Solved

In Trouble, I Broke A Laundry Washer Machine Not Mine

COcolcapp
Asked over 11 years ago 4,161 views
0

Hello, im living in a apartment temporally and i think i broke the washer machine, i load the machine with a heavy mat and now the machine is hitting hard on one side... what i should tell to the owners? How much it will cost the repair?

Should i tell them that i load the machine with heavy laundry clothes?

Solution Summary

AI-generated from this discussion

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Washer banged on spin after a heavy shower mat/carpet load but worked normally with a full load

The problem
The washing machine hit hard against one side after a single heavy shower mat/carpet was washed. The drum appeared inclined to one side when opened. The user was concerned they had damaged a machine belonging to someone else and asked about repair cost.
Likely cause
The strongest supported explanation is a severe out-of-balance load caused by washing a heavy bath/shower mat or similar item on its own. The discussion says these items are difficult to balance and can cause violent spinning. Damage was said to be possible, but not confirmed.
What fixed it
The advised action was to test the machine with a normal load and monitor it carefully, including checking for leaks. As the user later reported that a full load of towels did not cause banging and the machine was working fine, the advice was to keep using it normally and keep an eye on it. No specific repair or price could be given because no failed part was identified.
Checks to try
  • Observed banging only with a single heavy item/small load
  • Checked that a full load of towels did not hit the sides
  • Observed the drum/tub looked inclined to one side when opened
  • Advised to watch the machine carefully on a normal load
  • Advised to check for leaks

Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer if the machine shows clear signs of damage or continues to bang badly with normal loads.

Cause identifiedGenerated 5 Aug 2026 · AI summaries can make mistakes — read the full thread below.
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5 Answers

Accepted Answer
0
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered over 11 years ago

Hello. A heavy bath mat is one of the worst things to put inside a washing machine because they can be very difficult to balance and especially if put in on their own can cause violent out of balance spin. However, everyone needs to wash bath mats. If the bath mat has a wash label indicating that it can be washed inside a washing machine then arguably you have done nothing wrong by simply trying to wash such an item.

Read my article carefully to understand this problem, washing machine jumps and bangs on spin. Most modern washing machines should refuse to spin because they should all have out of balance protection built-in.

If the washing machine went into a violent out of balance spin it is possible something has got damaged. However, it is also possible that nothing got damaged and it will wash perfectly okay with a normal load. Try putting a normal load in, and watch it carefully to see if it is okay. Watch out for leaks.

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.
0
CO
colcapp
Answered over 11 years ago

Actually it was not a mat was a carpet, the ones you use when you get out of the shower to step on it. Heavy... The sound that is making is like if i were kicking one if the sides. When i open the lid i can see is all unbalanced And inclined to one side. Let say it need to replace an item... How much it will cost the repair?

0
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered over 11 years ago

It's impossible to say, as no idea what parts would need replacing. try washing a normal load to see if it's ok. If it looks as if something is clearly badly wrong though you'd need an engineer to inspect it.

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.
0
CO
colcapp
Answered over 11 years ago

oh ok, i load it with a full load of towels and is not hitting on its sides, it only hit on its sides when i load a single towel, but when if full is not hitting. Then i think is only out of balance? I will read your article to see if i can balance it my self.

This is how it look when i open it, is inclined at one side right? i would only have to balance it? because the machine is working fine now with a full load...

0
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered over 11 years ago

Yes it should only hit the sides if the load is out of balance. Most loads will just naturally balance themselves as they settle all around the sides of the drum prior to spin. But sheets and towels are particularly prone to getting unbalanced, especially if there's only a few of them. Heavy bath mats or toilet mats are the worst because people naturally wash them separately. They can't spread equally all around the drum, there just isn't enough there. So they tend to bunch to one side of the drum. When the drum then spins it is completely out of balance. It would take a very severe and probably prolonged violent out of balance spin to cause any damage so the chances are it is perfectly okay. Just keep using it as normal but keep an eye on it.

Read my article carefully, it is written for frontloading washing machines, but the principles should be exactly the same.

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.

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