winterize washing machine

[kjinpb]

I'm moving from San Diego to Montana and I'll have to store my washer in storage in MT for a month. I want to winterize it so nothing happens. Do I just pour some RV antifreeze down the drain hose? If so, how much? Also, when it comes time to hook it up, is it ok to just run the machine and let the antifreeze go down the drain to the septic tank?

[vaplumber]

I'm moving from San Diego to Montana and I'll have to store my washer in storage in MT for a month. I want to winterize it so nothing happens. Do I just pour some RV antifreeze down the drain hose? If so, how much? Also, when it comes time to hook it up, is it ok to just run the machine and let the antifreeze go down the drain to the septic tank?

Use rv type anti freeze. It wont hurt the hoses or the plastic parts. To be safe buy 2 gallons. First set your washer to fill on warm wash with out it being hooked to a water supply. Blow air through both supply hoses to blow water from the fill valves and lines. Then set your washer so it will spin. Let it spin once to discharge as much water as you can. Then empty both gallons of rv anti freeze in to the tub. Set it to spin again and let it spin through a cycle. Then just put it away and forget it. When you put it back in use, let the tub fill (no clothes, full load) with warm water, and run it through a cycle all the way through a spin. The anti freeze is ok for your septic, and the water only cycle will clear the washer so you may use it.

[kjinpb]

My issue is my washer is in storage in San Diego already and I have no way to connect it to power. I'll be picking it up from storage, putting it in the moving truck, driving to Montana, dropping it off in storage till I close on my house. Can I just pour some into the tub and some into the drain? This is the only time I can go get everything as I'm starting a new job and can't get time off to move. I have to move before I start.

[Randyj]

Until recently I had to winterize my washing machine every time the weather was going to be below freezing (It's on the front porch... I just enclosed part of it). Got plenty of experience... If it's not too much trouble for you... do as recommended above and find an extension cord to plug that dude up somewhere along the way... or be prepared to buy a water pump when that one freezes and bursts. You might get lucky enough to get antifreeze to run backwards thru the pump. I rigged a spigot on a 5 gal plastic container which I use for boats & my washing machine to run antifreeze thru all of them as well as my waverunners.

[master plumber mark]

couldent you just pour a gallon or two

down into the machine and a gallon down

back through the drain hose...????

blowing on the water hoses ought to be enough

to get the water out of the control

but I suppose you could try to pour some in there too

through the hoses

[vaplumber]

Look at the back of machine. IF drain hose exits cabinet at the bottom rear of the machine, stretch it out and lay it flat on the ground. Pour 2 gallon jugs of rv anti freeze into the tub and watch for it to trickle out the drain hose. If the drain hose exits at the top rear of the cabinet pout about a quart into the hose with it extended all the way to the sky, and pour the rest into the tub. For the fill valve, remove both hot and cold hoses and use a pocket knife to pry the screens out of the valve fittings. Store the hoses and screens in the tub and dont worry about it. Even if the fill valve freezes its open where you removed the hoses and its open to the tub on the other side. If it freezes the expanding water does have somewhere to go so nothing will bust.

[TruthfulLies]

Winterizing a washing machine is all-important to assure it from amplification accident acquired by freezing water. This is a simple action which doesn't booty continued and costs actual little. By accomplishing so, your apparatus will survive the winter by artifice the ability of ice expansion.

Abstract the baptize basin hoses from your abrasion apparatus and cesspool them. Blow air through the hoses to abolish baptize from the curve and the ample valve.
Set the machine's controls to "Fill" and "Wash Warm." Acquiesce the apparatus to run for a few abnormal to bright the baptize valve.

Set the abrasion apparatus to "Spin" and acquiesce it to complete the cycle. This will bright alike added baptize from the baptize valve.

Pour both gallons of the RV antifreeze into the washer's tub.

Store the hoses in the tub of the abrasion machine, and abstract the ability supply.

Clean the alfresco surfaces of the abrasion machine. Then use apparatus brightness to assure the finish.

Reconnect the abrasion machine's hoses and ability supply. Ample the tub with balmy baptize and run the apparatus through a complete ablution and circuit aeon to bathe the antifreeze.

[TJanak]

That's what I do.

[hj]

I thing "truthfullies" is married to LemonPlumber, or was educated in the same school system. The valve bodies do NOT retain water so just unfasten the hoses from them. Pouring anitfreeze into the tub or down the hoses, depends on it being able to "mix" with or displace, the retained water, not just lay on top of it.

[jacobsond]

Pouring the RV antifreeze in is a good practice. Did you guys know that all washers are water tested at the factory and have water in the pump when new. That means up here in the frozen tundra of ND it is normal to deliver a new washer with a frozen pump in the winter time. Even if the product came out of the warm store by the time you get it home the pump is likely to be frozen. We do get the occasional water valve cracked and the very rare pump cracked but not a big issue.So try to get some of the water out of the fill hoses and drain hose. Pour some RV antifreeze in and be done with it.

[DonL]

I would just turn it Upside Down, and let it Drain the H2O.

Save the Antifreeze for the Automobile...