Frozen washing machine

[jessmarimba]

So it seems the cold snap claimed my washer as a victim. My utility room isn't insulated and there is a large wet spot on the plywood floor originating from under the washer. Since it isn't spreading (and didn't soak the adjacent bathroom wall) I'm pretty sure it wasn't a pipe burst. Anyone know if this can be fixed? Is it worth fixing? And once I fix it or buy a new washer, how do I keep it from happening again? I don't think that room can be insulated without tearing it down and completely starting over (once upon a time it was a patio, I think).

[Mr. Bloom]

I wouldn't assume the worst. Could be as simple as a busted hose/tubing within the washer; same issue as a busted pipe...just without the constant flow.

Solution? Can a space heater be safely used in cold periods? Can some type of insulation be sprayed into the walls with minimal collateral damage?

Do you have a picture of the space?

[indysteel]

I had this issue in my old house and ultimately had leaks in both the hot and cold water pipes to the washer. If I remember correctly, my plumber replaced the original copper pipes with PVC pipes that could handle a bit of expansion with they froze during really bad cold spells. Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could do to provide better insulation in the first place, but at least the PVC pipes didn't leak or break during cold spells. I just had to accept that I'd have frozen pipes now and again.

[jessmarimba]

Haha Muirenn, there is no "they" in this equation :) But I guess I could poke holes in the drywall at the top and learn how to do drywall repair in the room where it doesn't really matter how bad it looks!

Here is the room:
12650

The wall to your right is asbestos siding, as it was once the outside of the house. The floor is plywood over concrete (I think) but I have a pile of vinyl composition tile to put in when it's warmer out there. The green monstrosity is the linen closet accessible through the old bathroom window. I'm not sure the walls actually meet the ground on the left, but there's baseboard up so it's hard to tell.

I'm guessing this has happened before, judging by the condition of the floor in that corner!

[PamNY]

I wouldn't think a washing machine would be ruined by cold. There shouldn't be enough water left in there to cause much damage. It's probably just a hose or tube that burst.

I have to drain my Asko to clean the pump, and there's some water, but not much.

My mom had a similar utility room problem, and she used a space heater during cold spells.

[jessmarimba]

Wouldn't a busted hose inside the washer ruin the motor anyway, though? I will probably just get a new (or new-used) one. (Edit - I only paid $200 for the washer/dryer set, so paying labor costs to fix it is more than it's worth)

The space heater couldn't counter -20 degrees outside. It can marginally heat uninsulated spaces but not bring the temps up 50 degrees. I'm going to have to do something different next year. From googling, you can apparently "winterize" washers by running windshield wiper fluid or RV antifreeze through them. Something to keep in mind.

[PamNY]

The water that's left after the wash cycle would flow to the lowest level, which might be below the motor.

Yikes! Twenty below is a challenge. Good luck with winterizing -- however you do it.

[jessmarimba]

Woohoo!! http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Home-Repair/Appliance-Repair/how-to-repair-a-leaking-washing-machine/Step-By-Step

It's a start.

Muirenn, how do you do the dropped ceiling? I'll probably try to add insulation to the walls in the summer. This room isn't heated and currently can't be sealed off from the house, so it's destroying my utility bills when it gets below, say, 30 outside.

[marni]

can I add a caveat that you should be very cautious of the asbestos siding and anything you do around it. Does the term mesothelioma sound familiar? If you do anything to that wall, wear protective clothing, a respirator or better yet get a professional to do it. As for the rest of it. good luck. Could you rig a door or slab of plywood to at least cut off the air flow between this room and the house. It wouldn't be pernanently sealed off but it might help with the temperature differential.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks guys :)

Marni, it's cool, I'm actually a licensed asbestos inspector. If I get any sort of respiratory illness it'll be from something scarier than the siding :)

[Mr. Bloom]

Is this the cyber equivalent of an Amish Barn Raising?:D

[jessmarimba]

Ok - random update here - still not sure what caused the gigantic puddle to form but the cabinet is completely disassembled (after 4 hours, 2 beers, and a crowbar)...

I also had to rip the sopping wet drywall off of the little box/cover built over the plumbing to make sure the pipes didn't actually burst. Well, taking off the drywall gave me my one and only glimpse at what the addition on the house looked at pre-asbestos siding: BRIGHT TURQUOISE tongue-and-groove siding (in perfect condition) and 1922 newspaper for insulation!!

Sorry, as a history buff, that completely makes up for all of the cursing and swearing so far today :) I'm practically giddy about it and I keep going back downstairs to look again.

[crazycanuck]

Jess, what juicy news did you find in the papers from 1922??? Coool...

[Mr. Bloom]

Every cloud has a silver lining! Awesome!

[PscyclePath]

Jess:

Check the hoses and their connections first. I had the same problem early last week with the washer draining onto the washroom floor and then running out into the carport. Thought I was going to have a pretty big job on my hands, but when I started tracing the lines, I found my 81-y/o mother had pulled one of the drain lines loose for some reason. Turned out to be a 20-second fix, thank God...

[jessmarimba]

Sheila - haven't pulled up the current plywood floor yet, but it looks like it is framed underneath (and not concrete like it appears from outside the house). I'll get to that this afternoon.

I'm probably not messing with the wall behind the appliances, since asbestos siding over wood siding over wood panels (whatever the 1920 equivalent of plywood was) stuffed with newspaper is probably as insulated as that is going to get without mold issues. I'll cover the plumbing back with plywood and add a little insulation under that and probably do blown-in insulation on the exterior walls this summer.

And the only article I can read is on a celebration of St. Louis's 100-year anniversary (it was incorporated in 1822). :)

[OakLeaf]

the only article I can read is on a celebration of St. Louis's 100-year anniversary (it was incorporated in 1822). :)

How very cool! That's a great silver lining. :)

[jessmarimba]

New update:

I believe this room to be an unpermitted addition. Based on the fact that A) I know building permits exist for this property back to at least 1914, and I have copies of all of them and B) the construction is beyond awful.

Half of the exterior walls have no foundation - I can stick a prybar through to the outside under the walls. If I can solve that problem, I plan to just lay in a brick floor over sand. Otherwise...I have no idea what's next. At least I know where the rot came from in the corner opposite the washer.