Thread Number: 27265
Is "warm" the new "cold" for winter? |
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Post# 418970   2/27/2010 at 12:04 (5,143 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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I've been spoiled by my 2003 Whirlpool. It has probably the best iteration of the washer controlled temperature...it allows the user to select if you would like it to monitor temperatures for cold or warm water and mix with enough hot water to bring to temperature...it does NOT mess with hot--remains at tap temperatures. So in the winter time, super cold tap water is brought up to an appropriate temperature (more like luke-warm). Newer versions of this feature don't work as well as I've read on the boards - such as dumbing down hot water, but I digress.
On washers that don't have this feature, I'm wondering if people still use "cold" as "cold" in the winter time, or do you (as I do), switch to warm as to not use such frigid cold water to wash in (ick!). The "winter warm" is more luke warm than cold, but not what a warm wash would be say in the summer time. I don't bath in ice cubes, nor wash my hands or dishes in ice water, so I can't see doing the same with my clothes. Thoughts? Methods? Does it even matter? |
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Post# 418974 , Reply# 1   2/27/2010 at 12:22 (5,143 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Hi Dan,
I don't use a fully hot water setting very often if at all, but I like something good and warm, and you're right - with a non-thermostatic mixing valve such as in my Kenmore belt drives, winter temps require me to add a lot of pure hot to counteract the frigid tap cold. Standard warm will yield a machine full of what I would call summertime tap cold water, maybe even cooler than that. Our cold tap water is so cold it makes my hands throb if I have to use it to wash them. I don't even like to put water that cold in for the rinse, but I don't have a lot of choice on a couple machines. The reverse is true for the summer - our tap water gets luke warm, and I have to add cold or the warm is too warm on dark loads. Gordon |
Post# 418993 , Reply# 2   2/27/2010 at 14:23 (5,143 days old) by yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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for the machines withou the auto temp adjustment...I start the TL machine with hot, add my detergent to make sure it disolves, and after about 5 or 6 inches, I switch it to cold...
I have well water, and I have been checking the temp lately, and it very close to 40 degrees in the winter, too cold....I even notice in the shower, I have to adjust the temp knob hotter, and my hot water is set at 160 degrees, but during the summer, I have a set spot on the dial for the perfect temp... |
Post# 419002 , Reply# 3   2/27/2010 at 15:12 (5,143 days old) by logixx (Germany)   |   | |
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Post# 419032 , Reply# 4   2/27/2010 at 17:31 (5,143 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 419033 , Reply# 5   2/27/2010 at 17:31 (5,143 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Post# 419035 , Reply# 6   2/27/2010 at 17:43 (5,143 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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I've ceased using tap cold water at any time for washing clothes. I'm stuck using a WCI style Frigidaire top load right now. (Yuck!) Past experience with a similar Frigidaire taught me that cold water simply did not work.
If I select "warm" wash, I get a final temperature that's about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the lowest I ever go now, and it's high enough to wash many things. |
Post# 419163 , Reply# 7   2/28/2010 at 08:18 (5,142 days old) by Toggleswitch2 ()   |   | |
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I dont use 'tap cold' in winter, but rather 'warm'. |
Post# 419172 , Reply# 8   2/28/2010 at 08:46 (5,142 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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For people who pay attention and care about what is going on, yes most do switch to warm in the winter. However I must say that 90% of the homes I go into on a daily basis still have the water set to cold. I've also noticed that when given the option for temp controlled water most people opt for non temp controlled because most will tell you it does not make a difference.
My cold water right now is 43.6 degrees, hot is 138.3. I have a thermostatic valve tempering the cold water on the washer which brings it to 75 degrees +/- .5 degree year round. Warm water wash is around 105 degrees. |
Post# 419187 , Reply# 9   2/28/2010 at 09:57 (5,142 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 419212 , Reply# 10   2/28/2010 at 10:54 (5,142 days old) by yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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I have a sister and a sister-in-law who both only wash in COLD water....the machines are only hooked up to the cold line, the hot is capped off....
both their husbands are mechanics...I know their work clothes aren't getting clean.... and the smell/rank/musty/moldy odor is thruout their homes and gets worse as you get near the laundry room........How can you leave the house and return and not smell this when you walk in the door?....yuck! I have tried washing and soaking in COLD water...but there is a METHOD to making it work and get clean clothes...you can't just set it and forget it! I do like using TIDE COLD WATER...but just the same I have to add some hot water.... do you remember when TIDE did the commercial of washing clothes in a glass container with ICE CUBES and WATER to show no matter how cold, the clothes came clean? I miss COLD POWER detergent of the 70's |
Post# 419436 , Reply# 11   2/28/2010 at 22:34 (5,142 days old) by surgilator_68 (Maryland)   |   | |
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Post# 423414 , Reply# 18   3/18/2010 at 14:28 (5,124 days old) by qsd-dan (West)   |   | |
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With the tempered valve I installed 6 months ago, cold is 80F, warm is 108F, and hot is 140F.
After installing the temper valve, all of my cold wash items were quickly turning the wash water almost black within seconds. Now that all cold water clothes have been washed a couple of times, everything is now normal but it was a rude awakening just how important it's for cold water temps to never dive below 75F. |
Post# 423464 , Reply# 19   3/18/2010 at 20:41 (5,124 days old) by yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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