Why Does My New Washing Machine Have Water In It?

A washing machine is a ‘wet appliance’, but buyers rarely expect brand new units to have any water in them. Still, it’s normal for a washing machine to arrive at your doorstep with a bit of moisture in the drum. So, why does this happen?

A brand new washing machine will have some water inside because it has been tested on the manufacturing plant. Before you’ve purchased the machine, the manufacturer tests the washer to ensure it is in good working order. Then, the machine is packed safely to be shipped to your home. Some of that water might not dry out entirely by the time the washer arrives at your home.

In this article, we’ll explain to you why it’s entirely normal for a brand new washing machine to arrive with some moisture inside the drum.

Then, we’ll look at what you must do before using the washing machine for the first time and why you should run an empty cycle before your first load of laundry.

Why Does A New Washing Machine Have Water In It?

Suppose your brand new washing machine arrives at your home and you find that the inside of the drum is wet. Don’t panic! The reason it’s wet is that the machine was being tested before it was delivered to your home.

Testing At The Factory or Warehouse

When you order a brand new washing machine from a reputable brand or third-party seller, they won’t deliver it to your home straight away. Instead, they’ll put the machine through rigorous testing at their factory or warehouse to ensure that it is in good working order.

After all, sending a defective washer to a customer’s home will reflect poorly on the seller. So, they minimize the risk by making sure that the washer can complete full washing cycles as it should.

Once the testing is complete, the manufacturer packages the machine and ships it off to your home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that means not all of the moisture inside the washer has enough time to dry out completely.

That’s why you’re likely to find some water inside the washing machine when you open it for the first time.

Is Water In A New Washing Machine A Bad Sign?

No, finding water in your newly-delivered washing machine is not a bad sign at all. In fact, it’s an excellent sign that you chose to buy from the correct type of seller who has quality control practices in place.

That water in your new washing machine shows you that the seller has taken the time to test the machine and make sure that it works. That will give you added peace of mind, especially since a seller wouldn’t knowingly send out a faulty washing machine. 

Can You Use A Brand New Washing Machine Straight Away?

No, you cannot use a brand new washing machine straight away. There are a few crucial things you must first check before you do that. 

When it comes to washing machines, the first thing you must do is remove any transport brackets and bolts, ensure it’s on a level surface, and run an empty wash cycle before washing any laundry.

1. Remove Transport Bracket And Transit Bolts

Before a washing machine can be shipped anywhere, it must have a transport bracket and transit bolts put into place. These items will keep parts of the machine from moving around too much in transit and causing itself damage.

For example, the washing machine’s drum on the inside will swing around on the inside while it’s on a moving truck. That excessive swinging can cause it to hit and damage the internal walls of the washer, making the machine useless by the time it arrives at your front door.

That’s why these machines are designed to have brackets and bolts that prevent any of their parts from moving while they’re being transported. 

You must remove these parts before you use the washing machine so that all the parts can move freely when you’re doing your laundry.

2. Ensure That The Washing Machine Is Perfectly Level

Once you’ve removed the transport bracket and bolts, the next thing is to ensure that your washing machine is perfectly level. Washing machines must be perfectly balanced to ensure that the drum can turn safely, even at high speeds. 

Related: How To Stop A Washing Machine From Moving When Spinning

An off-balance washing machine will generate lots of unpleasant noise. On some newer models, they might even shut off automatically as a safety precaution.

To ensure that your brand new washer is perfectly level, check that you’ve placed the washing machine on a flat surface. You can use a good old fashioned spirit level to confirm that you’ve chosen the correct place for the machine, though smartphones these days also have apps that do the same job.

Secondly, the appliance itself must also be perfectly level. Many washing machines have adjustable legs that allow you to compensate for uneven surfaces. You might have to adjust those legs to ensure that the machine as a whole is perfectly stable.

Should I Run A New Washing Machine Empty First?

Yes, once you’ve ensured that the washing machine is perfectly level, you should run a complete wash cycle while the machine is empty.

Here are two reasons why:

To Test The Washing Machine Yourself

Running an empty cycle is a quick and easy way to test the washing machine for yourself. A quick wash cycle will help you ensure that the machine can fill up and drain and that the drum can turn adequately without any problems.

Besides that, running a complete cycle helps you confirm that the washer is stable and balanced. An unbalanced machine will shake excessively and even ‘walk’ away from its designated spot.

Try to run this test cycle while the technicians who delivered the machine are still in your home. That way, they can help you address any problems immediately.

To Clean The Washing Machine

Firstly, running an empty wash cycle will help to clean out any dirt and dust that might be inside the machine. Bear in mind that a brand new washing machine is factory-fresh, but there’s no telling how long it has been sitting in storage.

Running an empty wash cycle will flush out any dirt and dust that might have built up inside the washer thoroughly. To maximize that cleaning, you can use the washing machine’s Drum Cleaning cycle if it has one.

After that, the machine will be ready to clean your dirty laundry.

Bonus Tip: Don’t Forget To Register For The Warranty

Last but not least, take this opportunity to register for the warranty as soon as possible. Many buyers put off registering until it’s too late, which is why you should include this task as the final step of the installation process.

Registering the warranty for appliances is incredibly straightforward these days. All you have to do is head to the manufacturer’s website and key in important details such as the machine’s model, serial number, and where you bought it from.

Once that’s done, you can rest assured knowing that your brand new washing machine is protected by the warranty if any issues were to emerge.