I have a laundry machine and I always try to wash things at the appropriate temperature, but when the machine is done the clothes/sheets etc. never feel warmer than room temperature. How do I find out if the heating element of the laundry machine is broken?

Washer, dryer or a combo thing?

The rinse cycle uses cold water

At the end of the cycle it always rinses with cold water, so it's completly normal that the clothes are cold

While the laundry is rinsed with cold water, before you could check, the machine itself can feel warm during the washing cycle. E.g. when I do a 60° washing cycle and I touch the upper side of the machine (it's a front loader) after about an hour it's warm.

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That's either totally wrong or depends on where you live (and the model you have). Where I'm from, that's not a thing. Washers are connected to a cold water supply and heat the water themselves.

Probably varies by area then. Around here, every washer I've ever owned (or used at an apartment complex) had two water lines going into it.

This is not true in large parts of the world.

Interesting. I actually wonder why we don't have that here (Israel), since the majority of homes have sun-heated water. In the summer, the hot tap can reach scalding steaming temperatures (I'm not joking). It's a shame to let all that free energy go to waste.

Though to be fair, I've lived in apartments where the cold tap is scalding hot in the summer too, because the pipe is exposed to the sun. In that case, the washer gets a free ride, whether it needs it or not!

every single washing mashine I ever owned has internal heating - maybe that's different in the US, don't know about that, but here in europe that's completly normal.

I live in austria an we also have washing machines with internal heating and you usually connect them to the cold water tap, but usually you can also just connect them to the hot water tap if you have cheap or free hot water - there are thermostat sensors inside the machine and if the water is already hot it will not heat it any more.

But what if it's too hot, as can be the case here?

🤷‍♂️

Also, sometimes the machine's inlet is not rated for hot water, only cold. As I said in my first comment, I guess it depends on the model.

Your washing machine has gone zen. Inner warmth only.

Only washer.

Do you have a multimeter? Would you consider yourself handy? If you're comfortable trying, you can find the model (usually on the inside of the door or on the back). Look up "taking apart X washer machine" there'll be videos on disassembling. Multimeter can be used to test if individual components, like the heater, are working.

While that would work, it's massively overkill for the original question about whether the water is getting hot. There are much simpler and definitive ways to get the answer.

Now, if it's broken and they want to fix it, multimeter all the way

I'm a big "take it apart and see what's what" kinda guy. Probably overkill but it could also be a good learning experience. If OP wouldn't consider themselves handy, definitely don't open a can of worms.

I use an Electrolux front loader and it will heat water based on the setting you choose, as well as being connected to hot & cold lines.

You could watch the power draw with a smart plug.

https://www.athom.tech/blank-1/no-relay-consumption-monitoring-eu-plug-for-esphome

Is there something wrong with the things you're washing? Don't create a problem, if things are getting washed, not shrinking, not falling apart, and everything is just fine, just consider that the machine is working as intended, which seems to be the case.

I don't think I've seen that anywhere in Europe at least

• Touch the window in the hatch during the first half of the cycle; is it warm?
• Measure the power consumption.

I’m fairly certain that Japanese apartments (at least micro ones) only have a cold water hookup for washing machines.

Opposite in the US. I don't think I've ever seen a base consumer model with internal heating.

If you look up the hardware for installing a washing machine https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=washing+machine+outlet+box they all have spigots for hot and cold water.

Washing in cold water is best anyway, hot water sets stains. Unless you have powerful odor you need the hot to help kill the source of.

All cycles end in cold for that reason but it's too late already for some clothes if you wash in hot, or even don't rinse out a stain in cold water when it happens.

That's mostly a thing in 110V regions. Same for dishwashers. 230V gives you enough watts to heat your water fast.

I haven't seen a separate hot water inlet in a machine in decades...

Constant cold water cycles is not good for high efficiency don't loaders. You end up with a lot of excess sludge on the spider because cold doesn't dissolve detergent as well.

Mine could be broken as I wash in cold mostly. I will use temp in winter more because the water going through the pipes get real cold to the point where if you pause and push clothes down or such its uncomfortable for the hands. like putting them in ice water. you ever pause and just see what the water temp is. my pauses by lifting the lid. oh mine is upright though. I mean the hot water comes from your hot water tank. the laundry does not heat it. none I know of anyway. so if it was broken it would be like its not drawing from the hot water line which seems kinda unlikely.

Simple answer here- every washer I have ever seen uses the selected temperature for washing and cold water for rinse.

Feel the front of the machine while it is washing, if you chose hot water the window should be warm.

What if you're using liquid detergent?

Powder dissolves better

You might check to make sure the hoses are connected to the right taps.

Some washers also only mix hot and cold water for the "hot" cycle to save energy