Vibrations in the Spin Cycle of a Cabrio Washer

Load Balancing

• The Cabrio washer needs to rotate evenly and steadily during the spin cycle. The motor rotates the basket at extremely high speeds. The centrifugal force that this motion exerts on your wet clothes pushes and pulls the excess water out of the fabric. If your clothes become balled up on one side of the basket, that can distribute the weight unevenly, and your washer will create vibrational noises in response. Some Cabrio washer models have spring dampeners, balance rings and a specially programmed operating software to help control vibrations. However, you may need to press the "Pause/Cancel" button to halt the spin cycle, open the door and balance the laundry by hand.

Floor Leveling

• Most washing machines have feet that you can adjust to level the appliance on the floor. Since most washers are box-shaped, with four sides, they usually have four feet. If one foot is not level, then the extreme spinning and rotational forces in the washer can create rocking and vibrating. On Cabrio washers, you can carefully turn the lock nuts under the appliance's frame to adjust the level of the feet. However, you should read the instructions in the owner's manual for your specific Cabrio washer.

Floor Flexing

• The Cabrio washer can weigh as much as 150 to 200 pounds. In a stationary position, that much weight and movement can eventually cause a weak floor to flex in certain areas. This imbalance under the machine can cause vibrations. Whirlpool recommends that you try to solve this problem by placing a piece of three-quarter-inch plywood under the washer where there is obvious floor flexing. You might have to visually spot the flexing during the spin cycle by observing the floor around the edges of the washer.

Normal Sound

• Whirlpool clocks the Cabrio spin cycle at 900 to 1000 rotations per minute. Vibrational noise is still a possibility, even after you make manual corrections and let the machine perform its automatic functions. This is normal in advanced Cabrio models, but you might not be accustomed to these sounds if you have owned traditional top-loading washers. Navigate to Whirlpool's website to hear how the washer should sound in a normal spin cycle.