Washing machine not spinning — likely causes and safe checks (UK)

If the drum won't spin, the most common causes are an unbalanced load, a door that isn't fully locked, or a drain fault stopping the spin as a safety step.

Likely causes, ranked

Unbalanced or too small a load Most likely — One heavy item (a duvet, a single towel) stops the spin as a balance safety step.
Drain fault before spin Likely — Machines refuse to spin with water still in the drum.
Door lock not engaging Likely — The spin is blocked if the lock is not detected as closed.
Worn motor carbon brushes (older models) Less likely — Older machines with carbon brush motors may fail to reach spin speed.

First checks

Open the door and redistribute the load evenly.
Run a Drain/Spin programme to see if water empties first.
Check the door clicks shut fully.
If it still won't spin, note any error code shown.

Safety

Unplug before reaching into the drum. Do not attempt to remove the motor or drive belt.

Call a professional when…

Call a professional if the machine drains and locks properly but still will not spin — motor or control faults need an engineer.

Error codes that point here

Sources

https://www.hotpoint.co.uk/service/washing-machine-repair/error-codes