When cold days come you should know How To Winterize A Washing Machine to save your washing machine.
Doing laundry during winter can be a nightmare. Everything in the house will freeze, and you can agree, we are all afraid of freezing the washers and other appliances in the house.
Unfortunately, washing machines are more susceptible to freezing because of the water in the hoses and tubs.
Can A Washing Machine Freeze?
Extreme winter weather is all fun and game until you have to do your laundry. You risk damaging your washing machine by freezing.
If you don’t drain your washer completely, it may freeze, which leads to expansion. This only increases the maintenance cost because you will have to repair your washer before using it again.
Sometimes freezing damages your washing machine beyond repair. Are you having trouble winterizing your washing machine?
There are several methods of winterizing washing machines for storage. This is a list of what to expect in this article:
- How do you winterize a washing machine without antifreeze?
- A step-by-step guide to winterizing a washing machine
- How to use RV antifreeze to winterize your washer
- How to prevent your washing machine pipes from breaking
How Do You Winterize a Washing Machine Without Antifreeze?
When winter comes, you have to protect your washing machine. In most cases, your warranty is void if freezing causes damage. As I have explained above, freezing can make washing machines break, which would lead to leakage.
You can, however, prevent damage from freezing. Below is a two-step-by-step guide on how to winterize your washing machine.
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2-Steps Guide to Winterizing a Washing Machine
There are two methods of winterizing a laundry machine. One, you can use RV antifreeze, which we will discuss later on. Two, drain the water entirely before storing a washing machine in an air-tight basement or garage.
See below for a guide on how to winterize a washer without RV antifreeze fluid.
Step 1: Turn off the Water Taps
You must prepare your washing machine for storage for the cold season. The first step you take is to turn off the water taps. Start by unplugging your washing machine from the electrical socket.
The next step is to disconnect the washer’s inlet hoses from the water supply. Do the same with the drainage hoses and get ready for step two.
Step 2: Drain All the Water Residual From the Tubs and Hoses
The most effective way to winterize your washing machine is to drain all the water and store it. Drain the hoses entirely and put them aside. I assume that you already drained your washer before unplugging and disconnecting the hoses.
Well, to back up a little, you may run two spin cycles to clean your washing machine. This is to prepare for winter storage. The spin cycles will force out as much water as possible. Use a towel to wipe the washing machine drum dry.
To drain the water from the machine completely, tip your washer towards the outlet pipes. This will help get rid of the water that could freeze and damage your washing machine in storage.
How to use RV Antifreeze to Winterize Your Washing Machines
In some cases, you do not have to store a washing machine, e.g., when you live in a cabin. You can prevent it from freezing. The best way to do this is to use RV antifreeze fluid.
RV antifreeze is a pink fluid used in RV vehicles to prevent the engine from freezing. You can use it for the same purpose in washing machines.
Now, you need to pour one Quart of the RV antifreeze liquid into the tub. Start the washer and select 30-60 seconds Rinse Spin Cycle. This should get the liquid all over your washer. You must disconnect the water supply from the washing machine.
Unplug your washing machine and leave it until the cold season is over. When you reconnect the washing machine, flush the RV antifreeze with water by running a rinse cycle.
How to Prevent Washing Machine Pipes From Freezing
Disconnecting the washing machine pipes is crucial for winter. It is the best way to keep the pipes dry and intact. Well, to protect the pipes from freezing, you may use foam insulation layers. Wrap the foam insulation around the pipes and store it for safekeeping.
Alternatively, you may let the pipes drip to dry before storage.
FAQs
Your washing machine should be winterized because water can stay in washer hoses and freeze. Then freezing can damage your washing machine.
I think that every washing machine should be winterized.
Conclusion
During the winter seasons, you must make sure that your washer is safely stored. Or at least you have put up measures to winterize it. Otherwise, you will keep paying for repairs each year. Sometimes freezing may damage your washing machine ultimately.
I hope that you have learned how do you winterize a washing machine through the above steps. Your washer will be safe from damage by freezing during the winter seasons.
