Does the washing machine heat the water from your boiler or does it heat it by itself?

GervisLooper

I am not sure if my clothes are being heated when I have been doing washes as even at 60c washes the clothes are stone cold when they come out. I would expect them to be warm at least.

I wonder if it is because it uses water from the boiler and I don't have it on enough to heat them, or if there is an issue with the machine, or maybe they just end up cold. I will try putting my hand on the machine door next round to see if I can feel any warmth but I did so before and don't remember feeling any however wasn't giving it close scrutiny at the time and maybe it was just before it warmed the water sufficiently for me to feel it.

Lisi299

Hi modern washers are now cold fill, so your washer would be heating the water to wash. The rinse I’m thinking will be cold, as they are already washed which will by why they are cold when you take them out

stewie_griffin

The majority (if not all) modern washing machines are cold fill. Regardless of the temperature you set it at the rinse cycle will be done with cold water hence why the clothes are always cold at the end.

[Deleted User]

Most washing machines these days are cold fill off a single cold pipe tap. That is, the wash water is heated by an immersion type heater within the washing machine. Washing machines also rinse the washing in cold water before the spin cycle. Mains water is very cold at this time of the year.

If you have smart meter it is easy to check that there is c.3kWs of electricity input at the start of the cycle. Also possible by checking your meter reading at the start and finish of the wash. If there is no marked indication of usage, then it is possible that the heater element has failed.

A final thought. Monitor a cycle, when the wash water is being pumped out, check the outflow pipe adjacent to the washing machine. It should be hot to the touch.

Gerry1

Dolor said:

If you have smart meter it is easy to check that there is c.3kWs of electricity input at the start of the cycle. Also possible by checking your meter reading at the start and finish of the wash.

No need for a smart meter.  Just watch the red light on the meter flashing away merrily, or the disk whizzing round.

GervisLooper

Thanks for clarifications. I didn't think of the rinse being cold. I think I was expecting hot because the place before last (the previous one I had no washer at all so had to do by hand so really glad of having one again ) they used to come out hot but that had I dryer as well and this one doesn't. I knew that of course however I didn't know what to expect in terms of temps when they come out of a no dry washer.

One thing I will add which was a concerning on one wash was there was grey smoke coming out after the spin had done. It smelt like burned rubber or something. I haven't noticed it since though and don't 2 more washes. Maybe it was just the brakes or something when the spin slows itself down?

GervisLooper

Gerry1 said:

Dolor said:

If you have smart meter it is easy to check that there is c.3kWs of electricity input at the start of the cycle. Also possible by checking your meter reading at the start and finish of the wash.

No need for a smart meter.  Just watch the red light on the meter flashing away merrily, or the disk whizzing round.

I don't see how this helps solve the issue when the machine will use electricity whether it is heating the water or not? Anyway the issue is moot since I don't have access to the elec meter. It is locked away in a cupboard and can only get reading by proxy of the security staff.

Gerry1

GervisLooper said:

Gerry1 said:

Dolor said:

If you have smart meter it is easy to check that there is c.3kWs of electricity input at the start of the cycle. Also possible by checking your meter reading at the start and finish of the wash.

No need for a smart meter.  Just watch the red light on the meter flashing away merrily, or the disk whizzing round.

I don't see how this helps solve the issue when the machine will use electricity whether it is heating the water or not? Anyway the issue is moot since I don't have access to the elec meter. It is locked away in a cupboard and can only get reading by proxy of the security staff.

The heater will use far more electricity when it's heating compared to when it's merely turning the drum.  You can easily work out the consumption by counting the number of flashes per minute.

If the meter in not inside your flat you need to gain access from time to time to take readings to make sure your bill is accurate.

You also need to make sure it's really your meter rather than that of another flat.  Check that the serial number on the meter is the same as that shown on the bill; check that the red light stops flashing if you switch everything off in your flat, and then that it flashes rapidly if you turn everything on.

[Deleted User]

GervisLooper said:

Gerry1 said:

Dolor said:

If you have smart meter it is easy to check that there is c.3kWs of electricity input at the start of the cycle. Also possible by checking your meter reading at the start and finish of the wash.

No need for a smart meter.  Just watch the red light on the meter flashing away merrily, or the disk whizzing round.

I don't see how this helps solve the issue when the machine will use electricity whether it is heating the water or not? Anyway the issue is moot since I don't have access to the elec meter. It is locked away in a cupboard and can only get reading by proxy of the security staff.

Any appliance with a heating element will draw far more electric when the element activates than not in use. My IHD for the smart meter is Green when the washer starts and finishes and Amber when the washer element kicks in. 

Norman_Castle

If the glass door gets warm during the washing cycle the water is being heated.

tim_p

Norman_Castle said:

If the glass door gets warm during the washing cycle the water is being heated.

Wouldn’t it get warm if the washer was using hot water from an external source?