This might seem like an odd observation, but here goes. I have one of the new front loading washing machines, and they are supposed to use a lot less water than a conventional washer. If I want to do a hot water wash, will the hot water actually reach the washing machine by the time it quits taking water? Approximately how far away, using lets say 1/2 line, will you not get hot water? just a thought
The answer is, It depends. Heh, if your washer uses as little water as mine, then proly not.
What you can do is put a 1/2" T before the hose connection, and put a valve and hose on the T, and run the hot water into the utility sink, until it gets hot. Then start your machine cycle.
Real high-end plumbing systems have a third line, which serves as a hot water recirculating system, so the HW is always hot at the tap. I think this was more of a WWII-Manhattan thing, but others may have it.
You could also install a small on-demand water heater, but even the small ones can use boucou juice, like 4 kW (about like an electric clothes dryer), albeit for brief periods of time in these quickie cases -- until the "real" HW kicks in. These are relatively simple installations.
They also make cold-water detergents, so you may not even have to really use HW.
Most modern front loaders have builtin heaters to deal with this.
Most? My Frigidaire 6000 doesn't. The repair manual does show a heater in the schematic- listed as "select models".
I don't use hot water often-- but if I thought I needed it, I could run the bathroom sink to purge the cold from the lines.
Jim
Or you could run the water at a nearby sink first. Thereby defeating part of the big claimed water savings, unless it happens to be a kitchen sink or similar where you can be using the water for something else. That's what I usually do before I use my dishwasher. Otherwise it has cool water the first cycle and only tepid water the second cycle.
The only way you'll know what your machine does is to find out if it heats the water itself, which may require contacting the manufacturer.
Yeah, most of the modern ones I saw came with built-in heat. I'm originally from a country where 99.99% of machines were front-loaders, and I don't remember anyone there ever worrying about hot water supply (whether the machine had built-in heat or not) - they just plumbed up the hot water feed normally and let everything do its thing* with no problems. Never known anyone with a h/w recirculating system, and never heard of anyone running water in a nearby sink first, either.
cheers
Jules
Why not just put your hand on the hose to the washing machine and see if it gets warm by the time the machine enters its first wash cycle. This isn't rocket science unless you want to make it that way.
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