Washing Machines that spin regardless of Unbalanced Loads
hi all this is a question for other members (oh and of course for you Andy as well if you want to comment or have a view on it) - we have 2 washing machines at the moment a brand new Samsung series 5+ and an older Hotpoint bought in 2012 - both have inverter motors and I would say not the top flagship models but one under the top models.
Spin:
Hotpoint washer will faff around when it comes to it . If it detects an unbalanced load there will be no way the machine will go into a spin at all , it will just go backwards and forwards for about 15 minutes or whatever the spin time is tumbling the clothes trying to get the clothes balanced in the drum - if it cannot then it wont go into a spin and at end of cycle clothes will come out sopping wet . Its not a fault whatsoever. You just have to take some items out and then put it on for another spin - if Hotty is pleased it will go into a spin , a nice quietish one , nicely balanced.
Now Sammy on the other hand is less finnicky, yes she dont like unbalanced drum and again throughout the spin will try distributing the clothes in the drum back and forth ... except for the difference here is that if you leave Sammy for long enough she actually WILL go into a spin , nine times out of 10 ... and if that means tub inside jumps around crazily (even if it is at start of spin till it gets a bit more water out of the clothes and then calm down) she will do it believe me!
I can see drum bouncing around (a couple of times I have had it bang edges of inside of washing machine cabinet violently if pretty badly unbalanced) and can also see how much stress it puts on the light grey rubber door gasket in the way of vibrations as the drum shakes.
Now what effect this has on other components on the washing machine that I cannot see when the drum bangs around (shock absorbers, internal rubber piping , spider thing at the back of the drum etc) leads me to think is this machine and its components gonna last for as many years as the Hotpoint has since 2012 - and although I aint mystic meg I will throw the gauntlet down and say no... maybe the only way Hotty has lasted for so many years is in fact because it hardly ever goes into a spin unless it knows (by means of sensors measuring drum shake maybe?) if it knows its not going to into a nice balanced spin its not even going to do it - so consequently this much be much nicer on the components in the long term - even if it might be frustrating that you go to take your washing out of the Hotty's drum and its still sopping wet with no indication on the LED panel that it couldnt go into spin mode.
so , both Washing machines have no fault, I want to confirm that, they are just 2 different washing machines made by 2 different manufacturers , Hotpoint and Samsung, with I just different software loaded onto them as to when they will go into a spin mode or not (and I dare say even Beko , Miele or other makes again will be different as to if they spin or not on an unbalanced drum or not?)
So, what do others prefer? a finnicky washing machine that will not go into a spin if the laundry is not balanced properly - or a machine that goes into spin regardless?
I suppose the manufacturers have got a bit of a headache in this respect because in design do they design a washing machine to not go into spin on unbalanced laundry and then get numerous calls to their service department from customers saying their machine is faulty - or do they make their machine spin regardless and wear out the door gasket, bearings, shock absorbers, and other components prematurely because of the violent (well more violent vibration) than it should do if the drum is balanced properly before going into spin?
1 Answer
What you’re describing is broadly normal behaviour, and yes, a lot of it comes down to the manufacturer’s control software and how cautious the out-of-balance protection is.
1. **Different brands handle imbalance differently** One machine may be very conservative and refuse full spin if it can’t distribute the load properly. Another may allow a reduced spin, or eventually push on into spin if the control board thinks it is “acceptable enough”. Hotpoint, Samsung, Beko, Bosch, Miele etc all have their own logic for this.
2. **The Hotpoint approach is usually kinder mechanically** A machine that aborts spin rather than thrashing about is generally putting less stress on: - shock absorbers - springs - drum bearings - door seal - outer tub mountings - drum spider/support
It is frustrating for the user, but from an engineering point of view it can help longevity.
3. **The Samsung behaviour is not necessarily a fault** If it redistributes, then ramps up and settles, that can still be within design limits. But if it is **violently** banging the cabinet often, that’s not ideal and is worth checking: - transit bolts were definitely removed - machine is perfectly level and solid on the floor - no worn shocks/suspension - load type isn’t a single heavy item such as a bath mat or duvet cover
4. **What matters most is frequency** Occasional imbalance events are normal. Repeated violent spinning on awkward loads will usually shorten component life compared with a machine that refuses to spin.
5. **My view** Personally, I’d prefer a machine that errs on the side of caution, even if it sometimes leaves washing wetter, rather than one that batters itself regularly.
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