A woman says she noticed her Samsung washing machine was “unbalanced” when she had to wring out her clothes after each wash for over a month. Instead of calling a repair worker, she performed a cheap DIY to fix it herself.
In a video, TikToker Arimahs (@allpinkss) asks viewers if their Samsung washing machines are always unbalanced, too. Her video has over 946,000 views.
“I’m gonna save you $700 in a few minutes,” she claims. “All you need is a drill, a bit, or some screws.”
She holds up a DeWalt drill with a bit attached to the end.
She reaches into the washing machine and positions the drill into the upper rim, drilling a hole. Water begins to slowly pour out of the hole.
“Only God knows how long this water has been in here,” she says. “Look at how much water.”
Arimahs told the Daily Dot that her washing machine is “functioning great” after drilling the holes.
Are Samsung washing machines frequently unbalanced?
In the comments, other Samsung washing machine owners say they’ve experienced the same issue with theirs.
“We switched to Speed Queen and haven’t looked back,” one said.
“I was struggling so bad with mine..got new shocks..replaced the pump…did this tn cause wth I got nun to loose and it worked thank you,” another wrote.
“Samsung washers and dryers are total junk. They have so many issues, and the company is aware of it, and they refuse to recall them,” a third claimed.
According to the r/appliancerepair subreddit, many Samsung washing machine users report the same issue—in some cases, even after multiple repairs.
Was water trapped in the Samsung washing machine?
Arimahs assumes the trapped water from the upper rim of her washing machine was causing the imbalance. However, maintenance workers say she may have cost herself more money by drilling the hole.
“Good job u just drained the balance ring which was to have water in it to help keep balance,” one wrote.
“Wow! Appliance tech here. That is a balance ring that has a salt water solution sealed to help with balancing. You’re not saving ‘$700.’ You’re going to be spending $700 or more now,” another said.
“The water is put in that ring from the factory to help it stay balanced… they’ve been doing that to wash machines for 40 years…” a third added.
According to washing machine manufacturer Whirlpool, a balance ring contains a salt water solution that helps balance the load by shifting to the opposite side of the heavy clothing items. This device is also why you may hear sloshing sounds from the washer when there is no water in the basin.
If the device is drained, the basin may spin unevenly or become further unbalanced.
How should you fix a unbalanced washing machine?
While emptying the balance ring may cause additional issues, commenters suggest other solutions to fix the washing machine without a pricey repair.
“The rear left damper has failed. You can get the set on Amazon for 45 dollars. They are the easiest repair on the market,” a viewer said.
“There are four string rods that hold your tub up and balanced. When just one of the spring rods weakens, it causes unbalance, and that’s why the water collects in the rim of your tub,” another suggested. Arimahs replied, “Thank you. I guess I will be changing them next.”
“Unbalanced all the time. There are metal bars on all four sides. If those bars get bent [by] ‘unbalanced loads’ all the time, it will continue to go unbalanced until those bars are replaced,” a third wrote.
@allpinkss I am so thankful for tik tok, because i am shocked this worked #samsungwashingmachine #samsungwasher #samsung #washingmachine ♬ original sound – ARIMAHS
The Daily Dot reached out to Samsung for further comment.
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