Winter is here, which means colder weather, which means all kinds of winter weather issues to deal with. But it’s not only snow and ice in the driveway or drafty spots in the house you need to watch for! Did you know cold weather can affect your washer and dryer? This is especially true when these appliances are located in a garage or basement. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure your washer and dryer stay protected and work properly throughout the winter.
Your washing machine is all about water, which makes it particularly vulnerable to colder temperatures. Washer have a hose that fills the tub of the machine and a pump that drains all the water away when the wash is done, so if your washing machine is placed in a garage or basement next to an outside facing wall, you may come down one day to find ice in the hose and pump! And ice forming in the hose and pump can lead to the water intake valve breaking, which can result in flooding when the weather warms up again! This is preventable, though; you just need to insulate the hose of the washing machine with some pipe insulation and only connect water lines when you’re doing a load of laundry.
Your dryer doesn’t have water going in and out of it, so how could it be affected by cold weather? If your dryer is vented, then your clothes are being dried via hot air, and that hot air is vented once the dryer is done with it. But what happens with hot air in winter temperatures? This warm, moist air can cause condensation on cooler surfaces every time you use the dryer. So, if your dryer is vented, ensure that your dryer vents lead outside!
Also, keep in mind that winter clothing is much heavier than the clothing worn during the rest of the year, which involves much more fabric going through your dryer. More clothing at a time is worn in winter as well, so there’s more laundry. Both of these things mean you’ll have tons more lint in your dryer than usual, so cleaning out the lint trap is a must. Being sure your dryer vents have been professionally cleaned out is also a must for the winter months!
You don’t have to let cold weather wreak havoc with your appliances. Take a minute to prepare before winter actually hits and you’ll avoid any unpleasant situations!
We’re the experts for professional dryer vent cleaning and repair in Chester and Delaware counties! Give us a call so Dryer Vent Wizard can help you save energy, time, and money. We service all areas in Chester and Delaware counties.