It might seem like a trivial thing to some, but the loud noise created by a shaking washing machine especially during its spin cycle can be a real nuisance to other household members and to your neighbors as well. There's nothing more annoying than when a washing machine shakes and rattles all the plates and glasses in your kitchen cabinets or vibrates loudly through the floorboards reverberating all around the house. If you live in close proximity to your neighbors then this can become a real bone of contention between you especially if you or they wash clothes at odd hours, work swing shift or have a sleeping baby.
Its not just a nuisance problem either. If your washer is mounted on a wood frame in your house then the noisy vibrating washer will sound a lot worse but that damaging vibration will reverberate back into the machine shortening its life span but also into the joints and beams under the house which over time can lead to expensive structural damage. Modern front loading washing machines spin at far greater RPMs than older machines and will often walk on wood or concrete floors but the structural damage is the washer vibration problem is left unchecked can be significant.
Thankfully, the solution to washing machine vibration problems is in fact very simple however, so you'll not have to put up with the annoyance for long.
Washing Machine Anti-Vibration Feet Pads
These are the most effective anti-vibration pads for washing machines, dryers and other home appliances. Silent Feet stop up to 94.7% of noisy vibration transmission which reduces noise levels and prevents vibration from causing structural damage to your home. Their unique design uses patented Sorbothane polymers which are also used by NASA, the military and NASCAR and are designed to fit all types of appliances whilst maintaining an attractive style and finish you'll be happy to see in your home. Not only will these reduce washer vibration noises but they'll also prevent unwanted movement and walking during the spin cycle and stop your washing machine from scratching up and scuffing your floors.
What Causes Loud Washing Machine Vibrations
Is Your Brand New Washing Machine Making Too Much Noise? - A noisy new washing machine is a common issue and one which is easily fixed by checking the user manual. Many washers are delivered with some form of restaint in place to protect the drum from moving around and getting damaged in transit. Oftentimes the guy delivering the machine forgets to remove them, or the company puts the responsibility on the new owner to do so and crash, bang, wallop, no one took the restraints off and you've got yourself a washing machine with sounds horrible especially when these restraints are restricting the shock absorbers from doing their job. If you've got an unreasonably loud new washer then this might be your problem and its a simple, free fix to put it right...just remove the restraints!
Stability Issues - sometimes the feet can work themselves loose or in the case of a new washing machine were never actually set up right in the first place. If the washing machine is unbalanced to where it can rock from side to side because the feet are not aligned to the same height on all four corners, then that can cause excessive shaking and banging especially during the loud spin cycle. To fix this is a simple matter of getting down on your hands and knees and adjusting the height of the offending supporting foot.
Balancing Issues As A Design Feature - Whilst it makes sense to level out your washing machine so it is sitting flat and level in your laundry room, that is not always the optimal way for them to be. Some front loading washing machines should be tilted forward slightly in order to acheive optimal performance (read what you manufacturer tells you to do) and reduce washer noise levels.
Wooden Floors Suck - if you have a choice of location from a suspended wooden floor to a concrete base then opt for the firm concrete platform instead if you can. Wooden floorboards amplify the sound and vibration throughout the house but if relocating the clothes washer isn't an alternative then don't worry because the above mentioned fixes in the form of sound dampening foot pads and thick cushioned rubber mats will go a long way to dampening down washing machine vibration and dulling the noise they make.
You Might Have A Screw Loose - no that's not an insult but a simple matter of fact. Over time all that spinning and whirling around of heavy loads of clothing can cause nuts, bolts and screws to vibrate their way loose enough to where previously stable noiseless component parts suddenly start to rattle and bang as the machine operates. Soundproofing a washing machine in this case can be a simple case of poking around inside (safely! make sure you know what you are doing, or find someone who does) and tightening up the offending parts.
Scraping, and screeching Noises Might Not Be A Mechanical Problem - If your washing machine noise problem is not the usual vibrating, shaking, walking or similiar normal problem but sounds more like an internal scraping, screeching noise. then you still might not have a costly mechanical issue. Sometimes coins, keys and other metal objects can find their way between the spinning drum and the outer side of the washing machine and cause such noise. The solution? Yup, you guessed it, poke around and remove them...safely again of course, unplug etc. etc. or find someone who will.
If All Else Fails... - Loud knocking, banging and other nasty noises often signal a mechanical problem which is only going to be fixed by mechanical intervention. Pull out your tool kit if you're at all handy, find someone who is or call a repair man if all else fails.
If you have a real problem with washing machine walking then the Silent Feet Anti-Walk Feet are what you should be looking at instead. These offer the same washer vibration dampening effect as the regular Silent Feet but also prevent washing machine movement during the spin cycle which many people find to be a real problem. So, if you washing machine walks across the floor during a cycle and has to be pushed back in place all the time, then these are the solution to your problem.
Break Out The Big Guns...
A thick rubber mat placed under a washing machine is a great shock absorber and will stop washing machine walking issues dead in their tracks in the vast majority of cases. Rubber-Cal produces a range of heavy duty thick rubber mats for underneath a washing machine or dryer to prevent vibration from driving you crazy and to stop washer walk and movement across the floor. Getting a vibration reducing rubber mat under a washing machine is something of a task all in itself but it'll certainly dampen down noisy washing machine vibration to a bare minimum and soundproof a front loading washer or regular top loader in no time. Rubber-Cal has rubber washing machine mats in various sizes to suit your needs including this heavy duty model which comes in at around 40 pounds in weight and is made from 100% recycled rubber tyres. At 4ft x 6ft and 3/8 inch thick it'll serve the needs of most users although smaller mats are available like those which follow if you do not need one quite this big.
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