People living in cold climates have to worry about their washers constantly. In the USA, the temperatures can drop to a staggering low, and it often feels like winter will never pass.
Sadly, washers also suffer some big problems during the winter season here. The most common problem of all is the freezing of water pipes and the washer tub.
Since many people have their laundry room in the garage, these problems are recurrent in winter. To solve this problem, you need to winterize your garage completely.
Here are the tools that you will need to winterize your garage:-
- Screws
- Insulation foam
- Heater
- Screwdriver or drill
Saving Washing Machine From Frost
Washing machines form an essential part of a household. Without a washing machine, you won’t be able to do laundry in freezing weather.
However, winters can also severely affect washing machines as their parts may freeze and become unusable. People who place their washers in the garage especially face this problem frequently.
If you are someone who wants to winterize their garage to avoid freezing their washer, you need to take a look at these solutions.
1. Secure Your Garage
First and foremost, secure your garage and ensure the cold winds don’t enter the room. To keep cold air at bay, properly secure all windows and doors.
You can even opt to bolt windows that are of no use, especially in winter. You can always remove the bolts when summer approaches.
Also, ensure your garage door is locked correctly and doesn’t allow cold winds to enter the room and freeze the machine. You can get the doors padded up if they are not helpful.
2. Insulate The Garage
Insulating the garage will be one of the best ways in which you can ensure that your washer stays as it is. When you have insulated the garage properly, the room will have warmer temperatures and keep the washing machine from freezing.
You can buy cheap insulation for water pipes at any hardware store. The first step would be to Insulate the drain pipes in the washer.
Next, you must ensure all doors and windows near the washer are insulated enough to keep it warm. With insulation, your washer won’t freeze even in the harshest weather.
3. Provide Indirect Heat
If your heater is not functional in the garage, you need to arrange for a small heater there. With the help of a heater, you can warm the air in the garage and prevent the washer from freezing.
This is another foolproof method of winterizing your garage. Buying a heater can be expensive but not as expensive as replacing a washer due to frost damage.
Even if your garage has central heating, ensure you turn up the heat even when not at home. This will allow the machine to observe consistent temperatures and protect pipes from freezing.
Can You Put A Washing Machine In An Unheated Garage?
Many people opt to put washing machines in an unheated garage. While it can be a good idea for people living in warm areas, it will be a disaster in winter for colder climates.
It is rather tempting to put a washer in a garage for convenience. Here it will remain out of the way and not take up precious space in the house.
However, you should not put a washing machine in an unheated garage. If you live in a place that experiences freezing temperatures, you need to insulate your garage before placing a washer.
If you place a washer in an unheated garage, your washer will freeze in the winter. The pipe and tube mag also burst or crack when the water solidifies and expands.
Does Cold Weather Affect Washing Machines?
Cold weather can affect a washer significantly. Cold weather can lead to water pipes and washer parts getting frozen. This, in turn, leads to the cracking or breaking of washer parts.
When the weather experiences freezing temperatures, the water inside the washing machine and the pipes freeze completely. When water freezes, it expands significantly.
This means there is a high chance of the solidified water expanding and damaging the part containing it. These damages can be challenging to repair or replace.
Cost Of Winterizing A Washer
| Task | Price |
| Insulating pipes of washer | $30 approx. |
| Insulating entire garage | $3000-90000 |
| Insulating doors and windows of the garage | $300-500 |
| Buying a space heater | $30-50 |
The exact cost of Winterizing a washer can vary depending on many factors. However, Insulating a washer can cost around 30 dollars for the pipe.
If you want to winterize the washer instead of the garage, you only have to pay a few dollars for the same. 10-foot-long pipe insulation will cost 30 dollars and will be more than enough to cover the pipe.
Winterizing a garage, however, is an expensive affair. Depending on your renovations, you will spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for the task.
If you are Insulating the entire room, depending on the area, you will be spending from 3000-9000 dollars in one go. Insulating parts of your garage, like doors and windows, will cost up to 1000 dollars depending on the total area covered.
Some people will prefer buying a space heater as it is cheaper than installing insulation for the entire garage. Depending on the brand and specifications, a space heater will cost between 30-50 dollars.
Final Remarks
It is necessary to winterize either your washer or your garage. If you keep a washer in an unheated garage, it will freeze in winter and cause damage to sensitive parts.
Here’s a quick recap of what I’ve talked about so far.
To winterize a garage, you will need to do the following tasks:-
- Insulate the washer and garage doors with windows.
- Tightly shut or bolt down windows and doors.
- Use a space heater to keep the garage warm.
My name is Rick Kinney and I am the founder of ExHandyman. I have worked as a handyman for many years, and fixing stuff is my greatest pleasure in life.