Washing machine not spinning
Clothes still soaking at the end of the cycle points to the belt, the motor, the bearings or a load the machine has refused to spin. Those are four very different repairs, so we diagnose before quoting.
- Two hour arrival window, Monday to Friday — pick yours when you book
- 12-month parts warranty, 3-month workmanship
- Original parts only, fitted on a return visit with no second call-out fee
A machine that will not spin is often a machine that will not drain
Most machines will not attempt a spin while there is water in the drum, so a drainage fault presents as a spin fault. The first thing we check is whether water is actually clearing, because if it is not, the spin is a symptom rather than the problem.
Where drainage is fine, the fault is mechanical or electrical — and the difference between a drive belt and a set of drum bearings is the difference between a straightforward repair and a conversation about whether the machine is worth keeping. You will get that conversation honestly.
What stops a drum spinning
Fault 01Water still in the drum
The machine is protecting itself. Fix the drainage and the spin usually returns on its own.
Fault 02Worn or broken drive belt
The motor runs, the drum does not. One of the more straightforward repairs on a front loader.
Fault 03Motor brushes or rotor damage
Worn brushes lose torque gradually, so the machine spins weakly for weeks before it stops. Rotor damage is usually visible on inspection.
Fault 04Drum bearings
Grinding on spin, then eventually no spin at all. On an older machine this is the repair most likely to be uneconomical, and we will say so.
Fault 05Unbalanced load detection
A single heavy item — a doona, a mat — that the machine cannot balance. Not a fault, but it looks exactly like one.
Fault 06Door lock fault
The machine will not spin unless it reads the door as locked. A failed lock stops the cycle without any obvious mechanical symptom.
Spin and motor jobs
Photographs from real jobs, taken by the technician who did the work. No stock photography anywhere on this site.
A washing machine pump filter removed, packed with lint and hair.
A washing machine cabinet stripped back to the drum and suspension.
A front loader with the front panel removed, exposing the seal and drum.
The outer tub and drum lifted out of a washing machine cabinet.
The stainless drum of a front loader seen through the open door.
A front loader with the front panel off, ready for a seal replacement.
Four steps, no surprises
- 01
Tell us what's wrong
Appliance, suburb, and what it's actually doing. Model number and error code too, if you can reach them.
- 02
Get a window and a call-out fee
We quote the call-out fee for your suburb and confirm a two hour arrival window that fits the day's route, rather than an all-day wait. Ring before 10:30am and same-day may be possible.
- 03
We attend and attempt the repair
The technician works the fault on site within the booked time. Most jobs are finished on that visit.
- 04
Repair or replace — your call
If a part is needed we talk you through it and give you a quote, and you decide whether to repair it or put the money toward a new one. If you go ahead we order an original part and come back to fit it — labour and part only, no second call-out fee. Covered for three months either way.
Questions we get asked
What happens if you can't work out what's wrong?
We look at the call-out fee case by case and it may be reduced or waived — the Terms set out how that works. If we do find the fault and the machine turns out to be beyond economical repair, the diagnostic fee still applies: the diagnosis was the job, and knowing not to spend money on a repair is worth having.
Do I get charged twice if a part has to be ordered?
No. If a part needs ordering we book a return visit to fit it, and there is no second call-out fee. You pay for the part and the labour to finish the job, nothing else.
How long is the warranty?
12 months on parts we supply and fit, and 3 months on workmanship. If the same fault comes back within 7 days of the repair, we return with no call-out fee.
Can you give me an exact arrival time?
We book a two hour arrival window rather than a fixed time, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, so the day's route holds together and everyone gets seen when they were told. A 9–11am window means the technician arrives somewhere in that window. If you ring before 10:30am, same-day may be possible.
Book a repair
Tell us the appliance and the suburb. We'll come back with the next available window, usually within one business day.