How to Winterize Your Washing Machine

Washing Machine

Generally speaking, this isn’t something that comes up. However, there can be times when a washing machine is exposed to freezing temperatures. For example, interested individuals might be storing it in an unheated space for the winter. Similarly, interested individuals might be absent from the house containing the washing machine for the winter. Whatever the case, if people know that their washing machine is going to be exposed to freezing temperatures, they should make sure to include it on the list of things that they winterize. Otherwise, well, freezing temperatures can do a surprising amount of damage to washing machines. This is because the latter can have residual water in them, which will expand when it turns into ice. A phenomenon that can be particularly bad when a region undergoes multiple freeze-thaw cycles over the course of a single winter. Even worse, if a washing machine is damaged by freezing temperatures of all things, that could void its warranty.

How Can You Winterize Your Washing Machine?

There are a couple of options for people who want to winterize a washing machine. One would be draining the washing machine of all of the water that can be found within. The other would be putting in RV-type antifreeze, which should prevent any remaining water from freezing. For the first, interested individuals should start by turning off the faucets for the water supply. After which, they should disconnect the hoses from the water supply before draining the water from those hoses. Once that has been done, interested individuals should locate the drain hose, which connects the washing machine’s drain port with the building’s drain opening. They should start by disconnecting the drain hose from the drain opening but not from the drain port so that they can drain any water remaining in the drain hose into either a shallow pan or something similar. When every single hose has been emptied, the last step would be tipping the front of the washing machine about 4″ to 6″ so that any remaining water in the pump will come out as well.

For the second, interested individuals should start by turning off the faucets for the water supply before following up by disconnecting the hoses from the water supply and then draining the water from those hoses. The next step differs in that they shouldn’t bother with the drain hose. Instead, interested individuals should put about a quart of RV-type antifreeze in the washing machine’s basket, which is important because RV-type antifreeze is non-toxic when used as directed. They should run the washing machine for about 30 seconds to mix the RV-type antifreeze with any remaining water so that the latter won’t freeze when exposed to freezing temperatures. The last step would be either unplugging the washing machine or turning off the power to the washing machine.

Just as how there are steps for winterizing a washing machine, there are steps for de-winterizing a washing machine as well. Naturally, different steps are needed for different winterization methods. For the first method, interested individuals should start by letting the washing machine sit in a space with room temperature for about a day’s time. After which, everything should just be a matter of connecting the hoses to the water supply as well as the drain opening before turning on the faucets for the water supply. Meanwhile, the second method will require somewhat different steps. Interested individuals can start by reconnecting the power, flushing the hoses using their water pipes, and then reconnecting the hoses. Once everything has been completed, they should run their washing machine through a full, extended cycle for the purpose of removing the RV-type antifreeze. Reportedly, either vinegar or detergent can do a great deal to help out with this part of the process.

What Are Some Other Maintenance Tips For Your Washing Machine?

A washing machine can cause a wide range of problems when it breaks. After all, exposure to water can cause a great deal of damage with surprising speed. As a result, it is a good idea to look into maintenance tips for a washing machine, which can extend their useful lifespan while reducing the chances for complications to come up.

For starters, interested individuals should keep a watchful eye on the hoses because those are where the water comes in and goes out. Thanks to that, if they see either bulges, cracks, or a loose fit, they should treat that as a cause for serious concern. This is particularly true because existing wear and tear can hasten the rate at which further wear and tear takes place, meaning that it can take much less time for a problem to worsen than for a problem to show up in the first place. Similarly, interested individuals should clean the washing machine about every month or so, which should prevent any bad odors from developing. Something that can be quite a hassle because those bad odors can seep into the laundry. For that matter, they might want to transfer their laundry from the washing machine to the drying machine as soon as possible before leaving the door of the washing machine open for a time. Moving on, interested individuals should also make sure to use the washing machine in the way that it was meant to be used. This means using both the right kind of detergent and the right amount of detergent, which can see a fair amount of difference from model to model. Similarly, this means keeping the load at a reasonable size because over-loading a washing machine can inflict a lot of wear and tear upon it. On a final note, interested individuals might want to call in a washing machine specialist to do some inspection and maintenance from time to time. Even if they are careful, they might not be able to pick up on all of the potential issues that can come up. As a result, if they want to be sure, the expertise and experience of a washing machine specialist can be very helpful. For that matter, if there is an issue, they can get further assistance from a technician right then and there.

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