Top Load Washer - Does Not Spin

There is nothing more frustrating than a washer that does not spin the water out of the clothes. You are left with the arduous task of removing the heavy clothes and wringing out the water, piece by piece. If your top load washer will not spin, there are several things you can check in order to try to fix this yourself. We are listing these things below.
 

Pauses for Full Size Top Load Washers

  1. Wait a few minutes to see if the washer will spin since pauses of up to three minutes may occur between cycles as the timer advances forward. For example, there may be a three minute delay at the end of agitation prior to the washer pumping out the water and going into spin.
  2. The pump out process itself can take an additional three minutes after a pause in the cycle.
  3. After the pump out, the washer will begin to spin. Do not manually advance the timer if it is pausing after agitation as you may miss the pump out portion of the cycle when doing this.

Pauses for Space-Saving Top Load Washers

  • If you see the code dE or E2 on the control panel display, this means the lid has been opened, causing the washer to pause. These codes will flash for approximately 30 seconds before the appliance shuts off and the wash cycle needs to be restarted. To reset these codes:
    1. Close the lid.
    2. Press the Start/Pause button to restart the wash cycle.
    • If the Start/Pause button is not pressed after closing the lid, the washer will not start on its own and it will shut off after a short delay.
    • If the washer is paused for longer than 30 seconds during a wash cycle, the washer will automatically shut off and the wash cycle will need to be restarted.
  • If the washer shuts down mid-cycle, make sure it is properly filled and leveled.
  • If the washer basket is filled with laundry beyond the balance ring, the washer may begin to shake and this may cause the spin cycle to stop.
  • To level the washer:
    1. Twist the leveling feet clockwise until they reach the ground.
    2. Twist and turn the locking nuts counter-clockwise to lock the leveling feet in place.
For more information, view the following video:
 
Space-saving Top Load Washer Does not Spin - Pause Feature
 

 
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Loss of Power

  • Check your house fuses, circuit breakers and the wall outlet. A loss of electrical power to the washer will cause a failure to spin. To check for power at the outlet, carefully plug a small table lamp or hair dryer into the wall outlet and turn it on.
  • If it does not work, you may have blown a fuse, tripped a circuit breaker or have a defective wall outlet.

Lid Is Up

  • Make sure the washer lid is down. Some older washers will agitate with the lid up but none of our Top Load Washers will spin with the lid up.

"SPIN" Light Is Flashing or "bALAnCINg" (Balancing) Is in the Display (2015 and Newer Models)

  • This means the washer cannot spin properly. After the wash cycle was complete, the items in the load were no longer evenly distributed enough in the tub to allow the spin out of the water. Manually redistribute the items in the load more evenly in the tub, then resume your cycle by pressing START or select Drain & Spin and press START.

"SPIN" Light Is Not Flashing and "Lid Lock" Light Is Off

  • First, check the OPTIONS knob to ensure that the knob is pointing at an option. If the knob is between options or pointing down, the washer may not spin.
  • Turn the OPTIONS knob. You should notice that the washer beeps every time a different option is selected. Set the OPTIONS knob to your desired setting, set the washer to Drain & Spin and press START.
  • If the washer does NOT beep as you turn the OPTIONS knob, then the knob is not working and a service call will be needed.

If CAnCELEd ("Canceled") Is Scrolling on the Control Panel or the Two Furthest Lights Are Flashing (2015 and Newer Models)

  • This indicates that an error has occurred. Select Drain & Spin and press Start. This will attempt to clear the error. If the problem persists, disconnect power to the washer for one minute, reconnect power and retry by either re-starting your previous wash cycle settings by pressing Start or select Drain & Spin and press Start.

Motor Reset

The following procedure applies to Top Load Washers that are equipped with the Hydrowave wash system. You can check the specifications for your washer model on our GE Appliances website to see if it has the Hydrowave wash system. This feature was generally on select models manufactured from 2011 through 2015.
 

Additional Support

If the machine pumps water out and you are positive that the motor is running but the tub is not spinning, service would be required. For service, please schedule a repair appointment with GE Appliances Factory Service.
 
For information on a Front Load Washer that does not spin, please check out our Front Load Washer - Does Not Spin article.