I have had the Asko W6021 washer for 5 1/2 years. Generally, I've been pleased with the washer. A week or two ago I noticed that wash times seemed to be outrageously long. Cycles that would normally take 75-90 minutes to complete were going on for 3 or 4 hours. I later noticed the wash water remained cold, with the wash temperature set to 120 or 140 (degrees F). Result - less than clean clothes with regular settings (such as Normal, or Normal Plus). I've been getting around this issue by setting the temperature dial to a mark with no temperature beside it (ambient temperature), and running either the Sani cycle (which has a prewash) or running a short and then a regular cycle.

Before I call in a repair man for what I expect will be an expensive repair I was hoping to get some info and advice. Is the lack of heat possibly due to a blown fuse? I understand there are two 15A fuses in this washer. I've seen two round disks with what appear to be slots you can insert coins into to unscrew them. Is this how one gets access to the fuses? I cannot find any instructions regarding checking and replacing fuses for this washer. Various past threads indicate I may need to remove the back panel of the machine, which I'm not entirely comfortable with.

Have any other Asko washer owners experienced a similar problem? If so, could you please share your experience with getting the problem resolved? I'm trying to brace myself for a $500+ quotation.