Maytag washer code Ofb: load out of balance (top-load)

What it means

The load is unbalanced. The washer first tries to correct it by adding water and agitating, which makes the cycle longer. F0 E5 can also mean the load is too large; F0 E9 appears when the washer couldn’t correct the balance itself.

What to try

Unplug the washer before any step beyond a quick look, and turn the water off before touching hoses.

1. Ofb: let the washer try to correct the balance. If it stops, spread the load evenly around the washplate, close the lid and press Start/Pause.
2. F0 E9: open the lid, spread the clothes evenly around the basket, close the lid and press Resume or Start.
3. F0 E5: cancel the cycle (press Start, or unplug the washer). If water is left in the tub, run a drain-only cycle, then rearrange the clothes or take some out before starting again. Maytag suggests the Bulky or Heavy Duty cycle.
4. Don’t wash single items on their own. For large items that don’t absorb water, such as comforters, use the Bulky/Sheets Deep Water Wash cycle.
5. F0 E9: if it keeps happening, unplug the washer for 5 minutes, then run Drain & Spin to remove the remaining water.

Call a technician if

Resetting a Maytag washer

Front-loaders: for F5 E2, F7 E1 and F8 E1, Maytag says to press Pause/Cancel twice and then Power once. For other F# E# codes, unplug the washer or disconnect power for 5 minutes, reselect the cycle and press Start. Top-load HE models: for F# E# or F## system codes, press Start/Pause once to clear the code, then again to restart; for F3 E2, F6 E2 and F8 E6, Maytag says to unplug the washer for 5 minutes instead.

Still stuck?

Washer shaking, walking or banging: full Fix Finder5 checks for any brand, quickest first.

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