The weather is getting colder and we’re not the only ones who feel it, your appliances do too. When it comes to looking after your appliances, Power Point has over 25 years of experience and we thought we’d put together some advice to help you during the colder months.
Washing Machines
Your washing machine may not seem like the obvious example of an appliance that can be affected by cold weather. This is because many of us will have our washing machines indoors, typically in the kitchen. However, if it is against an outside-facing wall that isn’t very well insulated, such as in the garage or basement, the transfer of cold temperatures could cause the water in your machine to freeze. This could cause parts of it to crack and break including the water intake valve and pumps that drain the water.
If you do keep your appliance in the garage or basement you should consider disconnecting the water lines from the wall and only connecting them when you need to use it. You could also wrap your washer’s hoses with pipe insulation to protect them from the cold.
Tumble Dryers
Many manufactures recommend not exposing your tumble dryer to temperatures below 5⁰c, so it is best not to use them whilst they are in the garage during the colder months unless the room is well-insulated. This is because the cold can cause them to not function properly.
Vented dryers use hot air to dry your clothes however if this air isn’t pumped out of the garage properly, during the colder months the hot air will turn into condensation and gather on the wall. This could lead to mould issues and so you should ensure that there is proper ventilation in place.
Condenser tumble dryers can have even bigger issues when exposed to cold temperatures as they work by collecting water in a tank or pumping it out through a hose. Subsequently, if your machine gets too cold, the water that it stores or the pipes that it uses for drainage can freeze up and cause damage. This is why it is best to either make sure that your garage is well insulated to protect your machines or keep your appliances in the home when the weather gets colder.
Refrigerators
The main refrigerator in your home is likely in your kitchen and will be safe from the elements during winter. However, many people now own a second refrigerator that they place in their garage and use as extra storage. If you have one of these, there are a few things you should consider to ensure that you protect your fridge from the drop in temperature.
This includes making sure that your garage is well insulated. If not, you could use a heater on particularly cold days to raise the temperatures in the room, but please make sure you don’t leave it on overnight.
You can also get fridge-freezers that are built with extreme temperatures in mind which are more suitable for use in your garage. If you are thinking of getting a fridge to put in the garage you should consider looking at these models.
We hope that this advice has been helpful. If you have any questions about your appliances, feel free to get in touch and we would be more than happy to help.
If you do have any issues with your machines over winter, we can help with our repair services which we offer for both domestic properties and domestic lettings.