We will look at problems with controlling the water temperature in a Washer.

Cause

Design.

Solution

Some units are manufactured with heaters to help raise the water temperature to the required level, while others are produced without heaters and rely on the temperature supplied by the customer’s hot water system.

Identification

The quickest way to tell if the washer you are working on has a heater or not is in the model number.

In the example above, we can see that the model number contains an “H,” indicating that it has a heater. A “C” indicates that the unit does not have a heater. A top loader might have a model number such asWT1101CW. In this case, the “C” indicates that the model does not have a heater, while the “W” indicates the color white.

If the unit does not have a heater, the hot water temperature will be determined by the water heater’s set temperature, the distance the water must travel, and the ambient temperature.

In this example, the installation on the left (1) should not cause any temperature complaints. However, with the installation on the right (2), there may be complaints that the water is not hot enough due to the distance from the washer to the water heater. The customer may try running another hot water source closer to the washer to ensure hot water reaches the washer before it begins filling.

Cause

Defective Heater.

Solution

If your unit has a heater and has been working but now the water temperature is colder than it has been, the heater assembly may be bad.

The Heater will be located on the outer tub and will have two terminals and a thermistor in the middle. A good heater element will test at 12-18K

Cause

Defective Thermistor.

Solution 

All top load washers are equipped with a thermistor. LG top load washers use the thermistor to monitor water temperature for optimal cycle efficiency and to ensure the temperature does not become too high for delicate fabrics.

If the thermistor is out of range, it may not generate an error code but could be inaccurate enough to affect the water temperature. This chart will help you determine whether it is within the proper range.