Tips on storing a washer and dryer long-term?

[thatwasherguy]

Hi! As you may already know, I have a 1978 Maytag A-208 that I recently restored. I’ve used it for about 30 cycles or so, and it works beautifully. I also have the matching DE-408 dryer that I’m almost done restoring. I have one problem, however. I don’t have room to keep them at my house at the moment. They will have to sit in a storage unit for an extended period of time until I get room for them. Apart from fully draining the machine, and removing the springs from the motor carriage, is there anything else I should do for the washer, such as filling it with a little antifreeze? Also, is there anything I should do other than filling it with hot water and letting it soak for a while when I take it out of storage? For the dryer, is it necessary to do anything except remove the belt to store it? Is there anything special I should do when I put it back in service?
Thanks,
Thatwasherguy.

 

[maytag85]

There isn’t much I can think of but someone else might know about storing appliances long term. If you were storing a Maytag Halo Of Heat dryer long term, I’d advise to remove the belts so they wouldn’t develop flat spots since if you were to use it the next time you plugged it in and turned it on, it would make a clunk-clunk-clunk thump-thump-thump sound since there would be flat spots on the belts.

 

[combo52]

Storing W&Ds

You don't need to do anything except removing all water from the machine if it will be exposed to freezing temperatures.

 

The main thing you need to worry about is humidity, a lot of storage places are not humidity controlled.

 

There is certainly no reason to remove belts and springs from the motor carriage etc, where did you ever come up with that ?

 

John L.

 

[qsd-dan]

"There is certainly no reason to remove belts and springs from the motor carriage etc, where did you ever come up with that?"

Acquired machines in my collection sat a few years and the belts were stuck to the pulleys with flat spots. 2 washers (1972 A806 and 1964 A702) had a stuck brake package. It does happen.

 

[turquoisedude]

As a victim of rodent damage to machines that I have stored, I'd strongly recommend that you douse a cotton balls in peppermint oil and place a few in the cabinets as well as in the tub/drum of the machine to be stored.  I did this when I put my 51 Frigidaire Filtrator and 66 Inglis dryers into deep storage.  Neither seem to have been invaded, fortunately.