Hard freezes aren't an everyday concern in San Antonio, which is exactly why they catch people off guard. The February 2021 winter storm brought days of below-freezing temperatures and long power outages, and many homes discovered that their laundry, their garage freezer or their refrigerator's water line had never been set up for cold weather.
Most of the appliance damage from a freeze comes from water trapped where it can freeze and expand. The rest comes from power loss and restoration. This guide covers what to do when a hard freeze is forecast, and what to check before you start using everything again.
Which appliances are at risk
- •Washers in garages or on exterior walls. Water sits in the inlet valve, the hoses and the drain pump after every cycle. When it freezes, it can crack the valve, split a hose, or damage the pump housing.
- •Refrigerator water lines that run through an exterior wall or an unheated space, and the refrigerator's own water valve if the kitchen gets very cold during an outage.
- •Dishwasher supply lines on an exterior wall.
- •Garage refrigerators and freezers. Many single-compressor refrigerators don't run the freezer properly in a cold garage, and food can thaw even though it's cold outside.
- •Outdoor kitchens and ice makers on patios.
Before a hard freeze
The washer
If your washer is in the garage or a laundry room that gets cold, a little preparation prevents the most expensive freeze damage.
- Turn off both water supply valves behind the washer.
- Run a short drain-and-spin cycle to remove as much water as possible from the tub and pump.
- Unplug the washer.
- Disconnect the fill hoses from the valves on the wall and let them drain into a bucket, then drain the hoses themselves. Leave them off or reconnect them loosely only after the freeze.
- Lower the drain hose into a bucket to let remaining water run out, if your model allows it. Front-loaders with a drain filter can also be drained there, as described in your manual.
Some manuals include a specific winterizing procedure, occasionally involving RV antifreeze. Follow the manual for your model if it has one.
The refrigerator water line
If the line to your refrigerator runs through an exterior wall or the garage, turn off its shutoff valve before a freeze and leave the ice maker switched off. Keeping cabinet doors open under sinks on exterior walls lets warm air reach those pipes too.
Garage refrigerators and freezers
If the unit isn't rated for low ambient temperatures, consider moving the most valuable food indoors for the duration of the freeze. Keep the freezer full and the door closed. We explain why cold is a problem for many refrigerators in our garage refrigerator guide.
Plan for power loss
Power often comes back with flickers and surges, which is hard on electronic controls. If an outage looks likely, you can unplug appliances you won't need, such as the washer, dryer, dishwasher and microwave, and plug them back in once power has been steady for a while. Leave the refrigerator and freezer connected, or reconnect them as soon as power is stable, and keep their doors closed.
During an outage: food safety
According to USDA guidance, a refrigerator keeps food safely cold for about four hours if the door stays closed. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, and a half-full one for about 24. Don't put food outside in the cold unless you can keep it out of the sun and away from animals, and remember that temperatures outdoors swing a lot during the day. An appliance thermometer tells you where you stand when power returns.
After the thaw: check before you use
Frozen water lines often don't leak until the ice melts and pressure returns. Check before you run anything.
Washer
- Reconnect or inspect the hoses and look for splits or bulges. Replace any that look damaged.
- Turn the water on slowly, with the washer still unplugged, and watch the valves and hose connections for drips for a few minutes.
- Plug in and run a short rinse cycle while you watch. Look under the machine for water and listen for unusual pump noise.
- If water drips from inside the cabinet or the washer won't fill, turn the water off again. The inlet valve may be cracked. That needs a replacement valve.
Refrigerator and ice maker
- •Turn the water line on slowly and check the connection behind the refrigerator and at the shutoff for drips.
- •Check for water on the floor over the next day, and look inside the lower rear of the refrigerator.
- •Discard the first batches of ice and run a few glasses of water through the dispenser.
- •If the ice maker doesn't fill, the fill tube may still be frozen or the water valve may be damaged. Give it a day in normal temperatures before assuming the worst.
Dishwasher
Open the kick plate at the bottom and look for water after the first cycle. Check under the sink too.
Gas appliances
If gas service to your home was shut off, don't try to restore it yourself. Follow CPS Energy's instructions, and remember that appliances with pilot lights may need relighting. Once gas and power are back, try each burner and check that it lights normally with a mostly blue flame. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house and call CPS Energy's gas emergency line or 911 from outside.
Anything electronic
If an appliance doesn't power up after the outage, check the breaker and GFCI outlets first. If those are fine and the display is dead or shows an error, the control board may have been damaged by a power surge.
When to call a technician
Call for service if:
- •Water leaks from inside a washer, dishwasher or refrigerator after the thaw.
- •The washer won't fill or drain after a freeze.
- •The ice maker still doesn't fill a day after temperatures return to normal.
- •An appliance won't power up with a good breaker and outlet.
- •A garage refrigerator or freezer isn't holding temperature once the weather warms up.
On washers, a cracked water inlet valve is a typical freeze failure, and it's a replaceable part. Our washer repair and refrigerator repair pages explain what's involved, and we cover San Antonio and nearby communities such as Schertz and Cibolo, where the laundry often sits in the garage.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a hair dryer to thaw a frozen washer?
Gentle warmth from a hair dryer on low, kept moving and away from water, is safer than a heat gun or flame. The safest option is to raise the room temperature and let it thaw on its own. Never use an open flame.
Can I refreeze food from the freezer after the power comes back?
According to USDA guidance, food that still contains ice crystals, or has stayed at 40 °F or below, can be refrozen, although some quality may be lost. Anything that has been above 40 °F for more than two hours should be thrown out.
Should I leave faucets dripping?
That's a plumbing question more than an appliance one, but many homeowners do it on exterior walls during a hard freeze. It doesn't protect the water trapped inside an appliance, which needs the steps above.