4 Ways To Fix Off-balance Samsung Washing Machine

If your Samsung washing machine shakes excessively and makes unusual noises, it must be off balance. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for simple ways to fix your off-balance Samsung washing machine.

Overloading the drum of the washing machine can make it off-balance. Uneven clothing distribution is also a major reason for an off-balance washing machine. Pause the washing cycle to distribute the clothes evenly in such a case. Also, check for damaged internal parts and replace them if needed.

In this article, I will explain 4 simple ways to fix an off-balance Samsung washing machine. So, continue reading.

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How do I fix my off-balance Samsung washing machine?

Washing machines are reliable appliances that save lots of time and energy, and Samsung makes some of the best washing machines on the market.

While it is the most useful appliance, no one can deny that it causes minor issues now and then. 

Using a washing machine that frequently goes off-balance would be inconvenient.

It is also dangerous to continue using an unbalanced washing machine without repairing the problems.

To avoid unneeded faults during peak weeks, resolve issues as soon as possible to reduce laundry hassle. 

That’s why I decided to share the most common fixes for restoring balance to your Samsung washing machine.

1. Leveling the Samsung washing machine and the floor

If your Samsung washing machine is vibrating and producing unusual noises, it is because of the irregular rotation of the washer’s drum.

There can be several reasons for the unusual rotation of the washer’s drum.

One of the most important reasons is placing the washing machine on an uneven surface or with uneven legs. 

If the washing machine is not leveled or placed on an unlevel surface, efficient laundry won’t be possible.

Due to the constant vibration and shaking, water inlet pipes may disconnect from the washing machine, resulting in the flooring of the floor. 

It also causes the washing machine to slip out of place and damage the entire appliance. 

Here are the common causes of excessive vibration in the washing machine:

  • Worn out flooring.
  • Placing the washing machine on a soft surface.
  • The floor where you placed the washer is not leveled.
  • The washing machine legs are not leveled.
  • Anti-vibration pads under the washing machine are worn out or missing.
  • Overloading the washer’s drum. 

Follow the steps below to fix the faults mentioned above:

Move the washer from the original position.

To check the condition of the washer’s flooring.

After disconnecting the power cord and water pipelines, move the washer forward. 

Move the washer completely until the floor is visible. 

If you have placed your Samsung washer in the plastic tray, move the tray forward to check the condition. 

Check the condition of the vibrational pad.

While moving the washing machine, tilt it slightly to take off the vibration pad. 

If worn out or loose, you must replace them with new pads. 

To keep the washing machine balanced, place all four vibration pads. 

You cannot remove one vibration pad and place the other three; the machine will get off balance.

You can remove all four vibration pads, but it is not recommended to place the washing machine without them.

Inspect the flooring where the washing machine is placed.

Check if the flooring is worn out or bumpy; in such cases, you must repair the flooring, or you can replace the washing machine in another place. 

Experts advise keeping the flooring of the washing machine vinyl, wood, tile, or laminate. 

It would be best if you did not place the washing machine on the carpeting floor, as it may slip the appliance. 

And you can use the leveling instrument to check if the floor is leveled. 

If the floor is cracked, repair the flooring before placing the washing machine. 

Measure the washing machine’s level.

Use the level instrument and place it in the sides, back, and front positions to check if the washer is leveled. 

You can also use mobile apps to check if the washing machine is leveled.

Adjust the washer’s leg.

To access the Samsung washer’s leg, you must tilt the washer upward or to the side as per your convenience. 

If the washer’s legs are loose, tighten it with the wrench

You may have to lift the legs up or down if the legs are unleveled. 

Turn the legs anticlockwise to lift the legs down.

And turn it in a clockwise direction to move the legs upwards. 

2. Distribute the clothes evenly

Overloading the clothes in the washer’s drum beyond its capacity may cause an off-balance.

When you load heavy clothes like blankets and bed sheets in the washing machine, they will be stuck around the agitator and cause them to be off balance. 

Not only overloading but underloading the drum will also cause an off-balance in the washing machine.

So it would be best if you loaded the washing machine according to its drum capacity. 

If the washing cycle is stuck in the middle due to overload, pause the washing cycle and distribute the clothes evenly around the agitator if your washing machine is a top-loading machine.

3. Take out the shipping bolts

Shipping bolts are fixed in the washing machine to avoid damage while shipping the appliances from the store. 

If your Samsung washing machine produces loud noises after installation, you may have forgotten to remove the attached shipping bolts. 

It is not okay to use the washing machine with the shipping bolt. 

Follow the steps below to remove the shipping bolts:

  • Shipping bolts are located at the back side of the washing machine to prevent drum rotation.
  • Access the back side of the washing machine, and you can see shipping bolts in green or white.
  • Using a socket wrench, unthread the shipping bolts and reattach the cap in the hole.
  • Repeat the same step to remove all other three shipping bolts from

4. Inspect the internal parts of the Samsung washer.

Even after checking all three fixes, if your washing machine is still off-balanced, it indicates faults in the interior parts. 

Here are four interior parts keeping the washing machine balanced that might become faulty:

Shock absorbers

Shock absorbers help to regulate the rotation of the washer’s drum.

If the shock absorbents are damaged or worn out, your washing machine will make a banging noise as the drum will start hitting the washer’s wall. 

A faulty shock absorbent will also damage the other interior parts of the washing machine. 

To fix the issue, you must replace the shock absorbers: 

Unsure if the sock absorbents are faulty?

You can confirm that the shock absorbents of the washing machine are faulty by observing three signs below:

  • The top end of the shock absorbent detached from the side wall of the washing machine.
  • If you notice the oil leakage in the shock absorbents, it indicates the faults.
  • Another visible sign of faulty shock absorbers is breakages and damage in them. If they are broken, you must replace the shock absorbers. 

Here is how you can replace the shock absorbers:

  • Unplug the Samsung washer from the electric outlet to prevent electric hazards.
  • Turn off the water supply valve and disconnect the water inlet pipelines.
  • Consider referring to the user manual to check the location of the shock absorbents in your machine. As the location of absorbents changes according to the brand of the washing machine, you must confirm its location before beginning the repair.
  • Remove the top panel of the washing machine by removing the screws securing it.
  • Remove the front panel and door seal to disconnect it completely from the washing machine.
  • Now, you can access the washer’s dum, and you can fix shock absorbers between the outer drum and the frame of the washing machine.
  • Detach the springs from the shock absorbents and hang them in the washer holder.
  • Close the washer’s top panel and tilt the washer machine to its side to access the bottom panel.
  • Remove the bottom panel by unthreading the screws securing it.
  • Please take out the faulty shock absorbers and replace the new shock absorbers and attach them to the holder.
  • Detach the bottom panel and secure it with screws.
  • Bring back the washing machine to its original position and access the top panel.
  • Reattach the springs and holders with the sock absorbents.
  • Reattach the top panel and secure it with screws.
  • Reattach the door seal and secure it with the retaining clip.
  • Reattach the front panel and secure it with the screws.
  • Turn on the water supply valve and water supply hoses.
  • Plug in the washing machine and check if the issue is solved.

Suspension springs

Suspension springs are located at the top of the washer’s drum.

You can find suspension springs in both the front and top-loading washing machines. 

It gives flexibility to the rotation of the drum and holds the drum in control during the spring cycle. 

In the long run, springs may lose their flexibility or be worn out.

In such a case, a washing machine will shake vigorously and become off-balanced. 

Follow the steps below to replace the suspension springs:

  • Unplug the washer from the mains to prevent electrical injuries.
  • Turn off the water supply valve and disconnect the drain and water supply hoses.
  • Move the washer from the original position to a comfortable place to work on the repair.
  • Unthread the screws from the top panel and keep the top panel aside.
  • As soon as you remove the top panel, you can see a suspension spring handing the drum in place.
  • Unthread the screws from the rear access panel to detach the panel from the washing machine.
  • Next, detach the retainers holding the suspension springs.
  • Seek help from the assistant to hold the drum while removing the faulty springs.
  • Unthread the screws from the suspension rings to detach them completely.
  • As soon as you remove the suspension rings, place the drum at the base of the washing machine.
  • Now, prepare the new spring by attaching the protector to it.
  • Replace the new spring with the drum.
  • With the help of your assistance, lift the drum with the spring and hang it in the hold.
  • Reattach the retainers and secure them with the screws.
  • Reattach the top panel and secure it with screws.
  • Turn on the water supply valve and reattach the hoses.
  • Plug in the washer and check if the issue is solved. 

Snubber ring

A snubber ring also helps support the drum’s rotation.

You can locate the snubber ring in the basement below the washer’s tub. 

If the snugger ring is completely broken or even slightly damaged, it may interrupt the smooth rotation of the drum, thus causing the off balance in the washing machine. 

In such a case, you must replace the snubber ring:

  • Unplug the washing machine from the electric outlet to prevent electrical hazards.
  • Access the front panel and unthread the screws attached to it to detach the front panel.
  • Detach the top panel of the washing machine by removing the screws.
  • Disrupt the suspension ring from the washing machine to access the snubber ring.
  • Remove the snubber ring and replace the new snubber ring.
  • Reattach the springs and secure them with the retainers. 
  • Reattach the front panel and secure it with screws.
  • Plug in the washer and check if the issue is solved.

How much does it cost to fix an unbalanced Samsung washer?

The cost of fixing the unbalanced washing varies based on the faults. 

If your Samsung washing machine is unbalanced due to overload, the uneven distribution of clothes, unlevel flooring, or unlevel legs, you want to spend less to fix the issue.

If the internal parts of the washing machine are at fault, the average cost will range from $150 to $250. 

However, the cost may vary if you hire a professional to fix the issue.

What happens if the Samsung washing machine is not leveled properly?

If your Samsung washing machine is not leveled, it will cause excess vibrations and be off balance. 

And also, it will cause flooding in the floor as the water inlet hose may disconnect due to the excessive vibrations. 

It will affect the cleaning quality of the washing machine, and using an unbalanced machine for a long time without fixing the issues will damage its internal parts.

Final thoughts

It is common to face off-balanced loads in the washing machine, which often happens due to the overloading of the clothes. Other reasons include unleveled flooring and the washer’s leg. 

You can solve all these issues by pausing the washing cycle and removing the extra clothes if the washer’s drum is overloaded. In the case of an unlevel surface, you can relocate the washing machine or work on the flooring to level it. 

You must also check if your Samsung washer’s leg is level; if not, you must level the washer’s leg using a socket wrench. If the internal parts are at fault for this issue, you must replace them to fix it. 

If you cannot fix the faults in the internal parts, consider hiring a professional to fix the issue.

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Reference: Samsung Official washer manual.

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Jeniffer Smith

Hi, I am Jeniffer Smith, a housemaker and blogger, and I grew up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. I have been researching and fixing appliances and other things around the home and kitchen from a young age to help my single mother. Every time something went wrong, I couldn't rest until I fixed it. And ever since, I have enjoyed fixing things around my home, and I am always ready to help my friends and family with advice and hands-on help. Since we were always looking for affordable ways of fixing things, we rarely hired experts and tried to fix most things ourselves. That interest brought me to write for this blog, as I realized my knowledge could help many people trying to fix things around their homes on their own without spending hundreds of dollars.

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