Closing the Cottage: How to Winterize Your Appliances

For a lot of families in Guelph, Kitchener and the rest of the region, mid-October means one last drive north to close the cottage. The dock comes in, the boat gets stored and the water gets shut off.

Appliances are easy to forget in the rush. An unheated cottage in an Ontario winter will freeze any water left inside them, and ice cracks valves, pumps and hoses. You find out in spring, when water ends up on the floor.

Here is how to winterize cottage appliances properly. Keep your owner's manuals handy, since many models have their own winterizing steps and those come first.

1. Shut Off the Water First

Turn off the water at the main valve, and switch off power to the pump if you have one. Open the taps to drain the lines. Cottage plumbing often needs blowing out as well, so if you are unsure how your system works, have a plumber handle that part.

2. Empty and Prop Open the Fridge

Unplug the fridge and take out all the food. Let the freezer defrost fully, then wash the inside with warm water and baking soda and dry every surface.

Leave both doors propped open a few centimetres. A closed, unplugged fridge will grow mould over the winter, leaving a smell that is hard to remove.

3. Drain the Ice Maker and Water Line

If the fridge has an ice maker or water dispenser, shut off its supply valve first. While the fridge is still plugged in, run the dispenser until nothing more comes out, then empty the ice bin.

Unplug the fridge, disconnect the supply line at the back and drain it into a bucket. Some models hold water in the filter housing, so your manual may say to remove the filter.

4. Winterize the Washing Machine

Washers hold water in the inlet valve, the drain pump and the hoses. With the taps off, disconnect the fill hoses and drain them into a bucket.

Many front loaders have a small drain hose or pump filter behind a panel at the bottom front for draining the last of the water. Several manufacturers also recommend pouring RV antifreeze (the non-toxic pink kind, never automotive antifreeze) into the drum and running a short spin or drain to push it into the pump. Follow your manual for the amount and steps.

Unplug the washer and leave the lid or door open. In the spring, run an empty cycle with detergent to flush it out.

5. Drain the Dishwasher

Switch off the dishwasher at the breaker and close its water supply valve. The inlet connection is usually behind the lower kick panel. Disconnect it, let the line drain into a shallow pan, and sponge out any water sitting in the bottom of the tub around the filter.

Some manuals suggest adding RV antifreeze to the tub as well. Leave the door slightly open.

6. Take Care of the Water Heater

Turn off the power to an electric water heater before draining it. An element that powers on in an empty tank burns out almost instantly. Turn off a gas or propane unit as the label on the tank describes, then drain it through the valve with a garden hose.

7. Mouse-proof the Stove and Kitchen

Mice move into cottages for the winter, nesting in appliance insulation and chewing wiring.

Clean the oven, stovetop and the drawer underneath so there are no crumbs. Clear food out of the cupboards. Unplug everything you can, and shut off the gas or propane supply to the range.

Time for a Better Cottage Appliance?

If the cottage fridge or washer struggled all summer, closing weekend is a good time to plan a replacement. Our used appliances in Guelph are a practical fit for a cottage, and we carry new and scratch and dent models too, with delivery available. Visit our Guelph head office at 6 Holliday Street or our Kitchener showroom at 20 Stewart Street.

If an appliance at the cottage has already been damaged by the cold, we also provide appliance repair in Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Call 519-824-8828 or visit alsappliance.ca.