Hot and warm water taps instead of hot and cold for washer?

**Linda49** · 11-12-2010, 09:11 AM

I'm wondering if it would be possible to make the washer's cold water tap warm. Is there a code issue with that? Could a wye be installed that joined both hot and cold before the valve. Is there a mixing valve to warm water that could replace a washer valve?

Reason for asking:

I am researching the new washers and I am finding that the manufacturers are making it so you can't get a true hot wash unless you have an onboard heater which adds about 90 minutes to the wash time. Even then, the manufacturers decide what they consider an acceptable temperature to be. One targets hot at 110 with the onboard heater. They won't tell you unless questioned, but that same manufacturer stated their target range for hot as 90 to 100 degrees. without heater and they allow little hot input on warm cycle selections. Guess they figure the ambient temperature will warm the water. They assume that the water will be 64 degrees. We have a well, and it's not nearly that warm.

I am chemically sensitive and my research suggests that to avoid using chemicals to clean the bio-film off the washer which feeds mold and mildew, one needs to use very hot water at least once every 5 loads as well as drying the gasket thoroughly after use and leaving the door ajar so the washer dries out after the last load.

Linda

**geniescience** · 11-12-2010, 09:25 AM

hot, cold and warm (premixed) you can have also. Three taps. Whatever. Search using "thermostatic mixer" as key words. An ugly industrial mixer costs about $100. They are behind the scenes in all those public washrooms where the water is only one temperature, not too cold, not too hot.

**Cookie** · 11-12-2010, 11:00 AM

Yes, you can put a Y in, it will give you hot water for all cycles. No, it is not a code issue.

**Jerome2877** · 11-12-2010, 12:51 PM

Yes, you can put a Y in, it will give you hot water for all cycles. No, it is not a code issue.

I think she's asking if you can put a Y in to the cold tap to make it warm, this is not allowed as you would be creating a cross connection. Your talking about a Y from the hot to make 2 hot connections correct?

I would imagine that the washer your speaking of would have a thermostat that regulates the temp so even with a mixing valve installed on the cold supply it would probably adjust the flow to make the same temp.

**jimbo** · 11-12-2010, 01:15 PM

My whirlpool has a "smart board" which controls water temp. There is a sensor on the inlet spout to the tub. They have decided that COLD needs to be over 60, so if it thinks it is too cold, it adds hot to the cold selector cycle. It does "optimize" hot and warm settings, as well.

Mine acted up soon after I got the new machine.....would periodically just reverse hot and cold for no reason. Has to get a "rev. C" version of the board with better calibration on the brain.

**Cookie** · 11-12-2010, 01:43 PM

That is right you cannot connect the hot and cold together except by way of a valve or faucet made for that purpose; ie, the mixing valve inside of a washing machine. But you could if you wanted to, run all hot water by connecting it the way I described.

Originally Posted by Jerome2877

I think she's asking if you can put a Y in to the cold tap to make it warm, this is not allowed as you would be creating a cross connection. Your talking about a Y from the hot to make 2 hot connections correct?

I would imagine that the washer your speaking of would have a thermostat that regulates the temp so even with a mixing valve installed on the cold supply it would probably adjust the flow to make the same temp.

**Linda49** · 11-12-2010, 02:06 PM

Thanks for the responses. Very helpful. Glad to read about the thermostatic mixer and i'm thinking about the three valve idea, geniescience.

Jimbo, are you saying that the washer's temp sensor might thwart my plan? Would it actually shut off and wait for the water to cool? I have read that the ratio of cold to hot on a Samsung was about 1/3 hot to 2/3 cold for the hottest wash. So I figured if it only had warm water to add instead of cold it would be closer to hot and I could have a warm rinse.

On another forum people have suggested swapping hoses to get hotter temperatures, but I don't see how that could work on machines that have sensors for incoming water temp.

Linda

hj · 11-13-2010, 07:24 AM

You are missing the important factor. UNLESS your washer is next to the water heater it takes a certain amount of water flow before the HOT water becomes HOT, and a mixing valve would NOT change that dynamic. Once the hot water arrives, it will be at approximately whatever the water heater is set for, which should be greater than the washer's minimum, as long as you have the temperature on the washer set for "hot", and not "warm" which would be affected by the relative pressures and temperatures of the two lines.