A washer that moves across the floor or knocks on spin is asking a question about level. Some of the answer is yours to check. Some of it belongs to a hand you call. This guide shows you where the line falls and how to decide.

Check level on the top

Set a level on the top of the cabinet, first front to back, then side to side. Set it on the bare top, not on a loaded lid. A reading that is off in either direction means the feet need work. Adjust each foot, lock each jam nut when the washer sits true, and check again.

Check the transit bolts

If the bolts that held the drum for shipping are still in place, the drum cannot move as it should. Remove them and keep them with the paper in case you move the washer later. Some washers have plastic covers over the holes. Replace the covers after you remove the bolts.

Check the floor

Press on the floor near each foot. If the floor gives, bounces, or slopes beyond what the feet can adjust, leveling will not hold. A soft or uneven floor is a question for a hand who can look at the subfloor and the framing. Stop there.

Check the feet and the locks

Turn each foot by hand. A foot that will not turn, or a jam nut that will not lock, needs a closer look. Reach the rear feet as well as the front ones, since the rear feet are easy to skip.

Check the load

An off-balance load can make a washer move even when it is level. Redistribute the wet clothes by hand, then run a spin on a small load. Watch whether the cabinet still walks. If it does after leveling and redistributing, the question has moved away from the feet.

Know where you stop

Stop and call a hand if the floor flexes, the frame is bent or cracked, the cabinet shows damage, water appears at the base after a spin, or the vibration continues after leveling and load redistribution. If the job moves into the water lines or the electrical outlet, that belongs to a licensed hand, not to you.

Use age as a planning input

A washer that starts walking after a level reset may be showing age in its suspension parts. That is a planning input, not a forecast. Check the clothes washer page for typical service life and when to plan, and note the change in your house file next to the install year.

See the clothes washer page on typical service life and when to plan.