Washing Machine Drum Not Turning
If your washing machine drum is not turning, the appliance is filling with water and starting the cycle but the drum is not rotating. This means your laundry will not be washed correctly. There are several possible causes, some of which can be investigated at home before calling an engineer.
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Select your washing machine brand below for a specific guide including the relevant error codes for your appliance.
Why Is My Washing Machine Drum Not Turning?
When the drum fails to turn, the machine may fill with water and appear to be running normally but the laundry will not be agitated or spun. The drum may be completely stationary or may turn very slowly and intermittently. Most modern machines will display an error code when a motor or drum fault is detected — check the brand-specific guide above for the relevant codes for your appliance.
Common Causes
Broken or worn drive belt
The most common cause on belt-driven machines. The drive belt connects the motor to the drum. If it has snapped, stretched or come off the pulley, the drum will not turn even though the motor is running. You may hear the motor running but see no drum movement.
Worn carbon brushes
On machines with brush motors, worn carbon brushes are a very common cause of drum failure. As the brushes wear down the motor loses power and eventually cannot turn the drum at all. This tends to develop gradually — the drum may struggle to turn before stopping completely.
Faulty motor
If the motor itself has failed, the drum will not turn regardless of whether the belt and brushes are in good condition.
Overloaded drum
An excessively heavy load can prevent the motor from generating enough torque to turn the drum. This is more common on older machines with worn components.
Foreign object jammed between drum and tub
A coin, underwire or other object trapped between the drum and the outer tub can physically prevent the drum from rotating.
Faulty motor control board
If the control board is not sending the correct signal to the motor, the drum will not turn even if the motor is in good working order.
Checks To Try Before Calling An Engineer
Check the load size
If the drum is very heavily loaded, remove some items and try running a short cycle to see if the drum turns with a lighter load.
Listen for the motor
Start a cycle and listen carefully. If you can hear the motor running but the drum is not turning, the drive belt has likely broken or come off. If you cannot hear the motor at all, the motor or its circuit has failed.
Check for a foreign object
Turn the drum slowly by hand with the machine empty and unplugged. If it feels stiff or catches at a certain point, there may be an object trapped between the drum and the tub.
Reset the machine
Switch the machine off at the mains and leave it unplugged for a few minutes. Plug back in and try restarting the cycle.
When To Contact A Professional
A broken drive belt, worn carbon brushes or a faulty motor all require professional diagnosis and repair. These are internal mechanical components that should only be accessed and replaced by a qualified engineer. Internal components should only be inspected or repaired by trained professionals.
Related Washing Machine Fault Guides
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Washing Machine Stopping Mid-Cycle
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