
Luckily, a lot of these issues have fixes that you can do at home.
Common DIY Fixes for a Drum That Won’t Turn
There are a lot of things you can do yourself to fix a washing machine drum not turning.
If you find that the drain hose is becoming clogged often, always make sure to check the pockets of your clothes before you put them in the washer.
If you can, use a lint roller as well. This is especially important if you have pets, as their hair can contribute massively to clogged drains.
Your best bet is to try and remove a lot of the hair before it goes in the washing machine at all.
The other common issue is balance. This can be fixed easily by yourself and someone to help you at home.
When loading a washing machine, make sure not to over fill the machine, as this will cause balance issues with the spinning.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure when you load the washing machine, that you can fit your hand in above the washing.
The other thing you can do, especially if you’re loading large items, is try to balance the load in the drum before starting the cycle.
The easiest way to do this is simply to match each side. So you can wash bedsheets in duplicate and place one on each side of the drum.
Another issue with balance in a washing machine is the feet being uneven.
You can fix this yourself with the help of another person. Some washers have adjustable feet, which you can get to if you get someone else to tilt each corner of the machine.
Make sure these feet are keeping the washing machine level and you shouldn’t have any more issues with balancing.
If your machine doesn’t have adjustable feet, then you can try to place small folded materials under some of the feet, such as folded cardboard.
This may need to be adjusted every so often after use.
Problems with your Washing Machine Which Usually Require Professional Help
So there are plenty of things you can do yourself to fix a washing machine that doesn’t spin.
But there will be issues that you can’t and definitely shouldn’t try to solve yourself.
Motor coupler: This is a small connector piece that links the washer motor and the transmission.
You can test whether this piece is broken by setting the washer to start and seeing if it does start spinning when the water level reaches full.
If the motor starts (you’ll be able to hear this) but the spinning doesn’t, then this could be the problem.
While it is possible to fix this yourself, it’s best to call an engineer to sort it out for you.
Drain pump: This allows water to be siphoned out of the drum through the drain hose.
If this is the cause of the problem, then you most likely will need to call a repair person to replace the pump.
You can check if this is the case if you know how to use a multimeter to test the connection.
Even if you don’t detect any of these problems, calling an engineer to look at your washing machine when you’re unsure is always a good bet.
Summary
That’s the end of this piece!
If you’re having trouble with your washing machine not spinning, then any of these causes could be the issue.
If you’re unsure, call in a professional to help fix it and never try to do anything yourself that you’re not completely sure of.
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