Why Do My Lights Flicker When My Washing Machine Is on Spin Cycle?

Vibration

• A washing machine will vibrate when it spins if it’s unbalanced. Although all washing machines can vibrate, vibration can be especially intense on a front-loader washer, which is made to spin extremely fast to wring the laundry of water and decrease drying time. When a washer vibrates, it can rock against walls and bang floors, and its light might flicker until the spin cycle ends. Stop the washer and redistribute clothes inside that might be balled or bunched. Put a level on the washer’s top to check if it’s sturdy. Adjust its leveling legs; turn the bolt clockwise to make a leg longer or counterclockwise to make it shorter as needed.

Connectivity Issues

• Ensure the washing machine’s power cord isn’t caught beneath the washer or kinked. When the washer advances to spin, it can rattle and tug on the cord, pulling it from the electrical socket. Each tug might result in brief, sporadic power interruptions that are enough to cause the washer’s lights to blink. Furthermore, the washer uses the most electricity during the spin cycle to rotate the drum. If the cord is damaged, the drum’s spinning might drain power to other components so that lights might flicker. Replace the power cord if it’s twisted and bent beyond repair.

Loose Wire

• A loose wire in the control panel could explain why the lights flash when the washer spins. The drum’s rapid turning motion can jostle an already loose wire in the panel. If the loose wire supplies electricity to the lights, they might flicker as the wire trembles. Contact a washing machine repair person to check the panel’s wiring. Have him repair any loose or frayed wires that he finds.

Interrupted Wash Cycle

• A temporary pause in the wash cycle can cause the control panel to act irregular or lock up, including causing lights to flash. For example, if a power outage occurred in your home or you stopped the washer for some reason without resetting the wash cycle, both circumstances can attribute to a washer acting oddly, according to General Electric (GE). If water is in the washer at the time the cycle disruption happened, certain washers will automatically drain the water and spin, but not advance beyond the spin cycle. GE recommends disconnecting the washer’s main power supply for at least 30 seconds. Turn the timer back to any cycle except for spin, and restore power to your washer. These actions should resolve the problem.