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Washing Machine Shakes My House - Need Some Advice

Discussion in 'Homeowners Corner' started by dwaynehoov, Apr 26, 2012.

  1. dwaynehoov

    dwaynehoov New Member

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    We bought a front loading washing machine right when they started to hit the home consumer market. Not only did we overpay, but it also doesn't have the same vibration control that newer models have. It is on the second floor and rattles the house like an earthquake.

    I've tried leveling it, to alleviate some of the shaking, but it's not as good as I would like it to be.

    Can anyone suggest an appliance company/handyman/etc that might be able to help? I called a few appliance repair places, but they all want close to $100 just to come to the house and diagnose...even though I know what needs to be done, it needs to be properly leveled.

    Any alternative solutions? Reinforcing the floor?
     
  2. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    This sounds familiar to me as when I went househunting in Brambleton and noticed a LONGGGG crack in the wall from the laundry room going down to the living room. Since the owner was home, I did ask him what it was from....Lo and behold, he said that it was from the washing machine and couldn't get it to stop making the cracks over and over again. Needlessly to say, we passed on this beautiful home due to this problem because I would have to either have a long ladder to get up there and plaster it and paint it ever so often or hire a company to do that...

    Good luck in trying to get this fixed asap.
     
  3. db103

    db103 New Member

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  4. kmjtt

    kmjtt New Member

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    I have a friend that put hockey pucks under theirs. Perfect. Our machine is a VRT and never even notice it. I think it's a combination machine and home.
     
  5. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    I'm guessing your washer is on an upper floor? My understanding is that when you put a washing machine on an upper floor, you're supposed to reinforce the floor but I know that wasn't done in my house so it may not have been done in yours either.

    I paid the $100 for someone to come out and look at mine when it was making funny noises a year ago. In less than 10 seconds he told me it would be cheaper to replace it than repair it. He said they're only really designed to last 5-7 years anymore, not like the ones they made in the 80s that lasted 20 years. So if yours is around that age, I'd tell you to skip the expert opinion and just get a new one.

    I got an LG WM2101 from Home Depot for about $560 with various coupons. It doesn't do all the fancy steam stuff (which also doubles the price) but it works. Also LG has a 10 year warranty which was very appealing to me after having to replace a 7-year-old washer.

    The new one doesn't shake the house as much as the old one did, but you can still sort of hear it throughout the house.
     
  6. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Hockey pucks? For real? :eek:mg: Interesting some hockey fan would think of a solution like this!!! Go Flyers!

     
  7. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    I've heard the same thing. Basically it does the same thing as the vibration absorption pads. It's certainly an inexpensive fix to try!
     
  8. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    This is the result of weak construction - steel studs on the internal walls that do not offer the same stiffness and vibration dampening, 2 x (something other than 16) construction on the floors, using strut floor joists as opposed to solid, 2x8 (or 10) studs. This has driven me up a wall since day one of living in this house. These new construction ideas are sounds for a strict engineering aspect. However, from an "applied" aspect, they suck.
     
  9. Imaginary Friend

    Imaginary Friend New Member

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    We had the same problem, bought these and they work great. Probably got rid of 90% of the vibrations.

    Also, our HE model defaults to the highest spin cycle which is way more than needed. Set it to "medium" and that's helped as well.
     
  10. jjna

    jjna New Member

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    A long time ago, I had a made-in-Sweden Asko front loader in a condo. The guys who brought it did a perfect job of leveling it and installing it. It worked beautifullly and never made much noise.

    Then several years ago, I bought another Asko and put it on the second floor of my house. BIG mistake. I leveled it, bought vibration dampening pads, used low or medium RPM setting. Didn't matter. It just shook the whole house during the last spin cycle. Basically, I was going to have to do a major hardening of the second floor to deal with the problem.

    Finally I had enough and bought a new Samsung set with anti-vibration technology. What a world of difference! It was quiet and vibration free! And during a sale, it cost less than what the hardening of the floor would have cost. After that, I couldn't believe I lived with that crazy vibration before the purchase.

    I now have a new house and, thankfully, the washer hook up is on the first floor. I have another set of Samsung. It works well and is quiet, but funny enough there is slightly more vibration than the same model I put in a previous house on the second floor. It might need some leveling, but since it's very minor, I haven't bothered with it.

    The moral lesson of the story is, don't put front loaders without anti-vibration technology on second floors. They aren't made for such a set up. You are just going to suffer headaches and hassle (and possibly damage your house). Just buck up and buy a good new set rated to be used on the second floor. You'll feel much better and forget that you spent the money.
     
  11. dwaynehoov

    dwaynehoov New Member

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    Sweet, I'm going to try those out
     
  12. Brassy

    Brassy Hiyah

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    We tried the viration pads and it still moved and still shook...basically after the fact, we remembered that our previous Maytag washer never did this as it was in the basement on the concrete foundation. When at Home Depot I mentioned this to the appliace salesman and he said, yes, they are meant to be on a foundation and that is why they vibrate when not. He told me some builders recognized this and would bring the foundation into the laundry area of the first floor, but most don't. We even tried adding more support beteween the floor joists...still didn't help. At least the pads helped cut down on the vibration of the windows and floor...
     

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