What is actually happening
This is different from a machine that will not spin: here the drum does not move at all, even at slow wash speed. On a belt-driven machine the belt has almost always come off or snapped, and the giveaway is that the motor can be heard running with nothing happening. On a direct-drive machine there is no belt, so the fault is the motor or its control.
The LG fault codes that point at this
A LG washing machine will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to drum not turning:
- 1E — The machine isn't filling with water quickly enough, so it has stopped and flagged a water inlet problem.
- AE — Water has been detected in the base of the machine, so LG's anti-flood sensor has shut the wash down to stop a leak spreading across your floor.
- FE — Your LG washing machine has taken on more water than it should, so it has stopped and shown FE.
- IE — Your LG isn't getting enough water into the drum in the time it expects, so it stops and shows IE (often misread as 1E).
- LE — The machine has tried to spin the drum but the motor isn't turning the way the control board expects, so it stops and shows LE.
- OE — Your LG washer hasn't managed to empty the water out within the time it expects, so it has stopped with a drum full of water.
- PE — Your LG washing machine can't tell how much water is in the drum, so it stops rather than risk under- or overfilling.
- TE — The machine has spotted a problem with the sensor that tells it how hot the water is, so it won't run the wash.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a LG washing machine
- A snapped or dislodged drive belt
- Worn motor carbon brushes, leaving too little power to turn a loaded drum
- A seized drum bearing
- A failed motor or motor control board on direct-drive machines
- An item jammed between the inner and outer drum
What you can safely check yourself
- Turn the empty drum by hand — very free movement suggests a belt, stiffness or grinding suggests bearings
- Listen during a cycle for a motor running with no drum movement
- Check nothing is jammed at the drum edge
Still drum not turning?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Our engineers work on LG machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my LG washing machine drum not turning?
The machine fills and the cycle runs, but the drum never rotates. This is different from a machine that will not spin: here the drum does not move at all, even at slow wash speed. On a belt-driven machine the belt has almost always come off or snapped, and the giveaway is that the motor can be heard running with nothing happening. On a direct-drive machine there is no belt, so the fault is the motor or its control.
Can I fix a LG washing machine drum not turning myself?
Turn the empty drum by hand — very free movement suggests a belt, stiffness or grinding suggests bearings. Listen during a cycle for a motor running with no drum movement. Check nothing is jammed at the drum edge. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What LG error codes mean drum not turning?
LG washing machines report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at drum not turning are 1E, AE, FE, IE, LE, OE. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a LG washing machine repair cost?
£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Other LG washing machine faults
- washing machine not draining
- washing machine not spinning
- washing machine leaking water
- washing machine making a loud noise
- washing machine not heating the water
- washing machine door will not open