You seem to like your Bosch and be leery of choosing a new one with features that meet your wants/needs, so why not check into replacing the pump and water valve?

The OEM drain pump motor assembly has been discontinued. I don't know if there might be an off brand one that would work. The Machine has gotten very loud, has trouble balancing and I think there may be even more issues than the two I know about.

Ah, so. The model number wasn't cited so I couldn't research on parts availability.

Current frontloaders are unlikely to povide the direct temperature choices as your 14yo Bosch, and specific temperature points are rarely cited nowadays in sales literature or unit documentation. Someone who visits the GW Laundry Room recently got a new LG frontloader. Perhaps he'll reply with a model recommendation and specifics per his usage experience.

I didn't know that when I first posted, but I was rethinking whether to get a new one or try to repair this 14 year old machine after you posted, so I then checked and saw that it was no longer available. The people that have bought the LG4000 on automaticwasher say that you can get 150 degrees on several cycles, so that isn't too bad.

I think you may be able to still get a 170F wash temp on some cycles on a new Bosch FL, the 500 or 800 models. You probably already have the required electircal wiring for it. It is now considered a compact washer though--smaller than your current washer. Miele FL washer is another that has cycles with temps that high.

Anyhow, if I had the wiring for it, it would have been in my list of considerations.

Trapped in OK,

I also have a Bosch Nexxt model as well and like it so much I purchased a clean-used Nexxt stripped it for parts for when the day comes that parts are no longer available.

If I were you I would fix the machine. Replace the drain pump, replace the water inlet valve(s), and I can bet the original shocks are toast as the machine is over 12 years old.

Replacing those several parts will be much cheaper than the LG purchase for sure.

Jeff

The LG WM4000HWA earned a "recommended" rating by CR, Home Depot and Best Buy owners like it, it's not overpriced ($950), and it's available. It has a "Sanitary" cycle with Very Hot water.

Regarding that drain pump motor- Bosch part # 00436440. It might be discontinued from Bosch but they are several manufactures that offer it as it fits the Nexxt models from the 100 series all the way to the 800 model.

A quick online search shows prices ranging from $43.97 to around $117.00 for the original OEM Bosch pump.

Jeff

Trapped, I got a WM4200 last November, replacing a Whirlpool Duet with NSF certified Sanitize & Allergen cycles. With the new LG, the Sanitary cycle could only get to 147 with max soiil level. Adding steam got the wash temp up just a bit higher. I've found that selecting either Normal or Heavy Duty & selecting extra hot and heaviest soil level I got a little hotter, I ended up downloading the denim cycle and selecting extra hot temp, maximum soil level and turning off TurboWash. It washed for a very long time and I was able to get to 158 degrees. Adding steam on this cycle, I was able to get to 163 degrees.

Jeff, yes I'm petty sure shocks would need to be replaced too. It has gotten increasingly loud and lots of thumping going into and out of a spin. . The problem is that we would need to pay labor on all of those repairs and and good labor is hard to come by and very expensive. I think it could easily get close to the cost of a new machine.

About a year ago the matching gas dryer (which I hate because it rolls sheets and larger items into a ball) was making a little squeaking noise which kicking in when the heating valve turned on . He thought the valve just had something caught in it . Didn't want to take it apart that day, said he would come back with a new valve and then take it apart just in case he was wrong and the valve needed to be replaced. Never heard from him again. It is a bit tight to work in the laundry room and he was very, very overweight. This was a Bosch approved person. Eventually the squeaking stopped, so I think that something had been caught in the valve.

Thanks Boba. Reading on automaticwasher, I got the impression it was easy to get to 160 degrees.

Other than the temperature difficulties, do you think your machine washes as well as your Duet.

As I mentioned in my OP , my son had an earlier model LG and I used it when I would babysit and it seemed to run a lot smoother than my Bosch.

My model number on the Bosch is WFMC5302UC-13

I am curious about the discussions of achieving high water temperatures. I read a couple of articles that state 212 degrees F is the temperature that kills bacteria. That is boiling point. One of the articles I read also pointed out that water too hot will actually set stains. The articles I read both stated that temperatures in the range of 130-140F is satisfactory for cleaning soiled laundry. From reading some of the posts above it seems that anything less than 160 F or higher is not acceptable. I am just wondering if it is because of clothes appearing less than clean or concerns of sanitary laundry. I probably have our laundry room WH set to about 140 F; I keep meaning to test the temp of the water after it fills and then when it begins to drain.

Yes armjim,

Extra hot temps will set stains. With the washers mentioned in this thread, they fill will a lower temp, do some washing at that temp (with detergent added in), then the temp gets boosted higher as the cycle progress. In theory, the lower temps at the begining of the cycle will handle the stain removal and the higher temps later on will remove the body oils/funk. Our Speed Queen TLers fill with our set temp, whatever that may be and don't heat the water any further. We lose temp as the cycle progresses.

ArmJim, starting at a lower temp (warm or even cool) and increasing to a higher temperature is known as a profile wash. It's common on euro-style frontloaders. Some US-market models in the past (and maybe a few with water heaters nowadays) had stain treat cycles or options that functioned and may have been touted/marketed as such.

The Nexxt 500 will do a Profile Wash like Dadoes stated above in both the Temp Boost cycle as well as the XXtra Sanitary cycle.

armjim, in my opinion, a profile wash is far more superior in dealing with a variety of stain types than dumping LCB in a load of laundry. Since I bought my old Duet in 2011, I no longer had to spend time going through each load of laundry looking for stains on garments and treating them with something like Shout. Once I experienced not having to do that with every garment and load, I felt liberated. And results were far superior. There's something to be said with regards to Tide Powder with Bleach Alternative or similar detergents. Europeans have had this ability with their twin tub and automatic washers with onboard heaters for decades. I view the process far more civilized. Both my Duet and new LG do manage to accomplish this, but with different approaches. Gradual temperature increases from 90 or 100F all the way up through 158F to 163F does wonders with weeks set in stains. And those stellar results are experienced 99% of the time. I hope I personally never have to go back to the archaic approach.

Trapped inOK, I think the LG washes as well as the Dut, it's approach and process is different and I'm having to adjust to those differences to get the same results.

For my LG the sanitary sycle is a profile wash and goes up to 155F. The Allergiene cycle goes up to 158F fast (with very little water) to kill the allergens and then washes for a longer time at about 112F. For hot/warm cycles the temperature is not maintained trough out the wash. Hot is about 112fF. I live in the north and there is a diffence in the temps between winter and summer. X hot is also a profile wash and the highest I saw it getting at is 158F. During the summer it might get hotter though. Overal I am happy although it is getting to be a little too big for my needs now that my family is getting smaller.

Alex, I can tell you from experience, you can vary the increase in hot water temperature for either Normal or Heavy Duty by simply selecting extra hot and then selecting different soil levels from the lightest to the heaviest. The heaviest will have the longest water heat time and the lightest will be significantly less, but still gets you above the paltry 112F (which is unacceptable and a joke to me).

Alex, are you aware that you can find out the approximate water temperature in the sump (in C not F) by pushinbg delay wash & temp buttons simultaneously? That's how I know what the temperature is all the time when I look. For me, unless it's a small load, I am not able to get to 155 by the end of the wash cycle (actually when the cold water is injected dispensing liquid bleach). I end up using one of the downloaded cycles that allows extra hot & maximizing soil level and is almost an hour more wash time (and turbowash turned off) to get to 70C for Sanitary and 74C with steam added. When the maximum temp is reached and the heater turns off, the water temperature declines pretty quickly and eventually the heater turns on again and heats the water up again. This way I do achieve the same performance of stain removal as my old Duet did with Steam For Stains option selected. You are correct once the set point for regular hot (112F) and warm (90F) is reached, the heater turns off. To "trick" the machine into thinking you have a large load, add 5-6 cups of water to the tub (sump) before you add the laundry. That will assure the heater comes on for warm & hot for Towels, Perm Press, Bedding, and Whites cycles. Adding that extra water also causes the machine to add extra water for each rinse fill and will double the default rinse time once the water level is satisfied for each rinse. The 112F for "hot:" is pathetic. Heck, in the 1950 & 1960s, a washer that had a medium wash water temp was thermostatically design to fill at 120F. And that was intended for heavily soiled colors. Back then, warm was considered to be 95F-105F.

@boba1, Yes, that’s how I check the temperature and got 68C for the sanitary and 70C for the allergiene. I have my machine in the basement and also noticed that in the winter the temps are much lower. Thanks for the trick with the water. I ll certainly give it a try.

Good info on how to raise temps. Thanks everyone.

Interesting reading all the posts...I guess I had forgotten the definition of profile wash and feel better informed. SEA SEA I guess I will have to raise the temp of the WH.

So I ordered the LG4000 and it was delivered Wednesday. At this point I'm a little frustrated. I have been unable to change any of the settings, like to add steam to a cycle ( except for the heavy duty cycle) or add an extra rinse or turn on turbo wash. The buttons just don't respond. I've looked online and and the you tube video from LG suggests restarting the machine by first unplugging the machine, then holding down the power button for 5 seconds, then the start pause button for 5 seconds and then plug the machine back in. That did not help..

When I press any of the buttons, on some I hear a faint beep, but they don't light up. Do I have a faulty machine, or is there something obvious I'm missing?

I've done quite a few loads but just the way each cycle is programmed. Results were okay, except for the Sanitary cycle I ran today on my husbands underwear. They seemed a little dingy compared to some that had been washed on my old Bosch with the same detergent and the fabric was a little more fuzzy than on those washed in my old machine.

All options may not be available on all cycles. The user guide typically has a chart detailing the cycle defaults and which options are available. Have you checked that documentation?

The user manual has none of that information. Overall rather useless manual. It comments that not all options are available on all cycles, but it does not say which cycles have which options for this machine. But I did find information online that says that the steam cycle should be able to be added to all cycles adjacent to the red strip on the machine which is normal, heavy duty,bedding and bright whites. Sanitary and tub clean have steam programmed in the cycle. . I can't adjust the water temperature or soil level . I did find charts for LG machines in general, but not for a specific model that show each cycle's default settings for spin speed, soil level and available options. I keep thinking there is some little trick I'm missing, although when I follow exactly what one of their videos shows for adding steam, the button doesn't light up.

this is the sort of charts I've found for all the cycles.

Attached is a link to your WM4000 washer. Please go to page 24 through page 26 and start looking at the detailed chart for each cycle as to what is default and options available. The chart above doesn't look anything like this. On the control panel, lightly touch the lower part of the control panel the words temp, spin, soil to scroll through the options to select. The control panel don't have buttons to push, it's slight touch on the appropriate aeras of the control panel on the outer edges of the control panel. Steam is also option for Sanitary, but is defualt for allergen cycle. Extra Hot wash temperature is available for Normal & Heavy Duty. Select heaviest soil level to allow for longest time for water heating. Highest soil level for Sanitary to get maximum water heating time also.

WM4000 LG Washer

Thanks Boba. That manual is not the one that came with my machine. I saw there was one available to download, but I assumed it would be the same one I already had so I didn't download it. This one was much more detailed and helpful. I had none of those charts.

On the temp, I was just touching the actual temp to try to change the temperature and not adjusting the temp with the temp button. I'm running a normal load now and I was able to adjust to extra hot , heavy soil. Thanks again. I was feeling so stupid.

With the help of a friend from automaticwasher.org, I've done extensive research on how the heater is used on these washers since I got my washer last November and I'm still learning. When Steam option is selected, soil level options are removed and not available. For Sanitize and Extra Hot water temperatures selected, the temperature where the heater turns off (target temperature) is 158 degrees F. For any cycle where steam option is selected, the target temperature is between 162 & 165F. Once target temperature is met, the heater is turned off and does not come back on to maintain that temperature. Target temperature for Normal cycle is 86F warm and 95F hot. If heaviest soil level is selected, target temp for hot is 104F. For Heavy Duty, warm target temp is 95F and hot is 112F. for both Normal and Heavy Duty, the heater does not come on at all after the initial wash water fill to increase water temperature after the wash fill is completed. For cycles Whitest Whites, Bedding, Perm press, and Towels, target temp for warm is 90F and hot is 112F. The heater does not come on to maintain those target temps on those cycles. That is the case with the following exception. Adding between 6-8 cups of water to the tub before adding the laundry load, will trick the machine into thinking it has a very heavy load in it. That will result in forcing the heater to come on during wash when hot water is selected, additional water will be added for both wash & rinses, each rinse time will be doubled, and final spin time will be lengthened by a few extra minutes. Also, you cannot do a prewash if steam option is selected.

Please do not be "feeling so stupid". I'm glad I could help you. Please ask more questions when needed.

Trapped inOK - My new FL washer (not an LG) came with a quick-start type of guide but the owners manual with more detailed information is available only as a free .pdf download from the manufacturer's website. More and more manufacturers are going to this (and not just washers & dryers) to save a few pennies on the hard copy that most people never look at.

"To "trick" the machine into thinking you have a large load, add 5-6 cups of water to the tub (sump) before you add the laundry. That will assure the heater comes on for warm & hot for Towels, Perm Press, Bedding, and Whites cycles."

I tried this, adding 8 cups of hot water before putting in a set of king size sheets and 3 pillow cases and it didn't work. I had hot water selected (highest it would go on this cycle) and increased soil level to the highest it would go on this cycle. 12 minutes in I got 41C-105.8F . 17 minutes in 39C-102.2 . I suspect that the one set of sheets wasn't heavy enough for tricking it this way.

So far, Ive been able to get 158 F on allergiene and Sanitary cycle.

Hooked up thinQ yesterday so will be playing some of those cycles.

What I've discovered is the heater will only come on when hot is selected and adding the extra water, which should be cold, no hot. Once the maximum heated set point of 43 or 44C is reached, the heater turns off and will not come back on. I watched the temperature on a load of whites. Once it finished filling, the temp was 110F. Once 112F, the water temperature began reducing and didn't heat back up for the remaining 22 minutes of the wash cycle. To see what sump water temperature, push the delay wash and temp buttons at the same time. Displayed temp is in Celcius. I've only been able to reach those temperatures on Allergiene & Sanitary cycles if the loads are 10 pounds or less. Anything larger, I can only get about 142 to 147F. And my towel loads are far heavier than 10 pounds. My water heater is seet at 120F. There are times I miss my Whirlpool Duet. It did a far better job of increasing temperatures to appropriate levels because the heater was probably a little bit more powerful. And the heater also came on the raise nd maintain warm water washes on certain cycles.

If proper heated cycles that actually get to thir set temps without tricks is desired, then buy a Miele and be done. They actually hit their set temps and also list the temps in the manual. No games required.

Luna, I appreciate the sentiment. However, where I live, there's no Miele service available within their reasonable distance criteria.

luna , Following the various Miele owners on this board actually deterred me from even considering one. There have been lots of issues that owners report they had trouble getting resolved. Right now there is a post about that. And , I didn't want one that small . I want to be able to wash larger size quilt type items.

Had I considered a compact, I probably would have just gone back with Bosch. I had 14 years with no service calls on it.

Boba, yes, I've been checking temps that way. I"m beginning to wonder if by using so many long cycles to get the temperature up that it isn't going to be very energy efficient.

What year did you buy your duet? My daughter bought one about the same time as I bought my Bosch , 2008 and she had a major problem 2 years later which at first they refused to cover until she posted about it and then they contacted her and covered it. As I remember , it was about a $600 dollar repair but I don't remember the specifics. She had 2 kids playing sports, as well as a husband playing soccer, so it got heavy duty use. She had another issue with it a few years later,

just now I put in a mattress cover on the bedding cycle. I added steam, so then I couldn't change any of the settings. It got to 63C in 15 minutes and then the temp quickly dropped to 40C.

I bought my Duet November 27 2011. It was the first generation of the newly-designed direct drive washers produced in Ohio at Whirlpool's big production facility Your daughter's Duet was still their original Diet design that was produced in Europe.

I believe Miele will service a machine under warranty no matter where you are here in the United States. It takes more time to set up dispatch for sure not having online booking available. I am under a 72hr wait for appt. When this software issue gets fixed for people, many will feel happier about their Miele W1. I honestly thought Miele would not get this done. Why the update cannot be done remotely (if set up in menu correctly) is beyond me. The feature has been useless so far.

I have over 8500 hours on one of Miele washers. Outside of Speed Queen there is no other residential washer that can really hold up to that use.

i have owned FOUR Bosch washers. All Axxis models and the model previous to it. ALL of them lasted 3000 -3500 hours before the brushes in the motor are shot. I replace the brushes but since the commutator is no longer smooth they do not last. Usuallly replace the motor once before other parts fail. Replaced the main control board in two under warrantly. Struts failed out pf warranty on another.

Just got sick of replacing machines every couple years. Miele has lasted the longest.

if you notice from threads, Miele usually makes it right with their customers. Multiple people have received new machines that we almost all know would never happen from another manufacturer.