Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.
Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.
Summary
A washing machine ships from the factory with a set of transit bolts holding the drum still, and most installers remove them in the first hour and set them aside or throw them out. Years later the moving truck is booked and the bolts are gone. Whirlpool and GE Appliances both warn that a washing machine moved without its transit bolts refitted can suffer damage inside the suspension. This page is for that day: the drum still needs to be pinned still for the ride, and it walks through fitting the bolts back in before the machine leaves the house.
Two things about this job are set by the manufacturer, not by this page. Samsung says outright that the number and the location of the bolts are different for each model, and nobody publishes one universal count or one torque figure for every washing machine. The manufacturers do not even agree on what to do with the old bolts: Samsung tells owners to keep them for a future move, Whirlpool tells installers to discard them and buy a new set later, and Whirlpool recommends a technician for the reinstall while GE Appliances publishes the steps for an owner to do it. This page gives the sequence that is common to all of them, and sends you to your own model's manual or parts counter for the numbers.
Necessary equipment
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Wrench | The wrench size is different for each model. Whirlpool gives a 16 mm wrench for its own machines. |
| Pliers optional | GE Appliances tells you to use pliers on a tight hose connection. |
| Bucket optional | A disconnected hose can drain a small amount of water. |
| Transit bolts, spacers, and clamps material | The set must match your washing machine model. |
Prepare the washing machine
Estimated 10 min to 16 min
DISCONNECT THE WASHING MACHINE FROM THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY BEFORE YOU FIT THE TRANSIT BOLTS.
Contact with the electrical supply can give you an electric shock.
- Disconnect the washing machine from the electrical supply.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Prepare the washing machine
- Remove the plug from the wall outlet.
DRAIN THE PUMP BEFORE YOU DISCONNECT A HOSE.
Water inside the pump can spill onto the floor.
- Drain the water from the pump.4mReport a problem with step 2, Prepare the washing machine
- GE Appliances tells you to remove the pump filter to drain the pump.
- Close the hot water valve and the cold water valve for the washing machine.1mReport a problem with step 3, Prepare the washing machine
- GE Appliances tells you to close both water valves before a move.
- Disconnect the fill hoses from the washing machine and from the faucets.3mReport a problem with step 4, Prepare the washing machine
- GE Appliances tells you to use pliers on a tight connection.
- Drain each fill hose.
- Put each fill hose inside the drum.
- Disconnect the drain hose from the standpipe or from the laundry tub.2mReport a problem with step 5, Prepare the washing machine
- Remove the screw that holds the drain hose to the washing machine.
- GE Appliances tells you to put the drain hose inside the drum.
Fit the transit bolts
Estimated 12 min to 14 min
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
FIT A TRANSIT BOLT INTO EVERY HOLE ON THE BACK OF THE WASHING MACHINE.
A washing machine moved without a transit bolt can suffer permanent damage to the suspension.
- Remove the plastic cover from each hole on the back of the washing machine.2mReport a problem with step 1, Fit the transit bolts
- A plastic cover fills the hole after the first removal of a bolt.
- Look for your transit bolts, your spacers, and your clamps.2mReport a problem with step 2, Fit the transit bolts
- The bolt, the spacer, and the clamp are different for each model.
- GE Appliances sells a shipping bolt kit for its washing machines.
- Whirlpool tells you to discard the original bolts and spacers.
- Samsung tells you to keep the original bolts and spacers.
- If you do not have a part, order a new set from the manufacturer.1mReport a problem with step 3, Fit the transit bolts
- The manufacturer part number is specific to your model.
- This time estimate does not include shipping.
- Put a spacer into each hole.1mReport a problem with step 4, Fit the transit bolts
- Put a transit bolt through each spacer.2mReport a problem with step 5, Fit the transit bolts
- Tighten each transit bolt with a wrench.3mReport a problem with step 6, Fit the transit bolts
- Whirlpool gives a 16 mm wrench for its own washing machines.
- If your model has a clamp, fit it over each transit bolt.2mReport a problem with step 7, Fit the transit bolts
- GE Appliances tells you to fit the spacer, the bolt, and the clamp together.
Get the washing machine ready for the move
Estimated 2 min
- Make sure that a transit bolt is in every hole on the back of the washing machine.1mReport a problem with step 1, Get the washing machine ready for the move
DO NOT LAY THE WASHING MACHINE ON ITS SIDE OR ITS BACK DURING THE MOVE.
The suspension and the tub can suffer damage.
- Keep the washing machine upright for the whole move.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Get the washing machine ready for the move
- Whirlpool tells you to move the washing machine in an upright position.
Terminology
This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.
- transit bolt
- Also called: shipping bolt, transport bolt, shipping bracket, drum bolt, moving bolt
- spacer
- Also called: bolt spacer, plastic spacer, the little tube behind the bolt
- standpipe
- Also called: drain pipe, laundry tub drain, the pipe the hose goes into
- washing machine
- Also called: washer, clothes washer, laundry machine
When to use a professional
If you do not have a transit bolt, a spacer, or a clamp, call the manufacturer. GE Appliances sells a shipping bolt kit for its washing machines. The bolt, the spacer, and the part number are different for each model.
If you are not sure how to fit the transit bolts, call an appliance technician. Whirlpool tells owners to use a service technician for this task. If a bolt hole has damage, stop work on that hole. A damaged hole or a bolt that will not tighten needs a technician. Fit every transit bolt before you move the washing machine.
Common questions
Do I really need the original shipping bolts to move my washer?
Yes, according to every manufacturer instruction this page checked. Whirlpool says plainly that new shipping bolts must be reinstalled to avoid internal suspension and structural damage, and GE Appliances tells owners to reinstall the bolts, spacers, and clamps to prevent damage to the appliance. The bolts hold the drum still against the cabinet; without them, the drum swings on its springs during the trip and can wear through or tear the suspension that keeps it centered.
How many transit bolts does my washing machine have, and where are they?
This page will not give you one number, because there is not one. Samsung states outright that the specific location and number of shipping bolts varies by model, though they are always on the back of the machine. GE Appliances sells a four-bolt kit for some of its own washers, but that is one part number for some models, not a universal count. Check your model's installation instructions or the parts diagram for your machine.
I lost the shipping bolts. Can I still move my washer?
Order a replacement set before moving day. GE Appliances sells a shipping bolt kit through its own parts store, and other manufacturers sell equivalent kits under a model-specific part number. Interestingly, Whirlpool's own removal instructions tell installers to discard the original bolts and spacers, so on a Whirlpool machine a lost set may simply mean a normal reorder rather than a mistake. Samsung, by contrast, tells owners to keep the originals for exactly this situation.
Does my top-load washer need transit bolts too?
Maybe not bolts at all. GE Appliances' own moving instructions for top-load and unitized washers describe a shipping rod or a block of shipping foam instead of bolts on many models, and which one applies depends on when the machine was built: 2015-and-later models mostly use cardboard, 2013-and-later mostly use styrofoam, and 1995-and-later models may use a metal rod. This page covers bolt-type front-load washers. Check your own model's manual for a top-load machine.
Can I lay the washer on its side to get it through a doorway?
No. Whirlpool says a washer transported on its side or in another position may suffer damage, and GE Appliances says a washer must be shipped upright to prevent damage to the suspension or the inner and outer tub. Keep it standing for the whole move, doorway included.
Do I need a professional to fit the bolts back in?
It depends which manufacturer made your machine. Whirlpool recommends that an authorized service technician install the shipping bolts on its washers. GE Appliances, by contrast, publishes the reinstallation as a step an owner can do with a screwdriver and a wrench. If your model's instructions call for a technician, or you are simply not confident doing it yourself, call one.
Related procedures
- How to check and replace the fill hoses on a washing machine
- How to run the tub-clean cycle on a washing machine and what to put in it
- How to level a washing machine that walks, shakes or bangs on the spin cycle
- How to clean the drain filter on a front loading washing machine
- How to clean the rubber door seal on a front loading washing machine
- How to clean a clogged dryer vent and lint duct
Sources
Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.
- Tier 1Moving a Front Load Washer
- Tier 1Removing Shipping Bolts for Front Load Washer
- Tier 1Front Load Washer - Moving Instructions
- Tier 1Top Load & Unitized Washers - Moving Instructions
- Tier 1Washing machine shipping bolt kit (4), part WH49X10047
- Tier 1Install a Samsung washing machine in your home
Revision history
Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04
- v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. Sourced to Whirlpool and GE Appliances moving instructions and Samsung installation instructions. Bolt count, part number and tightening torque all publish as consult-the-manufacturer: Samsung states directly that the count and location vary by model, and no source publishes a torque value. Whirlpool and Samsung disagree on whether the original bolts should be kept or discarded; both are named rather than reconciled.
Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.
Comments and corrections
Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.
Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.