The LG washer UE code means an unbalanced load. LG says it shows when laundry bunches on one side of the drum or the washer isn’t level, so the drum can’t reach full spin speed.
Before you touch the load or the feet, take one reading: does the LG washer UE code come back with nothing in the drum? That single run tells you whether you’re fixing laundry or a machine.
What the LG washer UE code means
UE is LG’s unbalanced error. On a front loader, LG lists three causes: laundry piled on one side, items that shouldn’t be machine washed, and a washer that isn’t level. A load that’s too big or too small for your drum can do it too.
Top loaders add a step you can watch. LG’s top-load UE page says a lowercase uE means the washer is still trying. It refills, tumbles the load apart, drains and spins again.
After three tries, the lowercase uE turns into an uppercase UE. That’s the washer telling you it gave up and needs your hands. Some models show Ub instead, and LG treats it the same way.
So if you see a flashing uE, don’t open the lid yet. Let it finish its tries. LG says the rebalancing can take up to two cycles and add about 10 minutes to the spin.
Run Rinse and Spin with the drum empty
LG’s own fork is an empty run. Take every item out, power the washer on, select Rinse and Spin and press Start. LG says the cycle takes about 20 minutes.
Watch your display the whole time. If UE or Ub shows up again with nothing inside, LG says the washer isn’t working properly and needs a repair.
If the empty run finishes clean, your washer’s fine. LG points you to three things instead: leveling, the load type and how it’s spread, and the cycle you picked.
On unbalanced calls, I ran the drum empty before I touched a foot or a shock. It kept me from leveling a washer that had a suspension problem, and from ordering parts for one that only had a wet comforter in it.
A commenter on r/appliancerepair put the logic plainly, after an owner got UE during a Tub Clean:
“Actually the time a washing machine should never have an issue with finding its balance is when there are no clothes in the tub.” u/DuckHookFore on Reddit
A Tub Clean runs with no laundry, so a UE there gets the same reading as a failed empty test.
Fix the load the way LG describes
Pause the washer and pull out whatever’s balled up. Sears PartsDirect names a tangled bed sheet or a balled-up pair of jeans. Spread everything evenly, then restart a spin.
Then look at what you loaded. LG’s front-load UE page lists the changes that matter:
- Size. Fill the drum to about two-thirds. That’s where LG says the washer balances best.
- One bulky item. A pillow, a rug or a single blanket puts all its weight in one spot. Add a few towels, or take the stuffing out and wash only the cover.
- A tiny load. A few small items can bunch up too. Add more, or turn the spin speed down.
- Laundry nets. Don’t wash a single net by itself. LG says to fill each net only two-thirds and run two or three with other clothes.
- The cycle. On a front loader, wash blankets on Duvet and padded jackets on Sportswear, both at medium spin.
LG also says you shouldn’t machine wash bath mats, rubber mats, electric blankets or curtains. LG says they can damage both the washer and the item.
If you’ve got a top loader, you have one more lever: water. LG says low-water cycles let clothes clump. On Cotton/Normal or Heavy Duty, adding the Fabric Softener option switches the rinse to a deep rinse. Perm Press/Casual uses more water, too.
Turning the spin speed down is the quick workaround. One LG top-load owner described living with exactly that:
“UE code happens frequently, only get a good wash when you set the spin speed to Low or Medium.” u/rameshv98 on Reddit
If you need low spin on every load, though, you’ve got the case the empty test is built for.
Level the washer
A washer that isn’t level rocks in the spin, and LG says that alone can throw UE. Push on the front, back and sides of your washer. If you feel it shift, it needs adjusting.
- Loosen the lock nuts on the leveling feet.
- Turn the foot on the side the washer leans toward with a wrench. Keep each foot only as long as it needs to be, because LG says over-extended legs add vibration.
- Set a bubble level on the front of the top panel, then front to back across the middle.
- Rock it corner to corner again. When it’s solid, tighten the lock nuts.
On a top loader, LG adds a quick visual: open the lid and look at the plastic guard around the drum. If one side shows more than the other, your tub’s leaning, so raise that side.
How level is level enough? Sears PartsDirect says a reading off by a quarter bubble or less can stay as it is. If your floor is slick and the washer walks during spin, LG suggests non-skid pads.
For a washer that bangs or walks even after this, see washing machine shaking violently.
UE with an empty drum: shocks, rods and a repair
A UE on an empty run isn’t a laundry problem, and LG’s next step is a repair. Sears PartsDirect names the usual suspects on a front loader: a broken damper shock or suspension spring.
On a top loader, the commenter in that Tub Clean thread pointed at worn suspension rods and described a bounce test. Unplug the washer, then push the wash plate down hard. A single soft bounce back is good, and a tub that keeps bouncing points to worn rods.
That’s a commenter’s test, not LG’s, but it costs nothing.
Before you order rods or shocks, pull the tech sheet and match the part to your exact model. If the parts check out and UE still comes back empty, I’d stop and book a technician. The commenter’s list goes on to the tub bearing and the tub support, and those mean taking the drum apart.
LG washer UE code questions
How do I clear the LG washer UE code?
Fix your load and start a spin again. The UE code clears once the drum can spin balanced. Sears PartsDirect’s advice is to redistribute the load and restart the cycle.
For other codes on the same display, see the full LG washer error codes list. If the cycle stops because the tub won’t fill, that’s the LG washer IE code, and if the buttons won’t take a press, check the LG washer CL code first.
Is some noise at the start of the spin normal?
Yes. LG says a washer is noisier when the drum speeds up at the start of spin and slows down at the end. LG doesn’t treat that alone as a fault. The empty Rinse and Spin is its deciding test.
How do I force my LG washer to drain?
Run Spin Only. If the water won’t leave, that’s a drain fault, not an unbalance. The steps are on our LG washer OE code page. If the drum won’t turn at all, see LG washer LE code.
