Why does my LG washer fill with cold water and hot when set to HOT

[mtoronto]

Hi there, I have an LG WM2077CW that I purchased all the way back in 2005 and it is still going strong. We have had a a valve and drain pipe replaced.

But what is odd is that when you set it to HOT, it fills with cold water first, then hot afterwards. My hot water tank is set to 140F/60C, so that means it is probably washing in 120F/50C. Why does it do this? The machine does NOT have an internal water heater. It was one of the more basic models of its time.

Anyone have insight into why it fills with a mix of cold and hot when it is set to the hot setting?

Thanks!

 

[DADoES]

 
We refer to that around here at "dumbed-down" temperatures.  Energy savings.  The designated Normal cycle is typically the most-restricted being that it's used for EnergyStar ratings/qualification.  Cycles other than Normal usually run higher temperatures.  The specific behavior varies from one machine to another, you just have to try all the various cycles and settings on your specific model to find what does what and what works best for your needs.

 

[revvinkevin]

What I’ve found with my 2004 LG is, if I want to wash in “warm” I set the controls for “hot” on the normal cycle. I have one of those hand held temperature “guns” and as I point it through the glass during the wash, it usually shows around 95-96 degrees.

Glenn, that’s a very interesting point for the “normal” cycle that I didn’t think about! I’ll have to start a load on the cottons/towels cycle on hot and see what it does. I ran a load a while back, as I recall thought it odd it filled only with hot, but don’t remember now if that was the cotton/towels or normal cycle.

Thanks!
Kevin

 

[easy]

LG mixed fill

I have a LG 3500 front load machine, also a "basic" machine. It also starts filling with cold and then switches to warm or hot. After watching a few loads, I realized what was happening is that is always flushes out the dispensers with cold water regardless of the wash water temperature selected. This also happens later in the cycle when it flushes out the bleach dispenser.

I haven't figured out how to change this since it does dumb down the wash temperature. When I wash a load of whites I fill up the machine with a hose with tank hot (140 degrees) water. Not ideal but it works.

 

[vacerator]

All newer washers do that, to dilute

the detergent so it flushes out the dispensor better. My Samsung only adds cold for a few seconds upon fill start. If I select the hottest temp., the heater heats the was water. The door and sides are quite warm near the middle of the wash cycle. The wash water pump out is very hot. Before the rinses begin, while cycle indicator is still on wash, it fills with cold water for a cool dow, and slow spin.

 

[brisnat81]

My assumption with why the Miele's do it, was always that it was to prime the sump to stop detergent washing down there as the water level rose.

The Miele machines fill via the boot with cold and then switch to hot once they start flushing the detergent drawer.

If you fill the sump with cold water, then there is less chance of detergent ending up in there wasted.

 

[combo52]

Modern washers filling with cold water at first.

Even when hot is selected

 

Most machines do this as part of the safety door or lid locking system. 

 

Ever notice that most washers when started lock the door, then the tub moves a little to wake cat or child that might be in machine and sprays a little cold water and then unlocks door so inhabitant can escape before cycle really starts.

 

This is the reason they start with cold water and not hot, otherwise it would be far better to flush dispensers etc with hot water.

 

John L.

 

[logixx]

My Duet behaves similarly: it will flush the detergent down with cold water and then cycle between hot and cold until it reaches a max of 104F in the tub and use the heater to heat to the target temp.

This makes sense - especially in Europe - so enzymes can do their best job without being cooked by an (immediate) hot fill.

GE washers called this initial cold fill a feature to prevent protein stains from setting.