Check that your washing machine's hoses and residual water are drained before a cold snap

Which water should you drain before a cold snap?

LG says water left inside the machine can freeze in cold weather and stop it from working, so drain it before it gets cold. The steps in its front-load washer guidance are:

1. Turn off the faucet first, disconnect the supply hose, and lower the hose so the water runs out.
2. Open the service cover at the bottom, open the cap on the residual-water hose and drain it completely. Then close the cap and the cover.
3. Point the drain hose downward to empty it, and keep it free of kinks and bends.

If water is pooled in the drain hose, LG says to detach it from the drain and keep it low. If the machine sits outdoors, move it somewhere warm in winter or shield it from outside air.

LG notes that this page is shared content, so images or details may differ from the model you bought. The service cover location can vary by model, so read it alongside your manual.

Can you skip draining if the machine has a freeze-protection mode?

Samsung's newsroom describes the freeze-protection mode on the Bespoke Grande AI. The washer repeatedly supplies and drains water for 16 hours to circulate water inside. If the mode needs to run in a cold snap, the SmartThings app sends an advance alert and shows a freeze guide.

That is a news article from January 11, 2023, and it covers the Bespoke Grande AI. It does not say the mode replaces draining, and it does not say other models have the same mode. Check your manual or the manufacturer's service line to see whether your washer has freeze protection.

How do you thaw a machine that has already frozen?

The steps below come from LG's WashTower page. That page does not say whether other washer models follow the same steps.

This follows LG's WashTower freeze guidance, checked October 25, 2026.

For an FF-type display, open the service cover after waiting and drain the residual water through its cap. If no water comes out, wait longer. If water does come out, turn the power on and run one rinse cycle to confirm it works. If nothing comes out after 2 hours, pour in a little more warm water, wait at least another hour, and try up to two rounds. If that fails, have it serviced.

If IE appears and the faucet gives no water either, wrap the faucet in a towel soaked in hot water for about 5 minutes. Soak the detached supply hose in water at 50°C or below, reconnect it and confirm with one rinse cycle.

Never use boiling water. If the machine is built in and you cannot see the hoses, or an outdoor machine has sat below freezing for a long time, LG says not to force it and to call a service technician. LG's customer center is 1544-7777.

Will thawing the washer fix a frozen water meter?

Thawing the washer may not fix it. If water does not come out of the faucet even with the supply hose removed, the problem is the water supply, not the washer, and the meter and pipes need their own check. Seoul's guidance says to wrap the meter box in insulation and to replace wet or damaged insulation with new insulation that stays dry. It also says to let a bathtub faucet run slightly when the cold lasts two days or more, at night or when you are out.

If a meter has already frozen, do not use a torch or hair dryer; they risk fire and damage to the meter. Seoul says to thaw around the meter and pipes evenly with a 50-60°C warm towel. If water suddenly stops and the meter glass is cracked or bulging, report it to the Dasan Call Center at 120 or your local waterworks office.

This is Seoul guidance from a page published in 2016 and revised in 2018. Outside Seoul, check your local waterworks office notices first. Checked October 25, 2026.