What to do if your washing machine is not spinning
There are several potential reasons why your washing machine may not be spinning the way it should. In many modern machines, built-in sensors are designed to detect irregularities and can automatically reduce or stop the spin cycle if something seems wrong. Our guide below will walk you through the most common issues that can lead to spinning problems and provide practical steps you can take to diagnose and resolve them.
Please note: For more information about your appliance, consult your user manual.
Drum not draining or draining too slowly
If the drum has stopped draining, the machine will not spin properly. Normally, you will see a 5C code. If it is draining but doing so too slowly, you may not see a code. It is also good practice to periodically clean the filter to prevent it from becoming blocked.
Use the following steps to sort drainage issues:
Check for unbalanced load
If your washing machine does not spin as expected during the rinsing or spinning phase of the cycle, it is most likely caused by an unbalanced load.
One sign that your load might be unbalanced is if the cycle time is sticking and pausing for extended periods of time (example: sticking with 9 minutes remaining).
To check for an unbalanced load:
Look for mixed-weight items such as cotton shirts with a single large towel). Heavy items like trainers, when washed alone, can also cause imbalance.
Add or remove items so the weight is evenly distributed. Washing trainers inside a laundry bag and with additional clothing can also help stabilise the drum.
Check for blockages in the filter
Check the drain hose
A blocked, kinked or damaged drain hose can stop water from exiting the drum.
If connected under a sink:
Check if the drum is overloaded
Overloading prevents effective spinning and can cause the belt to slip on older models.
Unable to select the spin speed I want to use
Each cycle has a preset optimum spin speed selected. This is selected automatically. You can usually change this manually to choose a slower speed. On most cycles, you cannot select a higher speed than the preset.
Typically, only a cotton cycle or dedicated spin cycle will allow a full spin speed to be selected. This is to protect your garments from damage caused by a spin phase that is too high for the material. Please consult the user manual for more information.
Motor issue
If your machine detects a motor issue, it will usually display one of the following codes: 3C, 3E, 3E1, 3E2, 3E3 or 3E4.
If your machine displays one of these codes:
Drum not turning at all
If the drum doesn’t turn at all during the wash cycle and the spin cycle, then this issue will likely require an engineer. To check this, you will need to run a short cycle, with no washing and no detergent. When the cycle has started, you will need to watch the drum. During the initial few minutes, the unit will fill with water. After this has happened, you will need to look through the door to see if you can see the drum rotating. It is normal for it to stop and start a few times.
Still facing issues? Try our comprehensive troubleshooting tool.
If the problem persists, please contact Samsung Support.
Thank you for your feedback!
Please answer all questions.