How do you know if your washing machine is heating the water?

Question

My washing machine is connected to both hot and cold taps under the sink.
When I checked the water that goes into the detergent draw it was cold.
So I presume it heats the water up itself.

But how do I know if its heating the water up and not just washing my clothes in cold water?

I aslo have a manky smell coming from it, I got a cleaning kit, that didnt work, and have tried doing a wash on full temp but the smell doesnt seem to be shifting

Any ideas?

Thanks

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Most washing machines indeed heat up the water. Modern ones do not even connect to the hot water. The machine cannot rely on the hot water being hot, to get correct temperature, and most tap water is not hot enough for a 60 or 90deg-wash.

They will also fill from the cold if the hot is not available.

To check if it is heating; put it on a 90 deg. wash and feel temperature of the door- you should be able to feel it.

Most machines smell when the drain becomes clogged, and they do not empty properly.
Check the connection for obstructions.

Source(s):

experience and knowledge.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks I stopped the wash when the drum was full and the water was warm.

Just need to sort the smell now.

Answer 2

I have never heard of a washing machine doing more than washing and I don't think that the machine heats up any water. Maybe you have a different type of machine but from my experience if the water is cold when it goes into the machine, it pretty much stays cold. Have you checked and made sure that the hot and cold lines are switched? Try bleaching your machine. If that doesn't work, than maybe something like a mouse died behind the machine. Its worth checking out anyway.

Answer 3

Hello,
More than likely the hot and cold connections are backwards.
The smell may be that the drain hose is stuck in the standpipe too far. The hose should only hook into the drain or laundry sink.

Answer 4

Washing machines do not heat the water. I am guessing that when you felt the water, it was still coming in from water sitting in the hose. If the smell is from inside the washer, try running it empty with a couple cups of vinegar in the water.

Answer 5

Washing machines do not heat water. If you specify warm wash water, it will cycle between cold and hot water to produce warm water. If you specify hot, it will only fill with hot water, and little cold water. My washer always starts with cold water, even if warm or hot is specified. Hold your hand under the water as it fills up, you can feel the difference when it switches.

Answer 6

These people who say machine does not heat water are wrong. We have a "y" connector on ours which means it takes in cold water through both connectors. The water still gets hot.
The answer about feeling the door is a good one. Sometimes you can turn off the hot feed and then check to see if drum gets warm. Its quite possible that the heater has failed and the combined hot and cold intake is not giving you a hot wash. Also the detergent drawer can get really horrible - see if you can get it out and give it a good scrub.