How to Fix a Washing Machine That "Walks" Across the Floor

Does your washing machine seem possessed with the spirit of John Travolta during his Saturday Night Fever days? It's likely that one or more of the machine's feet aren't touching the floor and it is rocking as it washes. To fix the problem, you just need to level the machine.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2-by-4 Wood Block
• Adjustable Pliers
• Adjustable Wrench
• Carpenter's Level

1. Tilt the machine forward so the back feet are 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) off the ground, then set it back down. The back feet usually are self-leveling--just raising and lowering the machine like this will cause the feet to re-level themselves.

2. Place a sturdy 2-by-4 wood block under the center of the washer to prop it up so you can access the front feet. You might have to move the washer out from the wall so that you can tilt it up enough to install the block.

3. Loosen the locknut on each foot, using an adjustable wrench. Once the locknuts are loose, you can adjust the feet.

4. Remove the wood block, and if you moved the washer, set it back into position against the wall.

5. Place a carpenter's level across the front of the washer and check to see if the machine is level side to side. If it isn't, use adjustable pliers to rotate one front foot or the other until the washer is level.

6. Place your level perpendicular to the front of the machine and check to see if the washer is level in this direction. If it is off, readjust each front foot by the same number of turns until you reach level.

7. Put the washer back on the wood block and retighten the locknuts, then if necessary, push it back against the wall.

Tips & Warnings

• It's better to adjust the feet so they end up shorter, rather than longer. The closer the machine is to the floor, the less likely it is to vibrate and shake.
• If your machine still "walks" after you've leveled it, it could be that the floor under the machine is weak. Have a carpenter check it.

[genwyckoff]

on 8/26/2008 I have a much simpler & cost effective fix. No need to level the floor or spend lots of extra money on the floor at all. Try these pads from GVIinc. They work great & trust me, it'll be a lot less headache & money than trying to "fix or level" the floor, which is probably not the problem anyway. Been there, done that. Good luck!
I have a much simplier fix. No need to level the floor or spend lots of extra money on the floor at all. Try these pads from GVIinc. They work great & trust me, it'll be a lot less headache & money than trying to fix the floor, which is probably not the problem. Been there, done that. Good luck!
http://www.gviinc.net/

[chongyaolu]

on 6/8/2008 Taking off the foot pads, inserting the Squeezed Rheological Foot Dampers will do the job. From [e-mail] and http://www.pangumrf.com

[wash]

on 3/23/2008 Yeah I would definitely recommend leveling for all shakes, for higher pitched vibration you can always try a company like The vibration solution (www.thevibrationsolution.com) they make a great product for if your machine is say on the second floor and transmitting noise to the floors bellow, probably the most advanced product out there, most of the "pads" I have seen are nothing more than rubber of cork that will wear away after time.

[wash]

on 3/23/2008 Yeah I would definitely recommend leveling for all shakes, for higher pitched vibration you can always try a company like The vibration solution (www.thevibrationsolution.com) they make a great product for if your machine is say on the second floor and transmitting noise to the floors bellow, probably the most advanced product out there, most of the "pads" I have seen are nothing more than rubber of cork that will wear away after time.

[sunshine23]

on 1/12/2008 I had this very problem. My machine would unplug from the wall in the spin cycle. I found on ebay these things called front load anti vibration pads. Worked for me!!!