From roughly June through September, the air around here is thick. Hot afternoons, muggy nights and a thunderstorm every few days are just part of a Mid-Atlantic summer. People notice it on themselves. Appliances notice it too, and several of the calls we get each summer trace back not to a broken part but to heat and moisture the machine wasn't designed to handle.
Here's what's actually going on with each appliance, followed by a checklist you can work through as the season goes.
Why humidity matters to machines
Two things happen in humid heat.
First, any appliance that removes heat, such as a refrigerator, freezer or wine cooler, has to dump that heat into air that's already warm. The hotter the room, the longer the compressor runs.
Second, humid air carries a lot of water. When it touches something cold, like a freezer coil or the edge of a refrigerator door, that water condenses as droplets or frost. When it lingers in something damp and closed, like a front-load washer, it feeds mildew.
Refrigerators
Sweating on the outside
Beads of water along the door edges or on the cabinet front are a common summer complaint. The steel around the door opening stays cool, and humid air condenses on it.
Many refrigerators have small heaters around the door opening to prevent exactly this. Some let you switch them off with a setting labeled "energy saver," "power saver" or similar. If yours has one and it's on, switching it off in humid weather often stops the sweating. If sweating is heavy, check the door gaskets for gaps, since a gasket leak makes it worse.
Moisture inside
Water pooling in the crisper, or frost in the freezer section of a frost-free fridge, often means humid air is getting in: from frequent opening, a door left ajar, or a gasket not sealing. Keep door opening brief when the kitchen is hot. If water collects under the crisper drawers, the defrost drain may be clogged.
Working harder
A refrigerator on a hot day runs longer and may feel warm on the sides, where some models run condenser tubing. That's normal. Help it by vacuuming the condenser coils, keeping the grille clear, and leaving the space around it open. If it can't keep food at 40°F or below, see our guide to a refrigerator that isn't cooling.
Freezers and ice makers
Every time a chest freezer lid opens, humid air falls in and turns to frost. By late summer, a freezer that was clean in May may carry a thick layer, which reduces its capacity and efficiency. Defrost it when frost passes about a quarter inch.
Ice makers get more demand in summer, and some owners notice slower production. Check that the freezer is at 0°F and the water filter is current. Our freezer guide and ice maker guide go into more depth.
The garage refrigerator and freezer
A detached or attached garage in July can get very hot, and humid too. A spare refrigerator or chest freezer out there runs almost constantly and may struggle to keep up.
Look up your model's rated ambient temperature range. It's in the installation section of the manual. If the garage regularly exceeds it, expect the unit to fall behind on the hottest days, and consider moving it to a basement or a conditioned space. At minimum:
- •Keep it out of direct sun.
- •Give it plenty of clearance on all sides.
- •Clean the condenser coils before summer.
- •Keep an appliance thermometer inside and check it on hot days.
Washers
Front-loader odors
Front-loaders seal tightly and leave a little water in the door gasket and drum. In muggy weather, especially in a basement or closet laundry, that's where mildew starts.
- •Prop the door and the dispenser drawer ajar whenever the machine isn't running.
- •Wipe the gasket folds, including underneath.
- •Use HE detergent, measured carefully. Excess detergent leaves residue that mold can feed on.
- •Run the cleaning cycle monthly.
Top-loaders
Top-loaders are less prone to smell, but leaving the lid up after a wash helps too.
Hoses
Summer is a good time to look over the washer's fill hoses: any blister in the rubber, cracking, or corrosion where they thread on means replace them. Braided stainless hoses are sturdier than rubber.
Dryers
A dryer in a humid basement has to work harder, and a restricted vent makes that worse. Before peak summer:
- •Check the outside vent hood. The flap should open freely when the dryer runs, and nothing should be nesting in it. Birds sometimes build nests in vent hoods in spring.
- •Clean the lint screen every load.
- •If drying times have crept up, have the vent duct cleaned. See our article on dryers that won't heat.
Basements
Many homes in our area put the laundry, a second refrigerator or a freezer in the basement. Basements stay cooler in summer, which helps, but they can also get damp.
- •Run a dehumidifier if the basement feels clammy or smells musty.
- •Keep appliances off wet floors. Rust on the base of a washer or freezer means moisture is getting to it.
- •If a sump pump protects the space, test it before storm season.
Thunderstorms and outages
Summer storms regularly cause outages. Have a plan: appliance thermometers in the fridge and freezer, a cooler handy, and knowledge of the FoodSafety.gov times (about 4 hours for a closed fridge, 48 for a full freezer, 24 for a half-full one). Our power outage guide covers what to do during and after.
A season-long checklist
Late spring (May) - Vacuum refrigerator and freezer condenser coils. - Check the dryer's outside vent flap. - Inspect washer hoses. - Test the sump pump. - Put thermometers in the fridge and freezer.
Early summer (June) - Check garage units against their rated ambient range. - If the refrigerator sweats, switch off its "energy saver" setting (if it has one) so the door heaters run. - Start leaving the front-loader door open between loads, if you don't already.
Midsummer (July and August) - Check freezer frost; defrost manual units as needed. - Watch refrigerator and freezer temperatures on the hottest days. - Run the washer's cleaning cycle.
Before vacation - Close the hot and cold valves feeding the washer. - Leave the refrigerator running but empty out perishables. - Turn off the ice maker if nobody will use the ice.
End of summer (September) - Defrost the chest freezer if needed. - Clean the dryer lint screen and check the vent. - Decide whether a struggling garage unit should move indoors before next year.
When the heat reveals a real problem
Heat rarely breaks a healthy appliance on its own. More often, it exposes a weak one. A refrigerator with a failing fan or a freezer with a leaking gasket often holds on through spring and then falls apart in July. If a unit still can't hold temperature after the checks above, book a repair visit or call. We'll look at it where it's installed and tell you what's wrong and what it would take, with the price agreed first.