Washing machine won’t spin just one item or very small load
Modern washing machines refusing to spin single items or very small loads is normal behaviour – not a fault. Out-of-balance protection software detects that the drum cannot distribute a small load evenly and refuses to spin rather than risk damage to the machine. The solution is to add more items to the load to help it balance. If the machine won’t spin at all regardless of load size, that is a different fault unrelated to this issue.
The frustration of a new machine that won’t spin a bath mat, a single jumper, or a few towels is very common – particularly when an older machine managed it without difficulty. This is not a regression in washing machine design; it is a deliberate protection system that prevents real and significant damage.
Why Modern Machines Refuse to Spin Unbalanced Loads
Older machines would attempt to spin regardless of how the load was distributed in the drum. When the load was badly balanced – a few heavy items on one side, an empty section on the other – the drum would become violently unstable at spin speed. This caused serious damage to machines that was entirely avoidable.
What happened with older machines and unbalanced loads
What happened with older machines and unbalanced loads- Violent spinning that dented the machine casing and damaged suspension components
- Tubs breaking free of their suspension and smashing control panels and hoses – causing floods
- Machines walking across floors and colliding with cupboards and worktops
- Suspension rods punching through floorboards
- Complete machine write-offs from a single badly balanced load left to run unattended
This was not an occasional problem – badly balanced loads spinning out of control was a regular cause of machine damage and write-offs when out-of-balance protection did not exist or was rudimentary. The protection system that now refuses to spin small loads is preventing exactly this.
How Modern Out-of-Balance Protection Works
Early out-of-balance systems used simple microswitches attached to the suspension that cut the motor when triggered. Modern systems are more sophisticated – software monitors the motor’s power draw as the drum turns. An evenly distributed load creates consistent resistance as the drum rotates. A heavy item on one side creates a different resistance profile as the drum brings that side up and over – the software detects this uneven pattern and either attempts to redistribute the load at slower speed, or refuses to proceed to fast spin if redistribution fails.
The characteristic signs of the machine trying to redistribute before spin – the drum rocking slowly from side to side, the motor changing tone, visible sections of empty drum through the door glass – are the machine actively working to balance the load before committing to spin speed. If it cannot achieve a balance within the allowed time, it either aborts the spin entirely or completes on a reduced spin speed to minimise imbalance forces.
What to Do When the Machine Won’t Spin a Small Load
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Add more items to the drum.
The most reliable fix. A bath mat that won’t spin alone will usually spin successfully with two or three towels added. The extra items give the machine enough mass to distribute around the drum. Old towels kept specifically for this purpose are useful for padding out small loads of heavy items.
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Try a lower spin speed.
Most machines offer a choice of spin speeds. A lower speed generates less centrifugal force, which means a less balanced load can still spin without triggering the protection. 400 or 600rpm may succeed where 1200 or 1400rpm triggers a refusal.
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Re-open the door and rearrange the load.
If the machine has stopped mid-cycle due to imbalance, opening the door and physically redistributing the items around the drum sometimes allows the machine to proceed. Spreading laundry around the entire circumference of the drum rather than leaving items in a clump helps.
Large Drum Machines Are More Prone to This
A larger drum requires proportionally more laundry to achieve an even distribution. A 7kg or 8kg drum machine may refuse to spin three large towels that a 5kg machine would handle without difficulty – simply because those same towels represent a smaller proportion of the larger drum’s circumference and leave more empty space.
If most of the laundry done in a household consists of small loads – a few garments, single items, children’s clothes – a very large drum machine will cause more spin refusals than a medium-sized drum. A 7kg or 8kg drum only delivers its capacity benefit when regularly loaded to near capacity. See our guide on drum capacity comparison before purchasing.
Premium machines such as Miele tend to have more sophisticated suspension and out-of-balance software that is better calibrated to distinguish loads that will spin safely from those that genuinely risk damage. Budget machines typically have simpler systems that are more conservative in what they will allow to spin. This difference in sensitivity between price points is real but no comparative data across brands is currently published.
Machine Won’t Spin At All?
If the machine refuses to spin on any load regardless of size, that is a separate fault unrelated to out-of-balance protection.
Related Guides
How to Load a Washing MachineHow to load correctly to avoid unbalanced spins – including why under-loading causes more problems than over-loading.
Washing Machine Jumping and Banging on SpinWhen spin banging is load-related and when it indicates a mechanical fault that needs an engineer.
Drum Capacity ComparisonHow different drum sizes compare in practice – relevant to choosing a machine that suits your typical load sizes.
Washing Machine Not SpinningWhen the machine won’t spin at all on any load – causes that are genuine faults rather than out-of-balance protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t my washing machine spin a single item?
Modern washing machines use out-of-balance detection software that monitors whether the load is evenly distributed before allowing fast spin. A single item or a very small load of heavy items settles on one side of the drum, creating an imbalance the machine detects as a risk. Rather than spin a badly balanced load – which can cause significant mechanical damage – the machine either refuses to spin or reduces the spin speed significantly. This is normal behaviour and not a fault.
My old machine could spin single items – why can’t this new one?
Older machines either had no out-of-balance protection or had very basic systems that could be overwhelmed. Modern machines have much more sophisticated detection that catches imbalances that older machines would have spun through – sometimes causing serious damage in the process. The inability to spin small loads is a deliberate protective feature, not a step backwards in capability.
How do I get a washing machine to spin a bath mat?
Add other items to the load – old towels work well. The machine needs enough material distributed around the drum to achieve a balance. A bath mat alone almost always ends up on one side; two or three towels added alongside it give the machine enough mass to distribute. If the bath mat still refuses to spin, try a lower spin speed – 600rpm rather than 1200 or 1400rpm.
79 Comments
Grouped into 58 comment threads.
3 replies But it is progress tracey. Your load won't spin because the laws of physics dictate it has a high chance of destroying your washing machine if it was allowed to. The bottom line is you cannot spin one, or a few items inside a drum, which only has laundry at one side - especially if the items are heavy when wet. It will go so violently out of balance it could cause the washer to jump up and smash the worktop, or smash the washing machine itself to bits. Believe me I've repaired washing machines since 1976 when no one had out of balance control and have seen many destroyed or extensively damaged washing machines caused by a single heavy item or very small load going into spin. When it happens it's terrifying, and sounds like the police are battering their way in though the back door. :-) The only criticism I would have is that they are probably a bit too sensitive and disallow some loads that may well be OK. All you need to do its to put other items inside to balance it out. Just use old towels or laundry.
2 replies I have a AEG , 4 years old, and had a nasty bath matt experiance , the machine bounced up and hit the kitchen worktop it sits under , , then shut itself down luckily . No damage caused to Kitchen We thought we had over laoded , but after reading this , it seems we underloaded or unbalance loaded it !! I then put a small tea towel in alone to test it , and all worked however it didnt spin at max 1400rpm , so it was still wet, after reading this i understand it was under loaded !!! So thankyou for the info, Another thing i notice , my machine is mounted on suspended wooden flooring, then on top of laminate flooring , after reading elsewhere , placing a wooden plynth may help ? thx Paul
I have a AEG , 4 years old, and had a nasty bath matt experiance , the machine bounced up and hit the kitchen worktop it sits under , , then shut itself down luckily .
No damage caused to Kitchen
We thought we had over laoded , but after reading this , it seems we underloaded or unbalance loaded it !!
I then put a small tea towel in alone to test it , and all worked however it didnt spin at max 1400rpm , so it was still wet, after reading this i understand it was under loaded !!!
So thankyou for the info,
Another thing i notice , my machine is mounted on suspended wooden flooring, then on top of laminate flooring , after reading elsewhere , placing a wooden plynth may help ?
thx
Paul
Likely replying to Paul
Hello Paul: Thanks for your contribution. In theory the bath mat shouldn’t have been allowed to spin in the first place as that’s what the out of balance protection system is designed to prevent. In the old days, without any protection your machine would have continued to spin for the full several minutes wrecking either the washer and or some part of the kitchen units.
The balancing of loads shouldn’t be reliant on how solid the floor is but a solid floor and level machine will help cut down on noise and a little movement.
Likely replying to Washerhelp
HI washerhelp,
thankyou for your advice,
I am not sure but i think the machine was trying to balance , and maybe thought that it did ? as it seemed to start spinning , then suddenly the jumping which lasted about 1 second, before cutting off
I lifted the top cover off the machine to check allwas ok inside , and i have a scrape mark on the inside of the machines casing just above the drum itself !!! scarey !!!
I will get my spirit level out tonight and check its level .
So the key is put more than 1 heavy item in at any one time so they counter balance eachother !!!
I will update here after my leveling and a FULL BIG wash tonight
thanks
2 replies I have a siemens wm12s washing machine and have experienced the same problems re spinning.It drives me mad when i am about to go to work and want to hang out the washing only to find that it is soaking wet.I have phoned siemens and have had to listen to all their jargon re loading.The machine was not cheap and i consider the machine to be not fit for purpose.Had these problems been explained to me when i bought it ,i would not have gone ahead with it. i also have a dog and there is no way that i would want to add other items to the machine.I rue the day the machine came into my house.
I have a siemens wm12s washing machine and have experienced the same problems re spinning.It drives me mad when i am about to go to work and want to hang out the washing only to find that it is soaking wet.I have phoned siemens and have had to listen to all their jargon re loading.The machine was not cheap and i consider the machine to be not fit for purpose.Had these problems been explained to me when i bought it ,i would not have gone ahead with it. i also have a dog and there is no way that i would want to add other items to the machine.I rue the day the machine came into my house.
Likely replying to marion wallis
marion, the problem is all washing machines are like this now as described in my article. Cheaper ones may be less inclined to spin solitary items or small loads but all washing machines have out of balance spin control meaning certain solitary items will not spin. If they didn’t many would destroy themselves as they did in the past with seriously violent out of balance loads.
Likely replying to marion wallis
@Marion Wallis
I agree. I am fed up with a sopping wet small load after a spin cycle. I end up having to add more dry washing (like towels) to the wet load in order t get it to spin, hence having more washing to dry. It must be costing me more money. I’ve even had wet loads which have been quite full but refuse to spin properly. The Siemens machine was pretty expensive but there’s no way I’d have bought it had I known what it was going to be like. I’d had my old machine for over 10 years with no problems and could spin anything I liked! This isn’t progress!
1 reply Brilliant, had this issue this evening, never had a clue about OOB, threw in a couple of towels to help balance the drum and all sorted! Many thanks, almost had a new motor on order, You have saved me quite a few £££!
1 reply This article describes the problem & its causes but falls short of clearly explaining how one goes about fixing the problem. Here is my idea and will use towels as an example, basically anything that gets heavy when wet will work... What is the minimum amount of towels required to avoid an OOB error ? 2 and they need to be roughly similar in weight when wet. Does not matter how big or small the drum is. Or whether parts of the drum showing. The trick is to get more or less equal weight in two areas of the drum. In this way when the drum spins its balanced. Which areas of the drum ? position the drum so the paddles face 12, 4 & 8 o'clock. This creates 3 sectors. Place one towel in the 12-4 o'clock sector and the other in the 8-12 o'clock sector. Do not place anything in between 4-8 o'clock. That's it. 3 towels won't work as you would need to balance the load out with an extra towel. So two towels each in the two sectors described earlier. The weight in the other sector needs to be similar to work. What if there is one towel with other clothes, then you need to life the towel to see its weight and the other clothes, if they don't balance up then you need to add a smaller towel to even up the balance. That is all one needs to understand. In this way you can use a big drum with light loads provided there is a a counterweight in the opposite sector. It means less vibration on a machine that has OOB detection or not. But it needs one to be able to open the door and rearrange the clothes. The only problem i see is you can't pin the clothes down and you have to rely on the paddles to hold them in place from the start whilst the drum revs up and hope they stay in position. Comments anyone ? Wanted to add with the simple example of just two towels that you push them to the back of the drum for extra support. Position the clothes as close to where the force turning the drum is located rather than further away. For the 6,7 & 8 kg Korean models (Samsung or LG) the diameter of the drum is the same, only the depth increases. For the Bosch/Siemens models, the difference in drum diameter is 4 inches between 6 & 8kg models, of course with more depth as well.
This article describes the problem & its causes but falls short of clearly explaining how one goes about fixing the problem. Here is my idea and will use towels as an example, basically anything that gets heavy when wet will work…
What is the minimum amount of towels required to avoid an OOB error ? 2 and they need to be roughly similar in weight when wet. Does not matter how big or small the drum is. Or whether parts of the drum showing. The trick is to get more or less equal weight in two areas of the drum. In this way when the drum spins its balanced.
Which areas of the drum ? position the drum so the paddles face 12, 4 & 8 o’clock. This creates 3 sectors. Place one towel in the 12-4 o’clock sector and the other in the 8-12 o’clock sector. Do not place anything in between 4-8 o’clock. That’s it.
3 towels won’t work as you would need to balance the load out with an extra towel. So two towels each in the two sectors described earlier. The weight in the other sector needs to be similar to work.
What if there is one towel with other clothes, then you need to life the towel to see its weight and the other clothes, if they don’t balance up then you need to add a smaller towel to even up the balance. That is all one needs to understand.
In this way you can use a big drum with light loads provided there is a a counterweight in the opposite sector. It means less vibration on a machine that has OOB detection or not. But it needs one to be able to open the door and rearrange the clothes.
The only problem i see is you can’t pin the clothes down and you have to rely on the paddles to hold them in place from the start whilst the drum revs up and hope they stay in position.
Comments anyone ?
Wanted to add with the simple example of just two towels that you push them to the back of the drum for extra support. Position the clothes as close to where the force turning the drum is located rather than further away.
For the 6,7 & 8 kg Korean models (Samsung or LG) the diameter of the drum is the same, only the depth increases.
For the Bosch/Siemens models, the difference in drum diameter is 4 inches between 6 & 8kg models, of course with more depth as well.
Likely replying to Seven
Hi Seven, thanks for that. The article doesn’t fall short of explaining about fixing the problem as it links to a separate article about how to get a balanced load :)
It doesn’t matter how you place items in the drum they will not stay there and will settle into their own form and often tangle together into one mass which causes the balance problem. Even with a load which is perfectly capable of being balanced you can get random occasions where they just fall wrong or get tangled and the machine can’t balance them – even though it may have done so dozens of times before.
The single towel scenario with lighter items is one of the worst causes of out of balance because where ever it falls it unbalances the load because it’s much heavier. Often it works ok though, it’s very much a random process how the laundry interacts and falls in the drum because they are simply being tossed around randomly. You can have some loads which a washer can’t balance 9 times out of 10 and others that it can balance 9 times out of 10.
1 reply Thanks so much for that. It describes exactly the problem I'm having with a new 9kg Daewoo washer dryer. Will try again tomorrow with extra towels!
1 reply Thank you so much for this type of service! I have this problem with my fairly new (<4years) Siemens and thought it was a fault. Many a time I have been close to taking a sledge hammer to the thing in frustration!! I have discovered through trial and error that setting it to a slower spin speed helps, but I will also try your tip of chucking a few more items into the spin cycle.
Thank you so much for this type of service! I have this problem with my fairly new (<4years) Siemens and thought it was a fault. Many a time I have been close to taking a sledge hammer to the thing in frustration!! I have discovered through trial and error that setting it to a slower spin speed helps, but I will also try your tip of chucking a few more items into the spin cycle.
1 reply Hi, thanks for this advice. Bosch Maxx WFO 2860 Washing Machine (age unknown) Machine would not spin at all, I changed the brushes, now the machine tries to spin, however the Out of balance system cuts in and redistributes the load, it then tries again 3 or 4 times without success and then shuts down. I have tried with the machine empty, partial load, full load and different amounts in between, all with the same result. I assume from the above info the out of balance system is software based on this machine and uses the evenness of the motor load, is it possible to either reset the system, replace whatever is at fault (what controls the out of balance system?), or bypass the system altogether? any help would be very welcome Graham
Hi, thanks for this advice.
Bosch Maxx WFO 2860 Washing Machine (age unknown)
Machine would not spin at all, I changed the brushes, now the machine tries to spin, however the Out of balance system cuts in and redistributes the load, it then tries again 3 or 4 times without success and then shuts down.
I have tried with the machine empty, partial load, full load and different amounts in between, all with the same result.
I assume from the above info the out of balance system is software based on this machine and uses the evenness of the motor load, is it possible to either reset the system, replace whatever is at fault (what controls the out of balance system?), or bypass the system altogether?
any help would be very welcome
Graham
1 reply To the above I meant to say that older Zanussi machines, even the budget ones were better made than the current ones which I think is the reason why they dont spin. I miss my old AEG 2002 model, the 72640 which always spun unless dangerously out of balance.
1 reply First port of call should always be the Internet Steve - after the beer of course :) Glad to have helped in the end.
First port of call should always be the Internet Steve – after the beer of course :) Glad to have helped in the end.
Likely replying to Washerhelp
Hello Washerhelp.
Id like to point out that its not just small loads that cause issues. I bought a Zanussi Flexi Dose ZWG7160P on 30th December 2011.
This machine is extreamly irritating. It doesnt spin small loads or big loads. If i fully load the machine with a mixture of towels, bedding, clothes etc. The machine sometimes doesnt spin or it keeps on trying to balance with tiny spin burts, if the load isnt what the machine wants then it stops and repeats itself again. Older Zanussis were better tha the newer ‘cheaper’ ones
1 reply Hi there, my hotpoint WD62 is driving me mad. It will do a normal cycle but not spin at the end. I've just put new brushes in there and it still will not spin, it also will not turn on the tumble drier cycle but turns during the washer cycle, do you think it is OOB causing it? Thanks for any help.
Hi there, my hotpoint WD62 is driving me mad.
It will do a normal cycle but not spin at the end.
I’ve just put new brushes in there and it still will not spin, it also will not turn on the tumble drier cycle but turns during the washer cycle, do you think it is OOB causing it?
Thanks for any help.
Likely replying to Doug
Hello Doug,
I have read with great interest the OOB reports here as I have just bought a Bosch Logixx7 washing machine that will not spin anything I have put into it.
Understanding how OOB works now gives me an idea that my machine is too sensitive as I carried out an experiment with socks. I put in 5 socks no problem, then 7 no problem next went to 10 and no spin. I have tried many different combinations of items for washing and it just will not spin. I have tried now for a week and all the sodden washing is a drag.
Am on the verge of sending it back to Bosch especially after the engineer said it was my fault for not using the machine correctly. Maybe you can suggest something?
Thanks
Patrick
1 reply Hello, I have a Ariston AV1048 Washing machine and it does,nt seem to do a fast spin anymore, it seems to do a slow spin with washing in,but won,t do a fast spin even when I do a rinse programme with no washing in, please help
Hello, I have a Ariston AV1048 Washing machine and it does,nt seem to do a fast spin anymore, it seems to do a slow spin with washing in,but won,t do a fast spin even when I do a rinse programme with no washing in, please help
Likely replying to Mary Cooper
Hello Mary: It sounds like your problem isn’t related to this topic which is about washing machines refusing to spin very small loads, or single items, or even the occasional load but otherwise working OK because of the out of balance protection systems.
If yours just isn’t spinning anything I can only point you to my fairly general diy advice on the subject on Washerhelp Washing machine won’t spin or drum won’t go round or (if you aren’t interested in diy repair attempts) to a page where you can find a washing machine repairer – Book washing machine repairs
1 reply Hi, Ive got a bosch Maxx - about 10 years old. Its stopped spinning. Brushes are fine, changed them not long ago and I've just checked them again. Reading the above, sounds like Ive got a OOB problem - especially as I found the machine half way across the utility this morning! Next cycle after putting it back in its place and the drum isnt turning. Sounds like the OOB detection system is based on load monitoring , so I cant replace anything physical. Question is, how do I fix it?!!
Hi,
Ive got a bosch Maxx – about 10 years old. Its stopped spinning. Brushes are fine, changed them not long ago and I’ve just checked them again. Reading the above, sounds like Ive got a OOB problem – especially as I found the machine half way across the utility this morning! Next cycle after putting it back in its place and the drum isnt turning. Sounds like the OOB detection system is based on load monitoring , so I cant replace anything physical. Question is, how do I fix it?!!
Likely replying to Mark
Hello Mark: The out of balance system is designed precisely to stop the washing machine bouncing around the kitchen across the floor, which is why over sensitive systems on many modern washing machines won’t even allow some loads to go into spin – hence my article.
The out of balance system does not stop the motor from turning, in fact it keeps it turning slowly on distribution speed to constantly try and balance the load until it either succeeds and spins or fails and aborts without spinning. It sounds like you have an unrelated fault, which bearing in mind you’ve had the motor off could be a faulty connection in the motor plug or harness connector or one of many things mentioned in my article here Washing machine won’t spin or drum won’t turn round
1 reply Hi We have a Haier HW-C1260TVEME-U and our problem is just the same kind of thing as these other guys. When I phoned Haier they told me to put it on a spin with the drum empty to reset the sensors, this worked for a while then when out of warranty this no longer works. the other problem we had with it was the motor brushes or should I say just the one brush stuck in it's sleeve do you think this could be part of the problem as all I did was free it up so the machine would was. Pls help before it comes to HAMMER TIME. Cheers Paul.
Hi
We have a Haier HW-C1260TVEME-U and our problem is just the same kind of thing as these other guys. When I phoned Haier they told me to put it on a spin with the drum empty to reset the sensors, this worked for a while then when out of warranty this no longer works. the other problem we had with it was the motor brushes or should I say just the one brush stuck in it’s sleeve do you think this could be part of the problem as all I did was free it up so the machine would was. Pls help before it comes to HAMMER TIME. Cheers Paul.
Likely replying to Paul
Hello Paul: A sticking brush will cause the drum to stop turning as will several other faults. If your problem was caused by the issue talked about in this article the washing machine would spin perfectly ok without any laundry in, and perfectly well with a normal full load, but it would not do the fast spin with just a few small items or one large item. It would complete the wash and rinse but just not do the fast spin. If this isn’t the case it must be another fault on the machine.
1 reply Did the old Hotpoint 9534's have OOB? From what I've seen they just ramp straight up to full spin speed and don't do a graduated spin.
Did the old Hotpoint 9534’s have OOB?
From what I’ve seen they just ramp straight up to full spin speed and don’t do a graduated spin.
Likely replying to David
Hello David. No they didn’t have a proper out of balance system other than a very crude damage limitation system. This consisted of a small micro switch attached to a suspension leg. If the machine went badly out of balance and the micro switch operated it cut the power to the motor. These machines (as with most of their generation) would spin just about anything.
1 reply I have just read with interest all the comments about out of balance sensors etc and the comments describe exactly the problem I am having with a Zanussi Nexus FL 1082 whcih is in fact 12 yrs old. I don't think a machine this old will have any OOB controls and I cannot to be honest remember ever having this sort of problem before. The washer is in perfect working order for its age and this has come to light only after I had left a tap running in the bathroom and the bathmat got soaked.(The wife is away) so I thought to myself no problem throw it in the washer for a good spin and it will be dry in no time. No such luck,I've been at it all day trying to sort it and the only thing I have resolved is a well blocked filter with fluff and the proverbial Bra Wire. It still though stubbornly refuses to Spin with just the soggy Bath Mat and just drains until the end of the cycle. If I however take the bathmat out it Spins away merrily. Is there any other thing it could be.?? I'm getting to the stage of pulling hair out and to be honest there isn't much left to pull!!!!!!!!!!!
I have just read with interest all the comments about out of balance sensors etc and the comments describe exactly the problem I am having with a Zanussi Nexus FL 1082 whcih is in fact 12 yrs old. I don’t think a machine this old will have any OOB controls and I cannot to be honest remember ever having this sort of problem before. The washer is in perfect working order for its age and this has come to light only after I had left a tap running in the bathroom and the bathmat got soaked.(The wife is away) so I thought to myself no problem throw it in the washer for a good spin and it will be dry in no time. No such luck,I’ve been at it all day trying to sort it and the only thing I have resolved is a well blocked filter with fluff and the proverbial Bra Wire. It still though stubbornly refuses to Spin with just the soggy Bath Mat and just drains until the end of the cycle. If I however take the bathmat out it Spins away merrily. Is there any other thing it could be.?? I’m getting to the stage of pulling hair out and to be honest there isn’t much left to pull!!!!!!!!!!!
1 reply I have a Miele WT2670 1600rpm washer dryer which has a rather sensitive balance sensor. The other day I washed a bathmat on its own and it wouldn't spin. It missed out on the interim spins which weren't as important as the final spin. On the final spin it gave me loads of balancing nonsense and decided to skip the spin. I tried a seprate spin cycle a couple of times and it still wouldn't spin so I decided to add a towel to the load. After another load of balancing nonsense my Miele finally decided to spin. I thought that Miele machines had a stronger suspension and could handle unbalanced spins very well but my Miele washer dryer didn't seem to. When I have a load of bedding and towels in the machine it will give me a few pieces of balance nonsense before spinning. I remember that on the first load of bedding and towels that I ever washed in the Miele, the machine decided to miss out on one of its interim spins after giving me loads of balancing nonsense. It missed the spin because it couldn't balance. I also washed a doormat and a bathmat together in the Miele and again it had trouble spinning. Is my WT2670 extra sensitive to these unbalanced loads because of it being a washer dryer? Is it doing this to protect itself and not wanting to spin too unbalanced? It also misses out on little spin bursts because opf the load being too unbalanced but will give balancing nonsense for the main spins. If you could have something to say on this matter then I'd look forward to hearing what it is. Thanks very much indeed.
I have a Miele WT2670 1600rpm washer dryer which has a rather sensitive balance sensor. The other day I washed a bathmat on its own and it wouldn’t spin. It missed out on the interim spins which weren’t as important as the final spin. On the final spin it gave me loads of balancing nonsense and decided to skip the spin. I tried a seprate spin cycle a couple of times and it still wouldn’t spin so I decided to add a towel to the load. After another load of balancing nonsense my Miele finally decided to spin. I thought that Miele machines had a stronger suspension and could handle unbalanced spins very well but my Miele washer dryer didn’t seem to. When I have a load of bedding and towels in the machine it will give me a few pieces of balance nonsense before spinning. I remember that on the first load of bedding and towels that I ever washed in the Miele, the machine decided to miss out on one of its interim spins after giving me loads of balancing nonsense. It missed the spin because it couldn’t balance. I also washed a doormat and a bathmat together in the Miele and again it had trouble spinning. Is my WT2670 extra sensitive to these unbalanced loads because of it being a washer dryer? Is it doing this to protect itself and not wanting to spin too unbalanced? It also misses out on little spin bursts because opf the load being too unbalanced but will give balancing nonsense for the main spins. If you could have something to say on this matter then I’d look forward to hearing what it is. Thanks very much indeed.
Likely replying to Laura Mitchell
Hello Laura: Bath mats are one of the most destructive out-of balance loads although many are actually pretty light these days and may not be so dangerous. I’ve had thick bath mats in the past virtually destroy a washing machine.
A Miele washing machine or washer dryer probably does have the best suspension, and will stand up to more force than many washers – but even so, don’t underestimate the force involved if a heavy but out of balance load is allowed to go into full spin.
Even out of balanced loads not causing serious thumping about can still cause excessive wear and tear over the years, so even Miele presumably prefer to err on the side of caution.
At the moment washing machines have evolved self protection which clearly is very necessary, but maybe over sensitive? There are many loads that would technically spin out of balance but would only cause excess vibration. I’m sure most users would prefer these loads to spin and are frustratingly inconvenienced when they don’t.
I could be wrong, but I’m assuming the annoying refusal to spin non-perfect loads issue could be reduced by more sophisticated or just more lenient out of balance systems. I don’t know if manufacturers have asked their customers about how much of a problem this is or not but unless they think it’s a big problem (which i suspect it could be) they won’t invest time and money finding a better solution.
0 replies I've rarely repaired any top loaders Jim as there are very few of them in these parts so I chose to specialise in the ubiquitous front loaders. I've always assumed they don't need them but it's possible they have them in some form although I wouldn't expect top loaders to get anywhere near as out of balanced as front loaders which bounce around on the suspension dampers. If unbalanced loads are your problem you need to add more washing or be careful what you mix together as described in my article. There's nothing else you can do as it's just built into the system.
I’ve rarely repaired any top loaders Jim as there are very few of them in these parts so I chose to specialise in the ubiquitous front loaders. I’ve always assumed they don’t need them but it’s possible they have them in some form although I wouldn’t expect top loaders to get anywhere near as out of balanced as front loaders which bounce around on the suspension dampers. If unbalanced loads are your problem you need to add more washing or be careful what you mix together as described in my article. There’s nothing else you can do as it’s just built into the system.
0 replies I have an old Whirlpool Model # LSQ8243HQ0 Ultimate Care 2, Heavy Duty Super Capacity Plus Top Loading Washer - does this have out of balance sensor? We have had to reset the machine several times by unplugging and then opening the lid quickly to get the washer to completely spin and drain the load. Is there a part that can be replaced that will help with this washer constantly getting an out of balance fault? It seems to be super sensitive when the load is not really that bad out of balance? When it gets out of balance it seems to not complete the fastest final spin to completely dry the load.
I have an old Whirlpool Model # LSQ8243HQ0 Ultimate Care 2, Heavy Duty Super Capacity Plus Top Loading Washer – does this have out of balance sensor? We have had to reset the machine several times by unplugging and then opening the lid quickly to get the washer to completely spin and drain the load. Is there a part that can be replaced that will help with this washer constantly getting an out of balance fault? It seems to be super sensitive when the load is not really that bad out of balance? When it gets out of balance it seems to not complete the fastest final spin to completely dry the load.
0 replies Ah, the randomness is what gets in the way. So the way to pin the heavier items down so as to restrict their movement is to ensure, as often as possible that the drum is filled to optimum load. Since they can't move around as easily chances are better of reducing OOB errors in a more consistent & reliable way. Yeah, i can agree with that. 6kg drums are easier to fill than 8 kg so avoiding bigger drums reduces the problem. But it means more time spent washing :( 7kg seems like a happy middle of the road way out. Big enough to handle sheets and some laundry too. otherwise just stop the wash once its done, do a hand wring and hang them out. No spin.
Ah, the randomness is what gets in the way. So the way to pin the heavier items down so as to restrict their movement is to ensure, as often as possible that the drum is filled to optimum load. Since they can’t move around as easily chances are better of reducing OOB errors in a more consistent & reliable way. Yeah, i can agree with that.
6kg drums are easier to fill than 8 kg so avoiding bigger drums reduces the problem. But it means more time spent washing :( 7kg seems like a happy middle of the road way out. Big enough to handle sheets and some laundry too.
otherwise just stop the wash once its done, do a hand wring and hang them out. No spin.
0 replies I also have a Siemens WM145383 which is now 4 years old and am fed up with it and its out of balance problem. I have spent hours trawling through review websites looking for a replacement which has a solution to this out of balance problem. Thanks to your website I won't be wasting my money buying a replacement... There's money to be made here for washing machine manufacturers if they stop being so condescending to customers telling them its their fault not loading their machines properly. My previous old machine was fabulous and would wash anything I put in it and never caused any damage leaping about. I agree with previous postings-give us an override button (it can always give us a warning and disclaimer message for the necessary legal reasons) for pillows/bath mats/towel robes/wool cardigans/my son's filthy rugby kit all of which cause me a headache when I try to wash them....I'm too busy to have to try and repeatedly spin these items ending up handwringing them. Maybe I should buy a mangle too!
I also have a Siemens WM145383 which is now 4 years old and am fed up with it and its out of balance problem. I have spent hours trawling through review websites looking for a replacement which has a solution to this out of balance problem. Thanks to your website I won’t be wasting my money buying a replacement…
There’s money to be made here for washing machine manufacturers if they stop being so condescending to customers telling them its their fault not loading their machines properly. My previous old machine was fabulous and would wash anything I put in it and never caused any damage leaping about. I agree with previous postings-give us an override button (it can always give us a warning and disclaimer message for the necessary legal reasons) for pillows/bath mats/towel robes/wool cardigans/my son’s filthy rugby kit all of which cause me a headache when I try to wash them….I’m too busy to have to try and repeatedly spin these items ending up handwringing them. Maybe I should buy a mangle too!
0 replies Buy a Spin Dryer ..... Runs at 2800rpm and thus clothes are much dryer, so less time tumble drying ... saves money.
Buy a Spin Dryer ….. Runs at 2800rpm and thus clothes are much dryer, so less time tumble drying … saves money.
0 replies I would think you need to put in some sheets or towels to try and balance it Jonty. A pillow can be a very dodgy thing to try and balance.
I would think you need to put in some sheets or towels to try and balance it Jonty. A pillow can be a very dodgy thing to try and balance.
0 replies I found this page while searching for the reason my 8kg WMD942 was leaving my washing very wet. It has been very useful reading all this as I was clueless about it. I just wanted to spin something (a wet pillow) and after waiting fifteen minutes for it to do its thing it still came out wet. I used to use an old hotpoint twin tub and you would put that rubber mesh thing on top, shut the lid and away it would go. You could tell straightaway if it was unbalanced and just lift the lid and sort it out. These modern conveniences have become so sophisticated they should be called INconveniences. I am about to try incorporating a bag of plastic bags to balance the pillow to see what it makes of that.
I found this page while searching for the reason my 8kg WMD942 was leaving my washing very wet. It has been very useful reading all this as I was clueless about it. I just wanted to spin something (a wet pillow) and after waiting fifteen minutes for it to do its thing it still came out wet. I used to use an old hotpoint twin tub and you would put that rubber mesh thing on top, shut the lid and away it would go. You could tell straightaway if it was unbalanced and just lift the lid and sort it out. These modern conveniences have become so sophisticated they should be called INconveniences. I am about to try incorporating a bag of plastic bags to balance the pillow to see what it makes of that.
0 replies No damage should occur, but if there aren't enough towels to give a balanced load the washer won't spin them or will only spin them slow.
No damage should occur, but if there aren’t enough towels to give a balanced load the washer won’t spin them or will only spin them slow.
0 replies Hi, I would need your advise on this: If i wash salon towel by seprating them into a few laundry nets in a washer(big one)44kg. will there be any inbalance problems? or any damage caused to the washer?
Hi,
I would need your advise on this:
If i wash salon towel by seprating them into a few laundry nets in a washer(big one)44kg. will there be any inbalance problems? or any damage caused to the washer?
0 replies We have just purchased a new Hotpoint WMPF762P (not even done first wash yet) since I have had to admit defeat in trying to solve what appears to be an intermittent partial spin’ fault which sounds much like an Out of Balance problem. The drum also appears to occasionally start too quickly (no slow build up of speed) even during a wash or rinse cycle causing the drum to shake then the machine to pause for about 1 minute before repeating 2 times then stopping, I think indefinitely. The offending old washing machine was / is a 6 year old Zanussi jet system ZWF 1437W. The problem has only arisen in the last few months which led me to think could it be a weakening of the dampers. So have tried adding extra damping units taken from an old machine, the motor brushes look OK but not removed to check. I have disconnected and removed the control board looking for any bad joints burnt components etc (was an electronics technician for some years). During an out of balance episode (spin only) I removed all the washing and switched it back on immediately, this made no difference to the fault. Yet powering off the machine for 15 minutes sometimes will allow the cycle to complete correctly. To me this would point to a temperature related fault unless there are some software shenanigans going on in the controller ! I would love to find out what is the definite cause of the fault before I send it to washing machine heaven. Come on Zanussi spill the beans, you have lost our custom in any case. Re: the OOB problem - machines could be made to squirt water into compartments surrounding the outside of the drum to balance up an uneven load while the drum rotated at a slower speed. (my inventor head on) Thanks for all the posts and info in the above replies. Does this machine have a sensor or is it done by software monitoring motor load, does any one know? What next - will the machines refuse to open the door in case it bangs against our knees? Technology !
We have just purchased a new Hotpoint WMPF762P (not even done first wash yet) since I have had to admit defeat in trying to solve what appears to be an intermittent partial spin’ fault which sounds much like an Out of Balance problem.
The drum also appears to occasionally start too quickly (no slow build up of speed) even during a wash or rinse cycle causing the drum to shake then the machine to pause for about 1 minute before repeating 2 times then stopping, I think indefinitely.
The offending old washing machine was / is a 6 year old Zanussi jet system ZWF 1437W. The problem has only arisen in the last few months which led me to think could it be a weakening of the dampers. So have tried adding extra damping units taken from an old machine, the motor brushes look OK but not removed to check. I have disconnected and removed the control board looking for any bad joints burnt components etc (was an electronics technician for some years).
During an out of balance episode (spin only) I removed all the washing and switched it back on immediately, this made no difference to the fault. Yet powering off the machine for 15 minutes sometimes will allow the cycle to complete correctly. To me this would point to a temperature related fault unless there are some software shenanigans going on in the controller !
I would love to find out what is the definite cause of the fault before I send it to washing machine heaven. Come on Zanussi spill the beans, you have lost our custom in any case.
Re: the OOB problem – machines could be made to squirt water into compartments surrounding the outside of the drum to balance up an uneven load while the drum rotated at a slower speed. (my inventor head on)
Thanks for all the posts and info in the above replies. Does this machine have a sensor or is it done by software monitoring motor load, does any one know?
What next – will the machines refuse to open the door in case it bangs against our knees? Technology !
0 replies Took delivery of my AEG L75470FL machine two days ago. Washed a single size eight synthetic coat. Machine refuses to spin. Eventually persuaded it to spin with the addition of a towel. Not impressed. Called AEG, they asked me to arrange a service call. Found this website in the meantime. I may not be going mad after all. Machine is obviously over-protective. Do manufacturers read this kind of feedback? They oughtta!
Took delivery of my AEG L75470FL machine two days ago. Washed a single size eight synthetic coat. Machine refuses to spin. Eventually persuaded it to spin with the addition of a towel. Not impressed. Called AEG, they asked me to arrange a service call. Found this website in the meantime. I may not be going mad after all. Machine is obviously over-protective. Do manufacturers read this kind of feedback? They oughtta!
0 replies My How do I avoid out of balance loads? article on Washerhelp should explain about the intricacies of balancing loads. The main thing is to avoid putting bulky or heavy items which absorb a lot of water in with lots of light items which don't. You should always try to wash bigger loads for economy savings on electricity, detergent, and wear and tear on the machine, but all washing machines have half load buttons or should wash and spin most half loads. Washing machines should be capable of dealing with half loads. However, if you have a 7Kg machine then a half load is still quite a lot of washing. As drum sizes have increased, half loads need to increase too. Therefore it's not surprising that one of the downsides to large capacity drum washing machines is they won't spin many small loads. With a 6Kg drum maybe we can only complain if it won't spin 3kg loads? With a 10Kg drum a half load may be 5Kg - which was a full drum of washing 10 - 15 years back.
My How do I avoid out of balance loads? article on Washerhelp should explain about the intricacies of balancing loads. The main thing is to avoid putting bulky or heavy items which absorb a lot of water in with lots of light items which don’t. You should always try to wash bigger loads for economy savings on electricity, detergent, and wear and tear on the machine, but all washing machines have half load buttons or should wash and spin most half loads.
Washing machines should be capable of dealing with half loads. However, if you have a 7Kg machine then a half load is still quite a lot of washing. As drum sizes have increased, half loads need to increase too. Therefore it’s not surprising that one of the downsides to large capacity drum washing machines is they won’t spin many small loads.
With a 6Kg drum maybe we can only complain if it won’t spin 3kg loads? With a 10Kg drum a half load may be 5Kg – which was a full drum of washing 10 – 15 years back.
0 replies Yes Paul, thanks for your contribution. AEG is a better make than Indesit so it's a shame. It just goes to show that different brands have different out of balance systems and different levels of "protection". Some may be too strict and others may be too lax..
Yes Paul, thanks for your contribution. AEG is a better make than Indesit so it’s a shame. It just goes to show that different brands have different out of balance systems and different levels of “protection”. Some may be too strict and others may be too lax..
0 replies I finally gave up on my aeg after it just sat there after trying to spin a normal load !! After much research i went for a higher end indesit 8kg 1400 spin machine!! I put the same load in this as the aeg and it washed it perfectly . Time will tell if it's a good choice of make ? Goodbye aeg !! Paul
I finally gave up on my aeg after it just sat there after trying to spin a normal load !!
After much research i went for a higher end indesit 8kg 1400 spin machine!!
I put the same load in this as the aeg and it washed it perfectly .
Time will tell if it’s a good choice of make ?
Goodbye aeg !!
Paul
0 replies I have a Indesit washing machine 8years old it would not drain or spin, on checking the filter it was clogged up with the reamains of the last wash which was a bathroom matt.
I have a Indesit washing machine 8years old it would not drain or spin, on checking the filter it was clogged up with the reamains of the last wash which was a bathroom matt.
0 replies So after 2 hours striping down the washing machine 6 beers And a lot swearing I thought maybe just maybe it's because there not enough weight in the drum washing 1 top Which brought me here and confirmed it Well it's 2am time for bed after that entertaining night
So after 2 hours striping down the washing machine
6 beers
And a lot swearing
I thought maybe just maybe it’s because there not enough weight in the drum washing 1 top
Which brought me here and confirmed it
Well it’s 2am time for bed after that entertaining night
0 replies Update !! I put bath matt and 3 other towels in my AEG machine last night , it was quite a full load , and it washed them all perfectly , with no bouncing or jumping on full the full 1400 spin !!!! Afterwards i put just a pair of jeans in and a top and socks , and due to be a very light load , only a 1000 spin was done !!! I also dealt with some of my vibrations isues , due to the machine being situated on a suspended wooden floor , by placing those grey pipe lagging foam insulation covers each side of the machine ( i have wall one side and a unit the other) and another length wedged between the top of the machine and under the kitchen work surface. Also i have also ordered some anti vibration feet too for £4 My next step is a service wash at 90deg c with some cleaning product This has all been a complete learning exercise for me as reagrds to balanced loadings and under loading , so thanks to this site !! Thx Paul
Update !!
I put bath matt and 3 other towels in my AEG machine last night , it was quite a full load , and it washed them all perfectly , with no bouncing or jumping on full the full 1400 spin !!!!
Afterwards i put just a pair of jeans in and a top and socks , and due to be a very light load , only a 1000 spin was done !!!
I also dealt with some of my vibrations isues , due to the machine being situated on a suspended wooden floor , by placing those grey pipe lagging foam insulation covers each side of the machine ( i have wall one side and a unit the other) and another length wedged between the top of the machine and under the kitchen work surface.
Also i have also ordered some anti vibration feet too for £4
My next step is a service wash at 90deg c with some cleaning product
This has all been a complete learning exercise for me as reagrds to balanced loadings and under loading , so thanks to this site !!
Thx
Paul
0 replies I have come back to this thread after some time and the conclusion seems to be that your washing machine is better protected against damage from unbalanced loads but as a result are not so useful as they were for small loads, especially for items which are very heavy when water-logged. These are also difficult to wring out by hand. What is needed is something to substantially get the weight down of these soggy bathmats and such like. My flippant suggestion that machine manufacturers might add a mangle on the top, like those old machines I remember from my youth, might be retro but useful. Alternatively, why can't there be a special spin cycle for this purpose - one that removes a lot of water (to make items lighter and so not affect the balance too much) but will not spin to damaging speeds. Spin by easy stages, in other words. The present situation is that, on some occasions, we are worse off than our mums or grans.
I have come back to this thread after some time and the conclusion seems to be that your washing machine is better protected against damage from unbalanced loads but as a result are not so useful as they were for small loads, especially for items which are very heavy when water-logged. These are also difficult to wring out by hand. What is needed is something to substantially get the weight down of these soggy bathmats and such like. My flippant suggestion that machine manufacturers might add a mangle on the top, like those old machines I remember from my youth, might be retro but useful. Alternatively, why can’t there be a special spin cycle for this purpose – one that removes a lot of water (to make items lighter and so not affect the balance too much) but will not spin to damaging speeds. Spin by easy stages, in other words. The present situation is that, on some occasions, we are worse off than our mums or grans.
0 replies I have just bought a bosh washing machine WAP28360GB from Comets and i cant even get a short spin when i have hand washed an item it cost me £599.99 ithink for that sort of money it is not good.
I have just bought a bosh washing machine WAP28360GB from Comets and i cant even get a short spin when i have hand washed an item it cost me £599.99 ithink for that sort of money it is not good.
0 replies I am so glad I found this thread instead of phoning the suppliers about my apparently useless brand new machine ! I was disconcerted because I had done several smaller loads (wool, darks etc ) and they had gone fine but the hot white cotton wash had come out wet and then the bath sheet took ages to spin when I tried to do it by itself (the rest of the sheets on their own spun ok) I somehow had thought that this larger drum would deal with our large bath sheets better but now realise that my logic or grasp of physics was completely upside down. Another, larger load of sheets and towels (colour) was absolutely fine. I'm now looking at a black bath mat wondering what to do with it - I didn't trust its colourfastness to put it in with the rest of the cotton coloured wash - seems barmy that I might have a new machine and be handwashing and wringing. As someone commented before, bring back the mangle !
I am so glad I found this thread instead of phoning the suppliers about my apparently useless brand new machine ! I was disconcerted because I had done several smaller loads (wool, darks etc ) and they had gone fine but the hot white cotton wash had come out wet and then the bath sheet took ages to spin when I tried to do it by itself (the rest of the sheets on their own spun ok) I somehow had thought that this larger drum would deal with our large bath sheets better but now realise that my logic or grasp of physics was completely upside down. Another, larger load of sheets and towels (colour) was absolutely fine.
I’m now looking at a black bath mat wondering what to do with it – I didn’t trust its colourfastness to put it in with the rest of the cotton coloured wash – seems barmy that I might have a new machine and be handwashing and wringing. As someone commented before, bring back the mangle !
0 replies Hello there, your washerhelp website has been most helpful to clear out the filter of a safety pin and other debri from the filter and it's now spinning. But water still doesn't drain properly. Spin seems to be normally fast though. Any suggestions what the problem could be please?
Hello there, your washerhelp website has been most helpful to clear out the filter of a safety pin and other debri from the filter and it’s now spinning. But water still doesn’t drain properly. Spin seems to be normally fast though. Any suggestions what the problem could be please?
0 replies I have a new LG with 11 kg capacity. So I was not worried the first couple of times when the spinning cycle could not be completed, as I knew it was more sensitive to the right weight distribution. After a while, I made a test - unloaded the machine and then tried to spin: the empty drum started to vibrate as well, and the off balance protection shut off the cycle. I think there should not be any off balance issues with empty drum, ergo there should be a repairable fault in the drum suspension. Am I making the right conclusion?
I have a new LG with 11 kg capacity. So I was not worried the first couple of times when the spinning cycle could not be completed, as I knew it was more sensitive to the right weight distribution. After a while, I made a test – unloaded the machine and then tried to spin: the empty drum started to vibrate as well, and the off balance protection shut off the cycle. I think there should not be any off balance issues with empty drum, ergo there should be a repairable fault in the drum suspension. Am I making the right conclusion?
0 replies I have a NEF machine with what seems to be an over-sensitive 'off balance' device. Customer services were off-hand and said that's the way it is, with no advice on work-arounds - just take it or leave it. Sometimes wringing out sopping wet items e.g. single towel, may work, or this plus setting to spin at the slowest speed first, then progressively increasing to the speed desired - - but on the whole the experience is of much more sophisticated machine than of old but less fit to do the job their predecessors did pretty well (without self-destructing). Perhaps manufacturers should mount a mangle on the back, just like in the 1950s.
I have a NEF machine with what seems to be an over-sensitive ‘off balance’ device. Customer services were off-hand and said that’s the way it is, with no advice on work-arounds – just take it or leave it. Sometimes wringing out sopping wet items e.g. single towel, may work, or this plus setting to spin at the slowest speed first, then progressively increasing to the speed desired – – but on the whole the experience is of much more sophisticated machine than of old but less fit to do the job their predecessors did pretty well (without self-destructing). Perhaps manufacturers should mount a mangle on the back, just like in the 1950s.
0 replies If a washing machine isn't spinning due to out of balance issues then it will be intermittent and only affect some loads. If you add more washing and the machine spins ok it would indicate it was previously under loaded and the drum couldn't balance it. If you remove a particularly big and heavy (when wet) article and try a normal load which does spin then it would indicate the large item was causing the issue as described in this article. Unfortunately there are many other faults that can cause a washing machine to not spin, including worn carbon brushes, a fault elsewhere on the motor, a broken or very loose drive belt, a faulty connection somewhere on the machine, a faulty PCB, a faulty or blocked pressure system, a partially blocked pump and so on so it's not something that can easily be dealt with without an engineer being present. There is some very basic advice on this issue here Washing machine drum not turning but the article here goes into great detail about the specific issue of not spinning due to an unbalanced load. If it looks like your washing machine isn't spinning due to a different issue than out of balance and the link above doesn't help you will need to get an engineer to look at it.
If a washing machine isn’t spinning due to out of balance issues then it will be intermittent and only affect some loads. If you add more washing and the machine spins ok it would indicate it was previously under loaded and the drum couldn’t balance it. If you remove a particularly big and heavy (when wet) article and try a normal load which does spin then it would indicate the large item was causing the issue as described in this article.
Unfortunately there are many other faults that can cause a washing machine to not spin, including worn carbon brushes, a fault elsewhere on the motor, a broken or very loose drive belt, a faulty connection somewhere on the machine, a faulty PCB, a faulty or blocked pressure system, a partially blocked pump and so on so it’s not something that can easily be dealt with without an engineer being present.
There is some very basic advice on this issue here Washing machine drum not turning but the article here goes into great detail about the specific issue of not spinning due to an unbalanced load. If it looks like your washing machine isn’t spinning due to a different issue than out of balance and the link above doesn’t help you will need to get an engineer to look at it.
0 replies hi my hotpoint wd420 washer will only spin on half speed in fast speed mode but on occasions tries to pick up speed drum empty at the time thankyou
hi my hotpoint wd420 washer will only spin on half speed in fast speed mode but on occasions tries to pick up speed drum empty at the time thankyou
0 replies hi I have samsung washing machine (top load) WA10V5 and it have the same problem of not spinning, but in addition to that it have some odd voice( ttktktk-tktktk)and so on. i watch the cycle of spin and I note that the pulster turn several time berfore the spin basket will turn and because of that pulster turn the laundry will accumelate at one side of the spin basket and so when the basket turn it will go unbalance and the machine stop is the problem just unbalance laundry or some thing wrong with my samsung? and what is the cause of that voice(tktktk!) which is only during the spin cycle(the cycle which will fai) thank you
hi
I have samsung washing machine (top load) WA10V5 and it have the same problem of not spinning,
but in addition to that it have some odd voice( ttktktk-tktktk)and so on.
i watch the cycle of spin and I note that the pulster turn several time berfore the spin basket will turn and because of that pulster turn the laundry will accumelate at one side of the spin basket and so when the basket turn it will go unbalance and the machine stop
is the problem just unbalance laundry or some thing wrong with my samsung?
and what is the cause of that voice(tktktk!) which is only during the spin cycle(the cycle which will fai)
thank you
0 replies Bob: Higher quality washing machines should be more likely to spin odd loads. The poorly made ones know their machine could be reduced to scrap if it went into a spin with a bad load because their suspension and general build quality wouldn't cope. Plus they have less sophisticated out of balance systems. If a Miele won't spin a load I would think it's probably a bad one to spin. You could alleviate the issue by adding other items as bulk. If you can find some items that are compatible with the load you are washing and just bung them in to help balance it out it may be a workaround. Keep the items by the machine until they are worn out through over washing and replace them.
Bob: Higher quality washing machines should be more likely to spin odd loads. The poorly made ones know their machine could be reduced to scrap if it went into a spin with a bad load because their suspension and general build quality wouldn’t cope. Plus they have less sophisticated out of balance systems.
If a Miele won’t spin a load I would think it’s probably a bad one to spin. You could alleviate the issue by adding other items as bulk. If you can find some items that are compatible with the load you are washing and just bung them in to help balance it out it may be a workaround. Keep the items by the machine until they are worn out through over washing and replace them.
0 replies I had a 1981 Miele top of the range with a wobble switch as Out of Balance protection. This worked fine though with the odd dent in the side. It finally broke in 2007 and I have tried a number of replacements most of which refuse to even try to spin. As an animal breeder most (90%) of my washing is abnormal loads. The old Miele would at least try to spin before the wobble switch stopped it - this process of trying removed a lot of the water which made the load lighter and after a few of these would eventually spin at 1100 rpm. A replacement seems impossible. I had thought about a Whirlpool top loader but the spin speed of 600 rpm seemed slow and some need high pressure hot water ( standard in the US) with no heating element. A self resetting override would be great along with a panic button. So I spend a fortune at the Launderette. Any other options??
I had a 1981 Miele top of the range with a wobble switch as Out of Balance protection. This worked fine though with the odd dent in the side. It finally broke in 2007 and I have tried a number of replacements most of which refuse to even try to spin. As an animal breeder most (90%) of my washing is abnormal loads. The old Miele would at least try to spin before the wobble switch stopped it – this process of trying removed a lot of the water which made the load lighter and after a few of these would eventually spin at 1100 rpm.
A replacement seems impossible. I had thought about a Whirlpool top loader but the spin speed of 600 rpm seemed slow and some need high pressure hot water ( standard in the US) with no heating element. A self resetting override would be great along with a panic button.
So I spend a fortune at the Launderette.
Any other options??
0 replies I bought a relatively expensive Siemens washing machine that has been driving me nuts with this 'out of balance' system. My old washing machine would obediently spin whatever I wanted while this one seems to want me to scientifically calculate the load whenever I want to wash anything. I am fed up with sopping wet washing that refuses to spin. I am told by Siemens customer service that I need to save up my washing for a bigger load (but sometimes I don't want to do this!!) or to put an extra towel in when spinning (why should I have to??!!). Hardly an 'eco friendly ' machine when I have to spin a number of times before it works. Frankly, I'd have my old machine back anyday.
I bought a relatively expensive Siemens washing machine that has been driving me nuts with this ‘out of balance’ system. My old washing machine would obediently spin whatever I wanted while this one seems to want me to scientifically calculate the load whenever I want to wash anything. I am fed up with sopping wet washing that refuses to spin. I am told by Siemens customer service that I need to save up my washing for a bigger load (but sometimes I don’t want to do this!!) or to put an extra towel in when spinning (why should I have to??!!). Hardly an ‘eco friendly ‘ machine when I have to spin a number of times before it works. Frankly, I’d have my old machine back anyday.
0 replies hi can you help. I was given a Hoptpoint Logic 1300 AA the other day i put in a small load. it webt through the washing an rinsing programme but unfortunately it would not spin. I do not have the manual can you suggest what might be wrong with it.Please Help Kind Regards Sue
hi can you help. I was given a Hoptpoint Logic 1300 AA the other day i put in a small load. it webt through the washing an rinsing programme but unfortunately it would not spin. I do not have the manual can you suggest what might be wrong with it.Please Help
Kind Regards
Sue
0 replies Jennie: Your machine obviously has a fault unrelated to this topic. I do have some general advice on Washerhelp about washing machine drum not turning but you may need to get an engineer to look at it.
Jennie: Your machine obviously has a fault unrelated to this topic. I do have some general advice on Washerhelp about washing machine drum not turning but you may need to get an engineer to look at it.
0 replies Can you help my Hoover Washer Dryer, 1200, (8 years) has recently refused to spin. It fills up with water, steams up if its a 90c washer, makes all the familar click noises but refuses to actually spin round and round. I have checked the filter and nothing apart from fluff was clogging it up. It hadn't been making any funny or unusual noises prior. I just discovered soggy, unclean clothes which had clumps of washing powder on the top of them. I have tried washing clothes at various different temperatures and loads. It's 8 years old and has worked perfectly every day since I purchased it.
Can you help my Hoover Washer Dryer, 1200, (8 years) has recently refused to spin. It fills up with water, steams up if its a 90c washer, makes all the familar click noises but refuses to actually spin round and round. I have checked the filter and nothing apart from fluff was clogging it up. It hadn’t been making any funny or unusual noises prior. I just discovered soggy, unclean clothes which had clumps of washing powder on the top of them. I have tried washing clothes at various different temperatures and loads. It’s 8 years old and has worked perfectly every day since I purchased it.
0 replies Thanks - thought I was going nuta. Have just bought brand new Siemens washing machine and had just experienced the classic bath mat scenario!!! couldnt understand why it would spin all my other loads except my heavy soggy bath mat. was about to ring John Lewis re guarantee and then hallelujah!...sounds like technology is getting too smart for us nowadays!! Great site!
Thanks – thought I was going nuta. Have just bought brand new Siemens washing machine and had just experienced the classic bath mat scenario!!! couldnt understand why it would spin all my other loads except my heavy soggy bath mat. was about to ring John Lewis re guarantee and then hallelujah!…sounds like technology is getting too smart for us nowadays!!
Great site!
0 replies Absoloutley brilliant advice thankyou. Was driving me mad all day. Put sons thick cardi coat in Whirlpool AWM 5125/S (5 years old) washing machine, and when cycle finished it was drenched, re spinned a few times same result, checked for blockage, nothing, thought I was in for an expensive repair until I came across your website, threw in a couple of towels and re spinned and couldnt believe it completely spinned. thankyou
Absoloutley brilliant advice thankyou. Was driving me mad all day. Put sons thick cardi coat in Whirlpool AWM 5125/S (5 years old) washing machine, and when cycle finished it was drenched, re spinned a few times same result, checked for blockage, nothing, thought I was in for an expensive repair until I came across your website, threw in a couple of towels and re spinned and couldnt believe it completely spinned. thankyou
0 replies Ok thanks for your reply.
Ok thanks for your reply.
0 replies There's only one advantage David, which is that nothing ever refused to spin. The disadvantage is that many washing machines did themselves a lot of damage and sometimes terminal damage.
There’s only one advantage David, which is that nothing ever refused to spin. The disadvantage is that many washing machines did themselves a lot of damage and sometimes terminal damage.
0 replies Thank you for your prompt reply. My Bosch seems to cope very well, it spins when I do the maintenance cycle too. However it once refused to spin a single bathmat the first time but it was OK the second time. Is there any particular benefit with machines like old Hotpoints which ramp up to the spin speed without "thinking"?
Thank you for your prompt reply. My Bosch seems to cope very well, it spins when I do the maintenance cycle too. However it once refused to spin a single bathmat the first time but it was OK the second time. Is there any particular benefit with machines like old Hotpoints which ramp up to the spin speed without “thinking”?
0 replies Many thanks for you comments on the OOB issue. It would appear that the wife is aware of this peculiar issue(Had to fess up) brought her home today and she does in fact do exactly as you say and throw a few things in to balance it up. Can't win em all eh!!!!!!!!!!!! Many thanks for your prompt response it was very much appreciated. Cheers.
Many thanks for you comments on the OOB issue. It would appear that the wife is aware of this peculiar issue(Had to fess up) brought her home today and she does in fact do exactly as you say and throw a few things in to balance it up. Can’t win em all eh!!!!!!!!!!!! Many thanks for your prompt response it was very much appreciated. Cheers.
0 replies Hi Andy, Oops sorry I missed your comment. The Hotpoint was 2005 manufacture, its not just the OOB thats bad, the whole thing was badly built/designed. Poor appliance all round really, I would recommend people steer clear of any Merloni made appliance. Oliver.
Hi Andy,
Oops sorry I missed your comment.
The Hotpoint was 2005 manufacture, its not just the OOB thats bad, the whole thing was badly built/designed. Poor appliance all round really, I would recommend people steer clear of any Merloni made appliance.
Oliver.
0 replies I must admit Oliver, my experience has been that Hotpoint's out of balance protection system wasn't great. It did seem to still let some out of balanced loads through. This was 2 or 3 years back though. Having said that some people might prefer it not so sensitive if they are having trouble spinning the single items.
I must admit Oliver, my experience has been that Hotpoint’s out of balance protection system wasn’t great. It did seem to still let some out of balanced loads through. This was 2 or 3 years back though. Having said that some people might prefer it not so sensitive if they are having trouble spinning the single items.
0 replies Hi Andy, I had a Hotpoint with out of balance protection, it was a pain in the @rse. It would try to even up balanced loads and not bother with out of balanced loads. It would spend up to 10 minutes messing about, usually making the problem much worse. It would then spin no faster than 500rpm, but sometimes went up to 1300rpm with a seriuosly unbalnced load, it was very noisey and danced about all over the place! It even knocked some plaster out of the wall. My 15 year old Bosch will even a load up if it has to, it only has a few attempts, but always rectifys the offending item(s). This is not a noisey machine and sometimes spins out of balance, it doesn't dance around though, there again it is on Flotex carpet and is hard to move anyway. It will spin at full speed regardless. My Mums IAR Siltal will have 3 attempts at balancing a load, if it cannot it will spin anyway. It will only spin at 650rpm instead of 1000rpm if not as balanced as it could be on the final spin. But the Bosch and IAR Siltal are built to a very high quality standard so can take the punishment of an unbalanced load. The Hotpoint quality was crap in comparison. All the best, Oliver.
Hi Andy,
I had a Hotpoint with out of balance protection, it was a pain in the @rse. It would try to even up balanced loads and not bother with out of balanced loads. It would spend up to 10 minutes messing about, usually making the problem much worse. It would then spin no faster than 500rpm, but sometimes went up to 1300rpm with a seriuosly unbalnced load, it was very noisey and danced about all over the place! It even knocked some plaster out of the wall.
My 15 year old Bosch will even a load up if it has to, it only has a few attempts, but always rectifys the offending item(s). This is not a noisey machine and sometimes spins out of balance, it doesn’t dance around though, there again it is on Flotex carpet and is hard to move anyway. It will spin at full speed regardless.
My Mums IAR Siltal will have 3 attempts at balancing a load, if it cannot it will spin anyway. It will only spin at 650rpm instead of 1000rpm if not as balanced as it could be on the final spin. But the Bosch and IAR Siltal are built to a very high quality standard so can take the punishment of an unbalanced load. The Hotpoint quality was crap in comparison.
All the best,
Oliver.
But it is progress tracey. Your load won’t spin because the laws of physics dictate it has a high chance of destroying your washing machine if it was allowed to. The bottom line is you cannot spin one, or a few items inside a drum, which only has laundry at one side – especially if the items are heavy when wet. It will go so violently out of balance it could cause the washer to jump up and smash the worktop, or smash the washing machine itself to bits.
Believe me I’ve repaired washing machines since 1976 when no one had out of balance control and have seen many destroyed or extensively damaged washing machines caused by a single heavy item or very small load going into spin. When it happens it’s terrifying, and sounds like the police are battering their way in though the back door. :-)
The only criticism I would have is that they are probably a bit too sensitive and disallow some loads that may well be OK. All you need to do its to put other items inside to balance it out. Just use old towels or laundry.
Likely replying to Washerhelp
Hi washerhelp, you have to look at this from the customer point of view. If the customer experience has deteriorated rather than improved, then I don’t call that progress. If you cannot dictate to the machine but the machine dictates to you, I don’t call that progress. If I have to add washing to the load (either at the beginning of the cycle or at the spin stage) that I don’t want to, which ends up with additional wet washing that then needs drying, I don’t call that progress as I never had any problems with my old machine. This is what I am experiencing as a customer. To my mind, progress would be if the engineering wizards sort this out so this problem is eradicated. We have put a man on the moon so one does live in hope! Good website by the way.
Likely replying to tracey clarke
tracey, I agree it’s frustrating, and for many people, but many people also find wearing a seat-belt in a car frustrating. I saw a programme last night about motorway police frustrated at continuously finding people who refuse to wear seat-belts because it annoys them. To me it’s a similar principle, finding a safety feature designed to prevent serious issues annoying or inconvenient.
Removing it would give you the convenience of spinning your small item only at the cost of the inconvenience of the washing machine shaking itself into a premature skip, or flooding your kitchen when sooner or later the load fell so bad it caused the tub to jump so violently that it ripped out a hose. At the end of the day washing machine manufacturers could no longer allow the ridiculous and dangerous situation where their washing machines would go into a fast spin no matter what you put inside it (bath mats and dog blankets were the worst offenders).
They cannot get around the laws of physics, a cylindrical drum with a heavy item only on one side is badly out of balance and if you let it spin it will sooner or later destroy the machine or result in a breakdown at the very least.
The only thing they could possibly do is make their detection systems much better and the quality of their washing machines much higher to take more hits. If you had a Miele washing machine for example you may find it lets your awkward load spin occasionally but chances are even the most robust and sophisticated washing machine would still refuse to spin a bad load enough times to make it impossible to wash regularly without adding more items. It’s inconvenient, but it’s the less of two evils.
It would be nice for them to have an override button that you could press to force it to spin. Such a button could be spring-loaded so it couldn’t be left on. That way you’d need to be present at spin and hold it in and keep holding it in whilst it went into spin. Then if it jumped around violently you could let go and it would stop spinning. However, I can’t see manufacturers doing it because even the short time that a load could go out of control in that situation can still seriously damage a washing machine.
Likely replying to Washerhelp
Thanks Washerhelp – let’s hope that technology improves and this probem is eradicated as there must be a multitude of frustrated customers out there!