Finally figured out why my hot cycle was taking forever

I had a similar scare with my Kenmore Elite. I started noticing the cycle times jumping from 50 minutes to over an hour and a half. When I finally pulled the hot water hose, the screen was filled with these tiny blue flakes and what looked like calcium chunks. It’s wild how much that tiny mesh filter catches before it completley chokes out the flow. In my case, it was a sign that my Rheem water heater’s dip tube was failing. If you’re seeing those orange plastic bits, you might want to check the manufacture date on your tank. Once those pieces start traveling trough the pipes, they can also get stuck in your shower heads or the aerators in your kitchen sink. I ended up having to flush my entire plumbing system after replacing the heater to make sure I didn't have more "gravel" waiting to clog things up again in a month.

I had that same gravel problem with my Maytag Bravos, but cleaning the screen only bought me a week before it clogged right back up. Turns out, the sediment wasn't just a one-time dip tube failure; my old galvanized pipes were basially disintegrating from the inside out. Every time I did a heavy load, the vibrations woud shake more rust loose and send it straight to the washer.

Instead of just brushing the screen, I ended up installing a set of inline sediment traps on the supply lines. They are these clear plastic housings you screw in between the faucet and the hose. It makes it way easier to see when the junk is building up without having to wrestle the machine away from the wall to unhook everythign. If you are seeing that orange grit frequently, you might also want to flush your water heater. I drained my 50-gallon AO Smith tank and was shocked at the amount of "sand" that came out of the bottom drain valve. If that stuff stays in the tank, it just keeps migrating to your appliances and eventually ruins the solenoids in the washer's water valve.

Those orange bits might actualy be resin beads from a water softener if you've got one. When the internal screen in the softener tank breaks, it dumps millions of those tiny things into your lines. They're a nightmare 'cause they're exactly the right size to jam up every faucet in the house.

If you see 'em again, check your softener bypass valve imediately. You don't wanna end up replacing the actual inlet valves on the machine if too much of that grit gets past the mesh.

Oh wow, I'm so glad I found this thread before I panicked! I just got my first high-efficiency washer and I've been babying it like crazy. I didn't even realize there were filters back there to check! defintely going to peek at mine tonight just in case.

Random question though—since you guys clearly know your stuff, do those 'washing machine cleaner' tablets actualy do anything for the smell, or is that just a marketing gimmick? My drum has this wierd damp basement scent lately even though I leave the door open!