For those who have tried doing laundry with a Kenmore washer, there’s no doubt they are good cleaners. Sometimes, however, you may have to deal with your Kenmore washer not spinning clothes dry, which means much longer drying time.
Well, your Kenmore washer isn’t spin-drying the clothes because of a recent power failure, laundry overload or imbalance, washer imbalance, wrong spin cycle or speed, excess suds, failed drainage, incompletely latched door, or broken components.
In your case, the broken component could be the agitator, drive belt, or motor control board, and if so, you must replace it. Thus, you may need to reach out for your toolbox if it ever reaches here, and I’ll walk you through the troubleshooting guide.
You’ll, however, notice that not all issues require you to disassemble the washer. So, it’s essential to start with the easiest problems to fix and first rule them out, and that’s what I’ve done in my guide – arranging them from the most straightforward to the most complex.
Let’s dive in!
In a rush? Below are quick fixes to the nine issues that could potentially stop your Kenmore washer from spin-drying the clothes.
Kenmore Washer Not Spinning Clothes Dry – Quick Troubleshooting Guide
| – | Likely Issue | Recommended Fix |
| 1. | Recent Power Failure | Unplug the washer for 3-5 minutes to reset it. |
| 2. | Load Overload | Remove excess laundry and bulky options. |
| 3. | Load Imbalance | Evenly redistribute the laundry and steady the washer. |
| 4. | Washer Imbalance | Steady the washer (adjust its feet and position it on an even surface) |
| 5. | Wrong Spin Cycle or Speed | Match the load with its corresponding cycle and choose a high-spin setting. |
| 6. | Excess Suds | Reduce detergent use and only use the recommended detergent. |
| 7. | Failed Drainage | Unblock the drain filter, hoses, and pump. Replace a defective drain pump. |
| 8. | Incompetently Latched Door | Firmly latch the door. If the door latch or lid switch is damaged, replace it. |
| 9. | Broken Component | Replace a broken agitator, drive belt, or motor control board. |
Why Won’t My Kenmore Washer Spin Dry Clothes?
Clothes should come from your Kenmore wet but not soaking or dripping wet. If that’s the case, then it shows that your washer isn’t spin-drying them, and it’s most likely due to:
1. Recent Power Failure
A power failure often interrupts an ongoing wash cycle. Once that happens, it may interfere with the washer’s spinning performance, resulting in wet clothes.
So, it could be that an outage or any other form of power failure occurred while the cycle was running. If so, you should have restarted the wash cycle.
Fix
Consider resetting your Kenmore washer to restart its wash cycle. You can quickly do that by unplugging the washer for at least 3-5 minutes, restoring it to the power supply, and starting it.
2. Load Overload
Ideally, you shouldn’t load the washing machine more than ¾ full. You should at least leave some space for the laundry to turn. If you don’t do that, then the chances are that the clothes won’t spin properly or may fail to spin entirely, and if that’s the case, then they’ll come out soaking wet after the wash cycle.
But still, if you put an excessively bulky item, such as a blanket, into the washer and do not fill the washer, that may be an overload as the load may overwhelm the agitator.
If the agitator is overwhelmed, it won’t turn or may do it slowly; in some cases, it may break. The result is your washer not spinning or failing to spin-dry the clothes.
Fix
Reduce the washer’s load. Remove the excess articles, and if there’s a blanket or any extra bulky item, remove it and wash it separately with the right setting.
3. Load Imbalance
Sometimes, the washer might not be overloaded, but it won’t spin dry if the clothes are out of balance. In such a case, the heaped parts will be soaking wet since they’ll have minimal turn.
In most cases, the cause is an imbalanced washer, which I’ll discuss later. But still, it could be that you just failed to distribute the laundry evenly when loading the washer.
Fix
First, check the washer’s leveling and steady it if it’s out of balance. Depending on the issue, that may mean changing its position or adjusting its feet. After that, ensure you evenly redistribute the laundry before running the washer.
4. Washer Imbalance
Remember, one reason your Kenmore washer might not be spinning the clothes dry is uneven load. That often happens due to an unbalanced washer.
Overall, the washer could be out of balance because of resting on an uneven or unstable surface or perhaps for having unlevelled or loose feet. So, consider all these possibilities.
Fix
If the washer rests on an uneven or unstable surface, change its position. If the feet are loose or unleveled, adjust them accordingly. Remember to, however, redistribute the load evenly before rerunning the washer.
5. Wrong Spin Cycle or Speed
There’s a reason washing machines come with different wash cycles and spin settings. So, you can’t just use any cycle or spin setting and expect your clothes to spin dry.
For example, you can’t run bedding and bulky items on a normal or gentle wash cycle and expect them to spin dry. Likewise, you cannot expect your laundry to turn if you choose a no-spin or a very slow-spin setting.
Fix
Ensure your laundry matches your Kenmore’s wash cycle, and choose a high spin speed setting to spin the washer. You can refer to your appliance manual if you are unsure.
6. Excess Suds
Using too much detergent is tempting when the clothes are too dirty. The problem is that the suds force the washer to draw in more water and slow down the drainage. So, the chances are that the clothes will come out dripping wet.
Other than using too much detergent, the other issue that could cause excessive suds is using the wrong detergent. For example, a non-HE detergent forms more suds than an HE (high-efficiency) option. So, you should check if what you are using is what Kenmore recommends for the washer.
Fix
Ensure you are using the detergent Kenmore recommends, and don’t use too much of it. Again, use the recommended amount.
7. Failed Drainage
The water will remain in the tub if your Kenmore washer won’t drain. If it remains in the tub, the clothes will soak up even after the wash cycle and, therefore, come out wet and sometimes dirty.
Overall, here are the issues that could be stopping your Kenmore washing machine from draining properly:
- Kinked or dirt-clogged drain hose
- Clogged drain filter
- Clogged or broken drain pump
- Improperly positioned drain hose
Fix
Stretch out the drain hose to remove any kinks; vacuum it if it’s clogged. Clean a clogged drain filter and pump, preferably with a commercial cleaner like Affresh. If the drain pump is impaired, replace it and observe the recommended drain pipe height during installation.
8. Incompletely Latched Door
Is the door firmly latched? If not, the washer won’t complete a wash cycle, which could be why it’s not spin drying.
Here are the things that could stop the door from latching appropriately:
- Failing to shut the door firmly
- An obstruction, such as debris or a piece of clothing
- A broken door latch
- A defective door switch
Fix
Check if there’s an obstruction on the door and remove it before firmly latching it. If there’s none, inspect the door latch for damage and replace it if it shows signs of breakage. And lastly, test the door or lid switch with a multimeter. If it lacks continuity, replace it.
9. Broken Component
Lastly, your Kenmore washer might not be spin-drying the clothes because one failed component stops it from doing so. The said component could be any of the following:
- Agitator – A damaged agitator won’t spin the clothes properly and will likely come out dripping wet.
- Washer belt – If the drive belt is defective, perhaps worn out or broken, the washer won’t spin, and the clothes will, as a result, come out soaking wet.
- Motor control board –The motor control board controls all washer functions. It’s more like the appliance’s brain; all functions fail once it fails, including spinning.
Fix
Consider replacing a broken agitator or drive belt. Also, replace the drive belt if it looks worn out, and if none of the washer functions work despite the washer having power, replace the motor control board.
Kenmore Top Load Washer Not Spinning Clothes Dry
If your Kenmore top loader won’t spin dry clothes, it’s likely due to an unlatched lid, a recent power outage, excess suds, laundry overload, uneven distribution, or the wrong cycle or spin speed. If that’s not it, it could be a damaged agitator or drive belt, which you ought to replace.
Kenmore Front Load Washer Not Spinning Clothes Dry
Consider the issues below if your Kenmore front load washer won’t spin dry your clothes:
- An unlatched door
- Excess suds
- Uneven, bulky, or unbalanced load
- Unbalanced washer
- Wrong cycle or spin selection
- Poor drainage
- Defective drive belt
Kenmore Series 500 Washer Not Spinning Clothes Dry
Your Kenmore Series 500 washer won’t spin dry clothes due to an incorrectly latched lid, a wrong setting, detergent overuse, excessive load, an imbalanced washer or load, or poor drainage. If not, it could be a defective drive belt or motor control board.
Kenmore Elite Washer Not Spinning Clothes Dry
Your Kenmore Elite washer isn’t spin-drying clothes due to one of these issues:
- Recent power failure
- Incorrect spin setting
- Laundry imbalance or overload
- Washer imbalance
- Poor drainage
- Too much suds
- Damaged drive belt
Kenmore 80 Series Washer Not Spinning Clothes Dry
Your Kenmore 80 Series may fail to spin dry the clothes if the clothes are out of balance or excessive, the washer is out of balance or won’t drain, or the spin cycle or spin speed is all wrong. Other issues include a defective drive belt, an unlatched door, or a broken motor control board.
Concluding Thought:
In conclusion, you now know the issues behind a Kenmore washer not spinning clothes dry. It could be a recent power failure, often fixable with a reset, a load overload or imbalance that requires you to properly load the washer, or a washer imbalance that requires you to steady the washer.
It could also be a wrong spin cycle or speed, detergent overuse, which caused too many suds, or inadequate drainage. And if that’s not it, then the door might not be effectively latched, or it could be a broken agitator, washer belt, or motor control board –which you ought to replace.
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