Washing machine in the garage

lucypilates

I’m after ideas that might make it possible & safe to have a washing machine in a garage.

 it’sa new house (to me) so I don’t really know if the garage tends to freeze in winter or not.  Its already got plumbing in there for a washing machine though I don’t think they actually used it for that. 

The space in the kitchen is really really tight  - tho not impossible as their old one is still in situ - but literally 2-3mm either side - I’m not even sure how i’m going to get the old one out!!

I’m just thinking about viable options ... is there a way to insulate pipes or the machine to make keeping it in the garage a possibility?

 Thanks for any insights/advice.

Hasbeen

2-3mm per side is ample to pull existing one out after disconnecting water supply and drainage hoses.

Open door and pull out from top inside drum.

Is the garage attached? insulated? If already existing supply then doubt it will freeze.

 

coffeehound

What is the floor like?  The thought of dropping clean washing onto a garage floor is displeasing

lucypilates

The floor is concrete but I’d use a washing basket to transport the washing ..

lucypilates

Hasbeen said:

2-3mm per side is ample to pull existing one out after disconnecting water supply and drainage hoses.

Open door and pull out from top inside drum.

Is the garage attached? insulated? If already existing supply then doubt it will freeze.

 

Hi

 yes it’s attached but not insulated as far as I know. Built in 2002.

 Wondering how I can disconnect water supply and drainage before pulling out machine from space as it’s in the middle of a run of units .. ? 

I’ll try and put something under the feet to stop it dragging but very little space between work surface and machine too - honestly i can’t believe they even managed to grt it into that tight space??! But I’ll give it a go!! 

neilmcl

lucypilates said:

Hasbeen said:

2-3mm per side is ample to pull existing one out after disconnecting water supply and drainage hoses.

Open door and pull out from top inside drum.

Is the garage attached? insulated? If already existing supply then doubt it will freeze.

 

Hi

 yes it’s attached but not insulated as far as I know. Built in 2002.

 Wondering how I can disconnect water supply and drainage before pulling out machine from space as it’s in the middle of a run of units .. ? 

I’ll try and put something under the feet to stop it dragging but very little space between work surface and machine too - honestly i can’t believe they even managed to grt it into that tight space??! But I’ll give it a go!! 

If the connection and drainage is directly behind the machine then there should be enough slack for you to completely pull out the machine to get behind it and disconnect.

cannugec5

My washing machine is in the garage, and always has been. It is a concrete floor, but I have a little rug by the machine. I always use a linen basket, but if any laundry accidentally drops it only lands on the rug. 

The garage has never frozen - but then my boiler is housed in there too! 

The space in the kitchen, that could house a washing machine is now used for a dishwasher. 

getmore4less

Freezer, washer and heat pump dryer in the attached garage on the house wall. 


Does have insulation in the ceiling but single skin walls and gap under the up and overs.


Gets really cold(not had a beer freeze) but we have used all winter for over 20years without issues.



For the floor we got a cheap offcut of sheet vinyl  that runs from the house door to the outside door on the same side past both appliances

if I did not use it for garden stuff as well might have considered carpet/rug 


The vinyl just needs a sweep and the occasional wet mop 

Le_Kirk

lucypilates said:

Hasbeen said:

2-3mm per side is ample to pull existing one out after disconnecting water supply and drainage hoses.

Open door and pull out from top inside drum.

Is the garage attached? insulated? If already existing supply then doubt it will freeze.

Hi

 yes it’s attached but not insulated as far as I know. Built in 2002.

 Wondering how I can disconnect water supply and drainage before pulling out machine from space as it’s in the middle of a run of units .. ? 

I’ll try and put something under the feet to stop it dragging but very little space between work surface and machine too - honestly i can’t believe they even managed to get it into that tight space??! But I’ll give it a go!! 

I keep a spare piece of carpet for just this purpose, placed upside down on the floor, lift the front of the WM and slide carpet under the front castors and, as you pull the machine out, keep lifting the front of the machine and slide the carpet all the way under.  Works on any shiny surface.

lucypilates

Mickey666 said:

lucypilates said:

I’m after ideas that might make it possible & safe to have a washing machine in a garage.

 it’sa new house (to me) so I don’t really know if the garage tends to freeze in winter or not.  Its already got plumbing in there for a washing machine though I don’t think they actually used it for that. 

The space in the kitchen is really really tight  - tho not impossible as their old one is still in situ - but literally 2-3mm either side - I’m not even sure how i’m going to get the old one out!!

I’m just thinking about viable options ... is there a way to insulate pipes or the machine to make keeping it in the garage a possibility?

 Thanks for any insights/advice.

Whereabouts in the country are you and do you regularly get freezing temperatures?  I'g guess that a garage in the north of Scotland is more likely to have freezing problems than one in Cornwall.   Even so, it should be a manageable problem.


The first clue is the existing plumbing, suggesting that winter freezing is not a big issue.  If you only get freezing temperatures for short periods each year then a simple plug-in electric radiator or fan heater with a thermostat set to about 5C will keep the garage space frost free.  A small price to pay for the year-long convenience of not having to use the kitchen as a laundry.

Pipes are easily insulated with foam wrapping, cheaply available at any plumbing merchant or DIY 'shed' and probably worth doing.  But don't forget that insulation CANNOT make anything warm.  All it can do is SLOW DOWN the rate at which heat is lost.  Imagine putting something in your -18C freezer . . . no amount of insulation will prevent that something from cooling down to -18C eventually.

The key word there is 'eventually'.  In the garage context, it will likely be above freezing during the day, so not problem, but when the night temperatures drop below freezing the job of insulation is to slow down the temperature drop inside the garage so that by the time morning temperatures begin to rise again, the inside temperature of the garage hadn't fallen to freezing.

Anyway, bit of a ramble and probably too much information.

1 - I would just do it for the year-long convenience it will give you. 
2 - Get a max/min thermometer so you can monitor the inside temperatures of the garage throughout the year - preferably one that can record inside and outside temperatures so you can see how much warmer the inside of the garage is in winter.
3 - be prepared to use some form of temporary heater inside the garage during really cold spells of weather.  You only need to maintain around 5C so this won't cost very much in the garnd scheme of things.
4 - enjoy your new 'laundry' room

Thank you so much for this info - I love the over-explanation as actually considering how the insulation slows down rate of heat-loss really helps me understand how I should manage it!

I think I will do all you suggest and use the old washing machine space to put the cat food down!! They'll be thrilled to have their own feeding station lol

Thanks again

lucypilates

Le_Kirk said:

I keep a spare piece of carpet for just this purpose, placed upside down on the floor, lift the front of the WM and slide carpet under the front castors and, as you pull the machine out, keep lifting the front of the machine and slide the carpet all the way under.  Works on any shiny surface.

Great suggestion - thanks - i actually have such pieces of carpet in the boot of my car for the very very very unlikely event that i get caught in snow ... i've never used those bits of carpet yet but i will now