Unfortunately, U.S. regulations on hot water use in washing machines requires makers to dilute the hot input with cold to meet regs. on total amount of energy use. On my Samsung the only truly hot wash is the sanitize cycle.

Lisa do you have a certified allergen cycle and certified sanitize?

Lisa, you can disable the chime. It's a option on the panel. See page 15 of the washer manual and page 14 of the electric dryer manual.

I do have a sanitize cycle but not an allergen cycle.

nerdyshopper, why would the Electrolux guy give me the impression that something is wrong if that was the case? He told me it should be 120 degrees. Ugh...any way you slice it or dice it, it's frustrating! Especially since the washing machine has an internal heater.

Oh no Cedric, this is not a chime, this is a chirp that is approximately once per second. Its similar to the noise that my old dryer made right before it needed service.

It sounds as if the washer does not have an onboard heater. If hot is defined as 120F that's hot tap water. 0n my machine that is defined as very warm. For most laundry it's fine. But for consistent whitening it may/may not be hot enough for your needs.

95F would not be considered hot, just warm.

Lisa is your sanitize certified for thermal disinfection?

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that nothing is wrong. I was just commenting that sometimes the temperature is less than what comes out of the tap because of regulations.

What cycle are you using with this unfortunate temp?

This is in the owners manual. There is an onboard heater and it's nsf certified for the sanitize cycle. So according to the Electrolux person I spoke to, hot is supposed to be 120 and this says that sanitize is supposed to be 152. I haven't stuck my thermometer into a sanitize wash. Based on this info...something must be wrong and I'm glad the man agreed. I can always add sanitize to the cycles if I want, but I do want a 120 degree hot like they said it should be. Service people will be here Monday.

enduring, I was using "whitest whites" cycle which has hot as the default setting. Sanitize can also be used instead in that cycle.

Nerdyshopper, I appreciate your input, everyone's input in fact. I didn't mean to sound unappreciative. I've been annoyed all day...the washer issue, the dryer and its chirping, the laundry sink faucet is leaking so I had to turn the water supply off, the wifi wasn't working, ugh!

I'm actually chuckling because not one person that I know would be sticking a thermometer into their washing machine! You've all rubbed off on me! Lol

I had a few Electrolux 70 Series Wave Touch dryers....so much older than your brand new model, and one dryer made that annoying chirp sound as well. It drove me crazy...you could hear something was wrong (slipping belt, pulley, something...). SORRY!

On my previous washer, an Electrolux made Frigidaire, the heater only engaged on Sanitary and when "Allergen" was selected as an option on the Heavy Duty cycle. Your heater, as strange as it sounds, is probably programmed not to heat on Whitest Whites. Given your starting water temp, low water volumes, lots of cold stainless and clothes, this could very well be your end temp result.

For the record, Thermoworks has infrared thermometers on sale frequently for quite a reasonable price. Perfect for checking the water temp. My highest registered was 90c on a 95c cycle. Lol

Interesting.....just stuck my thermometer in a "warm" cycle and it measured 88 degrees. That seems correct for a warm cycle. I'm going to do some experimenting today.

mamapinky, that is absolutely ridiculous! What's the point of having a heater? Is yours NSF certified?

aamassther, I'm currently using a candy thermometer! It has a two foot long wire which connects to the probe so I can stick the probe in, close the door (keeping as the heat in), and the digital part that shows the temp can sit on the floor. What is an infrared thermometer?

An infrared or laser thermometer reads the thermal radiation of the surface being measured and calculates the temperature based on whatever algorithms are involved in doing that. The trick with those is that if aimed at the door glass (as a way of measuring the temp without pausing the cycle and opening the door), they read the temperature of the glass surface moreso than the clothes and water in the tub.

Infrared, Laser, or Non-Contact Thermometers

I wouldn't necessarily be surprised at reading 95°F for the "hot" temp on the Whites cycle on a new frontloader (what soil level was selected?). Newer machines are getting more restrictive with temperature control except on designated Allergen or thermal Sanitize cycles. A 5-years-old Samsung (at the time) (with heater) that I refurbed for my sister a year ago produced 82°F to 85°F for Warm on the Normal cycle, and 92°F to 95°F for Hot. It filled with cold water to flush the detergent dispenser and saturate the load, then followed with a minute or less of hot flow for a warm fill. Hot flushed the detergent with cold, did some further cold fill, then more hot flow than the warm selection but still wasn't 100% hot flow for the entire fill.

I didn't try all the cycles. Delicates/Handwash or Wool (whichever it was) surprisingly provided a warmer warm than Normal. Heavy Duty filled with hot and may have used the heater but Light Soil level on it produced 112°F by end of the wash period. A higher soil level probably would accordingly heat more. Sanitary heated to 150°F.

88°F for warm isn't bad. Some new machines may restrict it to ~75°F on some cycles, which means warm would be an all-cold fill in some environments.

NSF Certification for sanitize is meaningless. Its only marketing. The only NSF cert that's specific for temp is Allergen,

The question for them then becomes which cycle engages the heater to 152F and is the heater, infact, working.

Interesting dadoes, I would've thought "hot" was "hot" no matter which cycle you choose. I see that's not the case, which makes NO sense to me. As a matter of fact, I'm running the heavy duty cycle with "hot" temp right now and it measured 122! What the heck? That would be the temp I would expect on any cycle when "hot" temp is selected. At least I know I can get a hot wash. I guess I'll try the different cycles with "sanitize" as the temp next...

yes rococogurl, I would like to know which cycles engage the heater....likely only when sanitize is selected as the temp. I wish it was easier to get info from Electrolux. The guy did call me back with my requested info but why don't they have all of this info readily available? I think I'll call back with more questions about the heater and the different cycles with "hot" washes. I'm sure they'll love me! :)

"Lisa: I would've thought "hot" was "hot" no matter which cycle you choose."

Nope. Particularly machines with electronic controls may vary the target temp of the selections across the choices of cycles. Warm and Hot on this cycle may be different than Warm and Hot on that cycle, which is different than *that* cycle. It's all in the cycle programming on the control board. Toploaders with mechanical controls may have a small ATC (automatic temperature control) board in the temp circuit or integral to the inlet valve assembly.

The highly-touted Speed Queen toploaders (as being the nearest thing to "old school") have a designated Normal/Eco cycle that fills briefly with hot or warm water, then the rest of the fill to the selected level is cold. *Any* other cycle than Normal/Eco must be selected to get a "real" warm or hot fill.

Front-line phone representatives may not have access to the details. Even technical documents aimed at servicemen may reference only a chart of resistance values at a range temperatures for testing the sensor, with no info on what are the programmed targets for the cycles.

Sorry for not answering your question sooner Lisa...no my Duet isn't sanitize certified, but I'd expect it to work as the manual says it will. It is allergen certified except it gets al least 154F I suspect probably a few degrees hotter. This works for me as I need these hot temps for certain things. I have just recently rechecked temps in my Duet and made a chart, my Heavy duty/hot/ heavy soils gets 145F. ...whites/hot/heavy soil gets 138F. I didn't check towels yet but sure hope its my 120F cycle. .. quick wash, normal or gentle wouldn't engage the heater. All in all I'm pleased with this Duet I just have to get my chart finished so others here know what cycle to use for what LOL.

Most of you are lucky. I'm running a heavy duty cycle right now on my crappy Frigidaire HE TL'er on "hot" and the temp measures a whooping 77F.

77F for HOT? Oh Greeny....I am so sorry!! Can you get another machine??

Ouch Greeny I'm also sorry and sad that you have this to deal with..I think our Heather also battles hot water. I say boil a big soup pot of water.

Do you plan to replace this washer?

Thanks Larsi and Mama. We rent and this machine was provided. I could replace it with my own but we plan to buy a house about 16 months from now, so I'll just continue to deal with it until then. What's weird is the temp is all over the place...sometimes "hot" is 100, 85, 90, or 70F.

Lisa, everyone has a different approach. But mine is that I paid money for a product and I'm entitled to answers about the way it works. And I'm entitled to know that it is working properly.

when I get an entry level person who cannot answer I always ask to be escalated to a supervisor. Alternately I ask to speak to someone who can provide technical support by answering questions,

i'm not realty interested in their response apart from getting my questions answered. I have a machine with a serial nimber therefore I am a customer.

Liking isnt the point. Answers is. That said I am always polite and persistent.

Greeny....16 months is a LONG time. You can buy a machine you love now, and just take it with you. The landlord will gladly have you not put any wear on his/her machine for over a year.

Life is too short!! Get a machine you like. You are going to have to buy one when you move, why not use and love it now!!

That's a good idea to make a chart of your cycles/temps! I'm going to do that. So hot not only varies from machine to machine, but from cycle to cycle within the same machine. I guess maybe my machine is functioning as it is supposed to then. Just have to use the heavy duty cycle to get a hot (120) wash and can use sanitize if I need anything above that. They still have to come out to do something about the chirping dryer so I will have them check the washer while they are here to make sure it's correct. I'm also calling tomorrrow to get clarification on expected temps for cycles. I can say that this machine agitates the crap out of the clothes (in a good way) compared to my old (not really "old", just recalled) he Samsung top loader. And I'm very impressed with the rinsing as well. Learning curve with the amounts of detergents to use though!

Littlegreeny, what determines when you will get a 100 degree wash vs a 70 degree wash? Are these on different cycles or is it just a whacky machine? I would think that 100 degree washes would be acceptable, but not 70. :(

Larsi, you're right. I'm going to think about it. The biggest problem would be picking new machines. Seems like most wash in coolish water now (with the exception of many European machines).

Lisa, the machine is wacko. I get temps all over the place even with the same cycle and temp setting. What's funny is I can select "cool" for the temp and get a warmer wash than if I selected "hot".

Lisa your machine allows the perfect steam option on all cycles but clean washer & rinse & spin. Have you tried using that option. That will force the heater to engage.

Yes, MamaP is correct, I have hot water issues. I am battling with my condo board to provide the legally required 120 degree water and I am on the condo board. I have an older machine that will give me hot tap. I currently boil water in my electric tea kettle and slowly pour it in the detergent dispenser. I usually add about 3 and half liters. I was going to add a tiny point of use water heater, but don't have the electric capacity, so I boil and add. I like my machine and hate to replace it. I have no patience for having to program washes (just turn a dial and away you go) or wait 2 hours for the machine to be done.

Littlegreeny-If you can get a machine you like I would do so. You can consider it a test run, if you don't like it you sell it when you move and get a different new one. If I remember correctly you wash your mom's clothes and you probably do a lot of laundry. Treat yourself well, you deserve it.

Hmorton, thanks for remembering that I wash my mom's laundry. I do it at her assisted living facility (there is no way I'd get her tragic loads clean in my washer). They have several FL options-GE, Whirlpool and LG. The Whirlpool seems to wash the best.

Curious what the issue is. Do they need to repair or replace the building water heater to get 120 degrees, or are they keeping the temperature down to save on fuel?

Little greedy- Nice you don't have to drag the laundry around. Do you love any of the machines at your mom's place? Suburbanos-It's a complicated problem. I live in a converted factory loft building that was converted about 11 years ago, and the developers did a poor to dismal job with most of the mechanics of the building. The water is set to 125 degrees on the ground floor and I live in the 4 floor, the recirculating pumps are on but the valves at each apt stack are wide open so the hot never reaches me, individual apartment valves are allowing backwash of both hot and cold into the wrong risers resulting in hot on the cold line and cold on the hot line of my kitchen. . in a building this size things take time but I do feel that they have put this low on the priority list. I have other issues with my windows that are actually more important at this moment but I think it's time to ramp up my complaints. They could be fined if i call the buildings dept. by law I must receive 120 degree water period.

Hmorton, I don't love any of the machines. They all seem to be bottom of the line machines with no built in heaters.

Sorry about your hot water fiasco. I feel your pain...I also live in a converted factory building with central hot water system. The problem I have is ours is set to 120F and during peak times (mainly the mornings), the hot water temporarily runs out mid-shower.

hmorton, is your bathroom on a different stack that isn't messed up, so you could theoretically run a hose (a very good one with very good fittings) from the bathroom to the washing machine? Not that you'd want to do that even if you could.

hmorton,

Could you add a point of use water heater to the Washer water inlet? I don't know if you can find one in the flow rate you need at 120V though. This may be something you could do at the bathroom and kitchen sinks.

Good Luck!

The thing is, how much to spend on a temporary problem?

Reference the temperature rise chart for those tankless water heaters. The 120v model provides only 10°F rise at 2 gallons per minute flow rate ... so an incoming water supply of 50°F would come out at 60°F. The description page states that the model includes a flow-reducing aerator (to be placed on the faucet the unit feeds). It has a 40°F rise at 1/2 gallon per minute, which would be an output of 90°F on a 50°F input. It has a 2,400 watt heating element at most. I have a whole-house electric tankless water heater on 240v. It has upwards of 24,000 (twenty-four thousand) watts of heating capacity.

Suburbanmd- Thank you for brainstorming for me. One bathroom does not get the hot and cold backflow. However, the hotest water I ever get is 105-107 degrees on any faucet. So running a hose wouldn't work.

Homepro01- I have considered a small tankless, but I don't have the electric capacity at the breaker box. I have a small DC one available; however my washer/dryer breaker is too small to not trip if I install the tankless and run it while the dryer is running. My washer is AC and my dryer is DC. I may have an electrician take a look as I have access to the wiring as the ceiling is dropped with an access panel to a utility space above my ceiling.

Dadoes- I might look into a small AC tankless, but the lack of power seems very limiting. Thank you for giving the details.

My personality is that I get stubborn when something should be a certain way and can be relentless till it is fixed. I am struggling with those feelings as I don't want to spend my money to get decent hot water. I already pay maintenance, serve on the board, and do the landscaping for the complex at no cost. I feel if I can't get my needs taken care of what about all the others who aren't on the board. There is a saying in Spanish- Sólo el que ensaya lo absurdo es capaz de conquistar lo imposible. Which means-Only one who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible. Guess that is what I am trying to do. Sorry for the rant, but I am fed up with a lack of assistance with most repairs in this complex.

"hmorton: My washer is AC and my dryer is DC."

DC? As in direct-current? Like a 12v car battery, or a 1.5v AA battery?

My dryer is 220 amps. I guess I used the wrong terminology.

If your washer is an FL then a small tank-type point-of-use heater, 4 or 5 gallons, might do the trick. They don't draw so much current, and when heated will supply the water to start a load. But, yep, the building really ought to get their act together. How do people take hot showers there? I was on the board of a co-op in Riverdale a long time ago. Everything costs a lot in a multiple dwelling building, in NYC no less, but the cost is spread out among multiple owners. Reserve fund, assessments, raising maintenance (common charges)...I know it isn't easy.

Suburbanmd- Yes I'm in NYC and this year I'm the treasurer so I more than understand the cost and issues we are facing. The building was converted during the housing craze of 2005-2007. Our building was inspected and given a CO without a single plan being filled. Shortly after 18 building inspectors (all of the inspectors in nyc at the time) were arrested for taking bribes. This building is at the end of a long saga of fixing $$$$$$ all the problems. However the building can afford to fix this. We get water hot enough for a shower 105 just not hit enough to clean anything well. Yes my problem is the electric, I'm at capacity for amps on the line in the laundry closet. Expensive to change and more money each month I shouldn't have to pay. I'm my own worse enemy I should just do it. Life is to short.

105°F to 107°F is suitable for a shower ... but not so much for a nice tub-soak!

A little tank water heater should be workable, installed between the hot supply faucet and the washer, if there's space for it.
A 5-gal tank would essentially be drained by one fill (about 80% of the
tank capacity is considered usable at full-temperature). A 120v heater
has a slow recovery rate so a little wait-time may be needed between consecutive loads.

U.S. electric voltages are commonly referred to as 110 and 220, but it's correctly 120 and 240. Sometimes, particularly in commercial buildings, it's 120 and 208. There's also 277 and 480 for industrial.

Samsung is pretty open about the issue. Their manuals state that Normal and Heavy Duty produce a Warm wash similar to the temp of a swimming pool, while Hot is similar to bath water - to conform with energy regulations.

Lisa, have you tried any of the stain options yet? The Chocolate Stain options says that it extends the stain wash phase with extra heating.

Yikes! I guess my issues aren't so bad! I'm sorry you guys have such a terrible situation with your hot water. How frustrating!
A couple of good suggestions for my washer that I will try....using the steam option, which I haven't yet, and the stain option. I did use the stain option yesterday, set to "any stain", with the heavy duty cycle and that's when I got the 120 degree wash. I wonder if it would raise the heat for a hot wash on a "normal" wash or for "whitest whites"...
It's going to take me awhile to get through loads of laundry with all the different combinations of options. I still need to call them to get more detailed info about the cycles and temps. Didn't have a chance today.

Dadoes-Thanks for the info. I will consider a small tank heater if I can put it in the ceiling.

Sorry Lisa and everyone else foe hijacking this thread, I guess I needed to rant. It has been a long week. Lisa hope you get your hot figured out. Would be nice to really sanitize once in a while.

No need to apologize hmorton. Any and all comments are welcome. I just hope you get something figured out that will help your situation. I feel for you! I enjoy reading all of the threads and subjects. There is always something to learn!