On The Brink: 3 Signs Your Washing Machine Is On Its Last Leg

Did you know that the average American family runs nearly 300 loads of laundry each year? That’s a lot of laundry!

Of course, your trusty washing machine isn’t meant to last forever… though it should give you a few decades of good work. Somewhere in there your machine is bound to start acting up—but by being aware of these three signs of trouble, you can avoid higher cost repairs or, worse, having to replace your machine, simply by catching and fixing the issue ahead of time.

The Washer Rocks Excessively:

If the washer starts rocking during the spin cycle, it likely means that the washer is off balance. Simply open the lid and rearrange the clothes so they’re more even within the drum.

However, if the issue continues, you may have a loose drum or motor mount,which calls for a professional repair. If you continue to run your washer with this problem it could damage other components and result in a more costly repair.

The Agitator Isn’t Working:

The agitator is located in the center of top-loading washing machines, and it jerks back and forth rapidly during the wash or rinse cycle to thoroughly clean clothing. If the motor engages but the agitator doesn’t, your transmission may be bad. To check, simply lift the washing machine lid during the wash cycle to see if the agitator is shifting your clothes. If not, get it fixed asap—or suffer through load after load of unwashed clothes.

Clothes Remain Soaking Wet After Spin:

If your transmission is broken, the water may drain, but the spin cycle may fail to start. The spin cycle removes as much water from the clothes as possible so your dryer doesn’t have to work overtime to dry your clothes (something that can lead to dryer issues, by the way). So if your transmission is done for, get that fixed stat so you don’t run the risk of damaging your washer, or dryer, further.