As I have solar hot water heating, I don't want the machine to be heating the water as my hot water heating is free. So, I need a machine with both hot and cold inlets.
Anyone got any experience with that?
Washing Machine Front Loader W' Hot and Cold Inlets for Solar Hot Water
anna10 on 03/11/2014 - 17:26
Comments
Thanks for that info. I wonder how much water this type of machine actually uses so that I know if it is in fact not heating much water anyway.
I saw in the manual for yr machine : The external hot water supply MUST NOT exceed 70 deg CSince I got free hot water, I use it all the time.
It may be this way because it doesn't use much water and if it took from the hot water tap the water isn't going to be warm enough until the water in the pipes flushes through. I just wish that it took from the hot water tap then heated it if need be.
switch the connection pipes of hot and cold :P
Ok, that's an interesting idea. Any one switched the pipes?!
Most new machines only have one inlet as it reduces manufacturing costs. Something to keep in mind when buying a new machine!
I have a Maytag machine with two inlets and reviewed how the machine draws water on say a 60degree cycle. What I have found is that initially, it pulls in cold water, follwed by the hot. The wash element is in hot and it uses cold to rince. I have experimented with closing the cold and only leaving the hot open. THe machine failed to run as the wash cycle was waiting for cold water.
thanks rxjb. Approx how much water does say an 'average' wash use so that I can see if it's not actually heating much water.
I 'sell' my energy from the photo voltaics to the grid for a very good price so it's annoying to have to heat water when I have evacuated tubes to heat the water as well.
best way to guage that would be to run a wash on a 20degree cycle and look at your power usage. then run the same wash on say 60degrees and look at your power usage and compare the two and see how much more power it may use depending on how it draws hot/cold water.
easy solution could be to just wash using the cold cycles….
Front loaders don't use much water. Your pipes may hold around the same amount of water so none of your hot water may actually reach the machine!
The one I'm looking at - F&P, has two water inlets and if it doesn't use much water that's OK as I don't wash everyday as some do.
The next question is whether it is OK to lift it off the floor onto a stand. F&P advise not to as it is heavy (?), and the delivery people won't do the set up if there's a stand involved. The stand specs say it will take 300kg, so that should be OK.
Any experience on that one? I have a concrete and tiled floor and the stand has adjustable feet.
OUr machine is on a stand. THe stand has anchor points to secure the machine to the base as it could vibrate its way off otherwise. Sounds odd off F&P to say not to mount it. Key thing is it needs to be level.
I have a solar HWS so made sure my front loader had hot and cold to make use of it but what I have found is that on normal cycles it still heats its own water. Only if I set the temp to the max (which is almost never) will it use the hot water connection :(.
This is the model I have: http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/7kg-front-load-lg-washing…