Stored used refrigerator & dishwasher

Question

I have a Viking counter depth refrigerator & a Fisher Paykel double dish drawer dishwasher. We have used them both since 2007, we had storm damage to our home & they both sat unplugged for over 9 months. Are they still going to work properly after being unplugged for that amount of time? We are worried about the cooling tubes in the walls of the refrigerator & if sediment from the water lines will affect the function of the frig. The refrigerator is about 14 years old, if not older. The dishwasher is about the same age. We have a lot of minerals in the water and are worried the sediment may affect the tubing inside the dish drawers. We are thinking we need new appliances

Ed Beal · Answer

With flood waters I would be concerned about bacteria that was in the water, a good cleaning they both may be fine. Since it has been months water that got into the motor may have dried out the only way to know for sure is to use a meter called a megger (a high voltage ohm meter) checking the motor leads to ground. If this values is above ~15 mega ohms at 500v it would be safe to plug it in. Over my career I have flushed many motors and dried them out and they worked fine, many totally enclosed motors I open the case if no water comes out they are probably good to go (I do normally check with a megger) but on small ones many times just plug them in if dry. I would be more concerned with bacteria than the motors as cleaning interior enclosed areas is just about impossible.

Answered by Ed Beal on April 25, 2021

Stored used refrigerator & dishwasher

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