The temperatures are fixed, there is no service menu that lets you change them. I ran into a similar issue with my LG washer. The solution is simple: use a different temperature setting. For washers like these that dumb down water temp, the trick is to think of each temp setting as one lower than it actually is. So sanitize is hot, hot is warm, and warm is cold. The "hot" setting is 120 F, which is a pretty hot for warm (traditional warm is 100-100 F) but shouldn't be an issue and will wash much better than the actual warm setting. You could also try "Eco Hot" which should be somewhere in between warm and hot.

I believe the warm only being 78F, is when you have ECO Warm selected. For every cycle, you can choose TONS of options, and remember, not every option is stored for the next use (unless you create a Favorite). I use Warm for most daily clothes, and I've opened the door after a few mins (Paused, and then it unlocks). Let me tell you....it is NOT 78F, but much warmer!!! ECO warm and ECO hot are reduced temps. Regular warm and hot for sure utilize the onboard heater!!

Our 70 Series Wave Touch washer and electric dryer are AMAZING. Zero regrets. ZERO buyers remorse. We LOVE, LOVE them.

In the service manual from 2008, the temps were listed as such:

Sanitize - 152°F
Hot - 131°F
Eco Hot - 113°F
Warm - 84°F
Eco Warm - 81°F
Warm Rinse - 75°F
Cold - 59°F

The newer version have an additional Allergen temp - which is, coincidentally, 131°F. This kinda leads me to believe that today's Hot setting might be lower than in 2008. Here's a picture from an older review of the WaveTouch. It doesn't list the actual temp setting that was used, unfortunately.

I wouldn't expect a temp chart from 2008 to reflect 2014/2015 washer temps.

Me neither - but there's no newer serivce manual online. That's all there is.

@larsi...a few questions:
1. When was your machine made...the reason I ask is that i read some manufacturers are lowering wash temps to game energy star rankings.
2. I read some of your older posts where you loved Miele machines. What made you change to electrolux.
3. What detergents are you using to get your excellent results, and how much are you using?

THanks.

@malba2366.....

Hi! My machines were made 12/2013. I do not know if this is a good or bad thing, LOL.

LOVED my Miele units, and sold them in 100% perfect, flawless condition. Only reason for selling them was the dryer was amazing, but too small! I know, the T9802 was/is huge for European standards, but small for USA standards. It took too much effort and time washing king sized comforters and blankets. Also, there were almost no options for the dryer. You could not really change heat settings very much, and there was no time down counter.

I would say in our Electrolux, we almost entirely use Tide he powder for most clothes, towels and sheets. For whites, I have been using Tide with Bleach he powder, but it makes A LOT of suds, where the Tide he powder seems to be very low sudsing. For darks, I do like Tide TotalCare, now called Color Guard. Besides from dish towels and microfiber car cleaning towels, I ALWAYS use Downy Fabric Softener. It makes clothes, sheets and towels so soft and fluffy!

Please keep us posted. I have ZERO regrets switching from my beloved Miele units to Electrolux. Amazing machines!!!

I'd like to know the temp settings for my Electrolux model 50 (2013 model) too.

My house hot water temp is set high (I can get 140F easily from a tap) so no worries there. But the manual only cites a temperature for the Sanitize cycle (152F using their booster). No numbers for the other settings.

The available settings on this model are:
Sanitize
Hot
Warm
Cold
Eco Cold

I have a dust mite allergy and so I need water that is at least 130F. Now I'm wondering if the Hot setting is even giving me that much, even though my house water is capable of delivering even hotter than that, on "full".

Do these machines have a temperature regulator similar to the rotational limit stop on shower/bath valves?

Yes, all washers today (probably with the only exception being the current Speed Queen washers) have Automatic Temperature Control. Hot and cold water is cycled on and off as the machine fills so that a specific target temp is reached. Even is you had boiling water going in the washer, it would only use a tiny amount of it to achieve whatever target temp is stored in the software.

>I have a dust mite allergy and so I need water that is at least 130F

Sorry, but you picked the wrong washer. The 50 series is the bottom of the line model and does not have a heater. It's very unlikely you will ever get wash temps as hot as you want. Front loaders, especially new ones, use so little water that by the time the water has been flowing long enough to purge the residual cooled down water from the line, the washer will be full. You can mitigate this problem by running the closest faucet until the water is fully hot, but if you don't have a laundry sink you may be out of luck. Also, even if you can get hot enough water into the washer the small volume means it will cool down after only a little bit of tumbling unless you have a built-in heater to maintain/raise the temperature.

hvtech, darnit that is bad news. :-( However, I believe this model must have a heater because it has a sanitize cycle; the manual says this, regarding that cycle:

"This setting sanitizes heavily soiled colorfast fabrics.... by using wash water heated with a boost heater to 152F (67C). Cold water is used to cool and rinse the load. This setting is only available with the "deep clean sanitize" cycle."

There is also a small thermometer icon next to that cycle selection button on the washer.

So it sounds as if this washer does have a heater BUT it is only activated if the Sanitize cycle is chosen.

I do have a bathroom sink which is on the same hot water line as the washer (both room areas were added by the prior owner about 5 years ago and I can see the water lines leading from the heating equipment directly to this added living space). So I could definitely do the sink-hot-water trick.

The only difference in the plumbing is that the bathroom fixtures (sink/toilet/shower) are connected to the house main drain into the septic, while the washer has its own separate drain line that goes into a drywell.

As a followup question, would you guys say that the ONLY washer that would be able to provide 130F on the Hot water cycle (assuming of course that the house water was at least that hot) is the Speed Queen?

Specifically a Speed Queen top-loader? Because I see that they do make a front-loader. My only reservation about getting a top-loader again is accessibility in the future (bad back getting worse, and if I end up in the ADA category eventually, I don't see how I could use a top-loader).

But then again, if it uses that much less water, even at the correct temperature would it be in the "wash" cycle for at least 5 minutes? Because 5 minutes at minimum 130F is what's required for dust mite issues.

>However, I believe this model must have a heater because it has a sanitize cycle; the manual says this, regarding that cycle:

Either you reading a generic manual that also applies to other models that do have heaters, or you have a model higher than the 50 series. The 50 series does not have a heater. What is your model # from the tag on the washer?

>As a followup question, would you guys say that the ONLY washer that would be able to provide 130F on the Hot water cycle (assuming of course that the house water was at least that hot) is the Speed Queen?

No. Any front loader with a heater set to "sanitize" will.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Sun, Nov 30, 14 at 12:59

Model # EIFLW-50LIWO

The owners manual that I have, illustrates and describes the various functions exactly matching the machine that I have. The drawings/illustrations are identical to what my machine looks like, and every setting described in the manual is present on my machine, including the "Sanitize" setting.

It's definitely a Model 50, and it definitely has a Sanitize function, and thus a heater. Maybe the model 50s produced in years other than 2013 do not have a heater? I purchased mine in the fall of 2013 (but it has not been put into service until last month; don't ask, LOL)

EDITED TO ADD:

I went looking for an online service manual and found this review that mentions two interesting quirks of this machine:

"For the Electrolux EIFLW50LIW, the Whites cycle turned out to be the best. It especially had a good go against the dirt and cocoa particulate stains. However, this machine had issues dealing with sweat and blood stains: both protein based. In fact, during the Whites cycle we noticed that the temperature curve started high and went low. This means that the Whites setting added hot water at the beginning of the cycle, which can "cook" a stain into clothing."

So I may be better off using the Whites setting instead of the Normal setting (with selecting Hot water as the temp); perhaps I will get some hotter water, longer, that way.

Another VERY interesting mention was the fragrance that emanates from this washer! I have fragrance allergies and that's what prompted my first call to Electrolux. The phone rep first told me that "there is no fragrance" and then added "any new-washer smell will be taken care of by your laundry detergent". Uh, nooo, because I cannot use any fragranced products. But whaddiya know? As per the same review:

" You may also notice a distinct floral odor emanating from this machine, like it's the Queen of England or something. That's because Electrolux uses a patented rubber gasket that's impregnated with a scented, antimicrobial substance to prevent nasty odors. Most of the people in the appliance lab found it pleasant, but this reviewer wasn't thrilled by the smell."

If I had had ANY inkling that this was the case (I hadn't found that particular review before buying), I would NEVER have bought this machine. Because of the stupid door design, I leave the door open 24/7 when not in use, which means the hallway where the W&D is located, smells like the candle department in Bed Bath & Beyond. I was hoping the fragrance would dissipate after about a dozen washes or so. But apparantly it is permanent. Why couldn't the Electrolux rep have been honest? And why the BLEEP don't they disclose this in the brochures?

If I wasn't hoping to be moving out of this house within 2 years I would replace this washer with a Speed Queen, but it doesn't make financial sense under my current circumstances. I'll have to put up with it as long as I'm here. :-/

I really wish I could find out what the real temperature factory defaults are, though. Specifically for the Hot and the Warm cycles.

This post was edited by Helena2013 on Sun, Nov 30, 14 at 15:05

Helena--Go to the All Laundry Detergent website and read what they say about dust mite matter etc. You may find something there that might help about temps etc. It will be on the Free&Clear part.

Sorry I got confused, steam is the thing the 50 series doesn't have. You're right, it does have a water heater. My bad.

Electrolux did not publish temperatures for their latest washers, but someone on Gardenweb wrote customer support and was told that warm was 78, hot was 120. So if you want higher than that, you need to do a sanitize cycle that engages the heater.

The best you can do is measure the temp ten or 20 minutes into the wash cycle - depending on how long the main wash takes.

I have the Electrolux 500 series washing machine (EFLS517SIW).

I had an Electrolux repair man here this morning because whenever I selected warm or hot I was getting cold water. Turns out this machine is not capable of providing you with warm or hot. Electrolux considers warm around upper 60°F and hot between 75°-80°F. Keep in mind that your body temperature is 98.6°F and most indoor public swimming pools are 77°-82°F. The only way to get hot water with this machine is to use the "sanitize" function which heats the water to 152°F; too hot for most clothes.

I wish I would have known this before I purchased this washer. My 30 day return window has passed. It never occurred to me that temperature would be a problem.

AFAIK, the temperatures are different based on the cycle chosen. Additionally, the heater will only boost the temperature if soil level is set to heavy or max. I have the Elux 617 machine for a couple years and this has been my experience.

If the Eco-Leaf is on, you'll get no heating, period.

MRB

My workaround for these temperature issues on my LG compact front loader. If I wanted just a hot wash (but not all the way up to the sanitize temperature) then I would start the cycle on Sanitize, then after 20 minutes change the cycle to Normal and select hot. The boost heater will then maintain the temperature throughout the cycle.