Find helpful information about your LG Product through our Help Library. Find helpful information about your LG Product through our Help Library.

Help library

Find helpful information about your LG product

LG Washer - What is a Top Load Washing Machine UE/Ub Error Code?

  • Troubleshooting

At a Glance

The uE/UE/Ub code indicates that the washer is attempting to balance the load, which may be the result of the unit not being leveled correctly or the load itself. This code can be easily resolved without the need of a technician.

When the uE/UE displays on the screen, the unit will fill with water in order to agitate and separate the items, then drain and try to spin again. After 3 attempts to balance, the uE will change to UE, meaning the unit was unable to rebalance the load and requires assistance.

Try This

Show Script

[LG Top Load Washers] Balancing an LG Washer

The drum of the washer will spin at very high speeds; therefore it is important that the wash is level to help reduce noise and vibration. Use a level to see that the washer is level. You can also check the level of a top load by determining if the tub is in the correct position. Open the lid, look inside, and check the plastic guard to see if it's exposed more on one side than another before leveling.

Loosen the lock nuts on all four leveling feet. Place the level on a flat part of the washer, going from front to back. Turn the bolts clockwise to raise the washer or counterclockwise to lower it. Do this until the bubble on the level stays right in the middle.

Now turn the level to read from side to side. Turn the bolts clockwise to raise the washer or counterclockwise to lower it. Do this until the bubble on the level stays right in the middle.

Next, gently rock the washer from corner to corner to see if it's really level. Now that the washer is level from side to side and front to back, tighten all the lock nuts.

Run the washer with the test load to determine if the washer is leveled. Place around six pounds of laundry in the washer. Press power, select rinse and spin, and then press start pause. When the washer starts running, check to see if there's any rocking or vibration during the spin cycle.

If so, rebalance the washer. Some floor surfaces are too slippery to keep the washer from moving on the floor during unbalanced loads. If this is the case in your laundry room, we suggest that you install non-skid pads to prevent the washer from moving. Even with the level washing machine, you may still encounter unbalanced loads.

This is when the items in the washer are not balanced, preventing the drum from obtaining full speed spin. When there is an unbalanced load, the washer will show the lowercase U or the uppercase UE error code. The unit will attempt to rebalance the load and flash the lowercase U uppercase E in the process. If it's unsuccessful after three attempts, it will switch to the uppercase U uppercase E code. At this point, the unit needs assistance to correct the unbalanced load.

To remedy a UE error code, you can manually redistribute the load. Add a few items to distribute the weight. Reduce spin speed to low or no spin on small loads. Use bulky large cycles for such items as rugs, comforters, sheets, blankets, and pillows. Remember, it is important that your LG washer is perfectly level during normal operation. This will reduce the sound level and vibration level and will also make the unit safe and quiet operating.

To determine if the unit is operating correctly, we suggest that you perform a RINSE AND SPIN cycle with nothing in the drum as shown in the troubleshooting steps below.

UE Error
  1. Run rinse and spin cycle without load.

    1. Empty the drum completely.

    2. Power the unit on.

    3. Select the RINSE AND SPIN cycle.

    4. Press start.

    This cycle will take about 20 minutes.

    Does the error display on the display screen?

    YesNo, UE/Ub Does Not Display
  2. Request Repair.

    If the uE or UE or Ub error displays again, the unit is not working properly; it requires a repair service. Please visit our Request a Repair page.

  3. Leveling, load distribution, and selected washing cycle.

    The unit does NOT require a repair service. Three important factors triggers the uE/UE/Ub error. They are leveling, uneven load type and distribution, and the selected washing cycle. Check each of these factors starting from leveling.

    LevelingLoad Type & DistributionSelected Washing Cycle
  4. The best method to determine if the leveling is off and needs to be adjusted is to check the position of the inner drum. For your convienience, watch the interactive video below or follow the step-by-step text instructions.

    Do you prefer reading the step-by-step-instruction?

    View Step by Step Instructions

    A.

    Inspect the drum.

    Open the lid and look inside. Check the plastic guard around the drum to see if it is exposed more on one side than another.

    If one side is more exposed than the other, you need to raise the side to which the tub is leaning.

    B.

    Raise or lower the legs.

    Now turn the bolts clockwise to raise the washer, or counterclockwise to lower it. Do it until the tub is centered.

    Note

    Only adjust the legs as far as necessary, extending the legs too far can cause the washer to vibrate.

    Raise or lower the legs

    C.

    Inspect tub level.

    Open the lid to see if the tub is centered and not tilted to one side. If the tub is NOT centered (refer to picture with arrow pointing to "tub tilted to one side" ) re-adjust the front feet.

    Tub in the Center

    D.

    Run a test load.

    Getting it exactly level can be tricky, so run the washer with a test load just to make sure.

    1. Place around six pounds of laundry in the washer.
    2. Press POWER, select RINSE & SPIN, and press START/PAUSE.
    3. When it starts running, check to see if it rocks or vibrates during the spin cycle.
    4. If it does, repeat the procedure starting from STEP B - Raise or Lower the Legs.

    E.

    Slippery floor

    Some floor surfaces are too slippery to keep your washer from moving on the floor during unbalanced loads. If this is the case in your laundry room, we suggest you to install non-skin pads to prevent the washer from moving.

    Install Non Skid Pads
  5. Certain load types may not distribute the weight of the load evenly, resulting in an unbalanced load and the uE/UE/Ub code.

    unblanced load and balanced load
    1. SMALL LOADS: Because of the drum size, small loads will not distribute evenly around the drum causing an unbalance during the spin. Add items to help balance the weight of the load or reduce the spin speed to help prevent the unbalance.

    2. SINGLE, BULKY ITEMS: Items such as pillows and rugs will cause an unbalanced load due to the weight being concentrated in one area of the drum. In this case, add a few items to balance the load.

    3. LARGE ITEMS: If this happens when washing bed sheets, blankets, or other large items, they may be tangled up causing the unbalanced load. In this case, manually redistribute the load to even out the weight distribution. It may also be necessary to reduce the spin speed.

  6. Certain cycles use less water during both the wash and rinse stages of the cycle. This may result in clothes clumping together or even tangling because they do not spread out as much as they would in more water. In these cases, unbalanced loads will occur.

    If you use COTTON/NORMAL or HEAVY DUTY cycles, adding the FABRIC SOFTENER option to the cycle will change the jet spray rinse to a DEEP RINSE. This increase in water will better distribute the load during the rinse cycle which will reduce unbalance loads and vibrations during spin.

    Some additional options to prevent unbalanced loads:

    1. Reduce the spin speed.

    2. Try using a different cycle, such as "PERM PRESS/CASUAL", which uses more water and a deep tub rinse, so the load is more spread out in the drum.

    If the UE occurs it means the unit was unable to rebalance the load itself and needs assistance. MANUALLY REDISTRIBUTE THE LOAD.

    Note

    It is normal for the unit to be noisier or have more vibrations when the drum is first speeding up at the beginning of the spin cycle OR when the drum slows down at the end of the spin cycle. This does not indicate an issue with the unit. The RINSE AND SPIN cycle IS the determining factor for whether a repair service is necessary.

*Required question

Related Help Library

See more