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All washing machines I've used in the UK have a temperature selector dial. They usually offer a number of presets such as 30c, 40c, 60c and 90c.

jrochkind1 4y ago
Interesting! I don't believe that's how USA washing machines work, they usually just say "hot", "warm", and "cold". Apparently USAians are washing machine philistines who don't need more than three temperatures and don't know what they are? Anyway, this shows another challenge in these icons, the international diversity of washing techniques and technology. (Edit: I found one possible answer online -- Euro washing machines may actually have water heaters built in, while American washing macchines may just use the existing house "hot water supply". So Euro machines can heat to desired temp, while American ones just have to take what they get! Why THAT was done that way, I don't know, difference in hot water heating technology choices? Euro houses don't usually have a central "hot water tank" like US has? Why THAT is would be yet another question...).
- el-salvador 4y ago
  In Latin America our home washing machines are usually connected to ‘cold’ water only. Except in homes with separate cold/hot water pipes.
  - masklinn 4y ago
    It's the same in europe. I know semi-professional or professional dishwashers are sometimes connected to both hot and cold inputs, not sure whether that is the case for washing machines though I wouldn't be shocked.
- bombcar 4y ago
  I suspect washers with heaters come from places that original had cold water only. The reality is we are overthinking it - "cold/warm/hot" is about all we need, and "warm" is really just "fill as fast as possible" often, since it opens both hoses.
  - bzxcvbn 4y ago
    The water comes out 60+°C out of your faucets?
    - bombcar 4y ago
      It could, but there's a temperature control valve limiting it to 115° or 120°, I forget which. If I wanted to bother I could run the "raw" hot water to the washer to get 140° IIRC.
    - jrochkind1 4y ago
      Shocking as it will be to you -- I'm just realizing that this differs between US and rest of world -- a home washing machine in the US can only go as hot as what comes out of the faucets. It cannot wash at 90C water, and likely can't even do 60C water. It can only do as hot as the "hot" tap water, which depends on what the hot water heat is set at, which is usually somewhere between 120F (49C) and 140F (60C).
      - bombcar 4y ago
        Do people really boil clothes? Obviously that's not a thing in the US, but I could see it being useful for whites, perhaps.
        masklinn 4y ago
        > Do people really boil clothes? Obviously that's not a thing in the US, but I could see it being useful for whites, perhaps. It's usually for really sturdy whites you want to disinfect after they've been soiled for instance. Use of that program has definitely gone way down over time. The energy requirements alone make it not a routine wash thing. It's also used to basically deep clean the washing machine itself.
        bombcar 4y ago
        It seems that the high-end commercial units for hospitals, etc come with a steam inlet and the option for an electrical heater added: https://unimac.com/products/washer-extractors/high-performance-industrial-washer-extractors/200lb-capacity/ https://unimac.com/products/washer-extractors/high-performan...
- masklinn 4y ago
  > I found one possible answer online -- Euro washing machines may actually have water heaters built in, while American washing macchines may just use the existing house "hot water supply". So Euro machines can heat to desired temp, while American ones just have to take what they get! Ah so it’s the same deal as the dishwashers, I should have figured. > Euro houses don't usually have a central "hot water tank" like US has? Why THAT is would be yet another question...). Commonly not, although it does absolutely exist water is frequently heated up on-demand. However a better reason might be the same as the kettle thing: the US being on 120V, so getting hot water out the furnace or hot water tank is waaay faster than heating it up on the spot.
  - jrochkind1 4y ago
    > might be the same as the kettle thing: the US being on 120V, I think you could be right about washing machines/dishwashers, but as far as electric kettles... even at US 120V, an electric kettle is WAY faster at heating water to boiling than even my fairly powerful (bigger than traditional burner) gas range. (Not to mention much more energy-efficient). I have no idea why electric kettles aren't more popular in the US. But I never thought about the 110V/230V thing with regard to kettles. I guess even though electric kettles in the US are faster than the stovetop, they still aren't as fast as everywhere else with 230V? Maybe "faster but not faster enough" is why people still heat water on a stovetop here? I don't know!
    - plorkyeran 4y ago
      Heating water on a stovetop isn't actually particularly common. We don't have electric kettles because we have coffee makers instead.
      - jrochkind1 4y ago
        Most people that I know who make tea make it by heating water on the stovetop, and don't realize or don't care how much better an electric kettle could be; but of course you're right that coffee is much more popular than tea here, and perhaps that's why electric kettles aren't more well-known as superior for heating water. I do not think it's because of 110V though! Even a 110V electric kettle is far faster than stovetop.

jrochkind1 4y ago

Interesting! I don't believe that's how USA washing machines work, they usually just say "hot", "warm", and "cold". Apparently USAians are washing machine philistines who don't need more than three temperatures and don't know what they are? Anyway, this shows another challenge in these icons, the international diversity of washing techniques and technology. (Edit: I found one possible answer online -- Euro washing machines may actually have water heaters built in, while American washing macchines may just use the existing house "hot water supply". So Euro machines can heat to desired temp, while American ones just have to take what they get! Why THAT was done that way, I don't know, difference in hot water heating technology choices? Euro houses don't usually have a central "hot water tank" like US has? Why THAT is would be yet another question...).

el-salvador 4y ago
In Latin America our home washing machines are usually connected to ‘cold’ water only. Except in homes with separate cold/hot water pipes.
- masklinn 4y ago
  It's the same in europe. I know semi-professional or professional dishwashers are sometimes connected to both hot and cold inputs, not sure whether that is the case for washing machines though I wouldn't be shocked.
bombcar 4y ago
I suspect washers with heaters come from places that original had cold water only. The reality is we are overthinking it - "cold/warm/hot" is about all we need, and "warm" is really just "fill as fast as possible" often, since it opens both hoses.
- bzxcvbn 4y ago
  The water comes out 60+°C out of your faucets?
  - bombcar 4y ago
    It could, but there's a temperature control valve limiting it to 115° or 120°, I forget which. If I wanted to bother I could run the "raw" hot water to the washer to get 140° IIRC.
  - jrochkind1 4y ago
    Shocking as it will be to you -- I'm just realizing that this differs between US and rest of world -- a home washing machine in the US can only go as hot as what comes out of the faucets. It cannot wash at 90C water, and likely can't even do 60C water. It can only do as hot as the "hot" tap water, which depends on what the hot water heat is set at, which is usually somewhere between 120F (49C) and 140F (60C).
    - bombcar 4y ago
      Do people really boil clothes? Obviously that's not a thing in the US, but I could see it being useful for whites, perhaps.
      - masklinn 4y ago
        > Do people really boil clothes? Obviously that's not a thing in the US, but I could see it being useful for whites, perhaps. It's usually for really sturdy whites you want to disinfect after they've been soiled for instance. Use of that program has definitely gone way down over time. The energy requirements alone make it not a routine wash thing. It's also used to basically deep clean the washing machine itself.
        bombcar 4y ago
        It seems that the high-end commercial units for hospitals, etc come with a steam inlet and the option for an electrical heater added: https://unimac.com/products/washer-extractors/high-performance-industrial-washer-extractors/200lb-capacity/ https://unimac.com/products/washer-extractors/high-performan...
masklinn 4y ago
> I found one possible answer online -- Euro washing machines may actually have water heaters built in, while American washing macchines may just use the existing house "hot water supply". So Euro machines can heat to desired temp, while American ones just have to take what they get! Ah so it’s the same deal as the dishwashers, I should have figured. > Euro houses don't usually have a central "hot water tank" like US has? Why THAT is would be yet another question...). Commonly not, although it does absolutely exist water is frequently heated up on-demand. However a better reason might be the same as the kettle thing: the US being on 120V, so getting hot water out the furnace or hot water tank is waaay faster than heating it up on the spot.
- jrochkind1 4y ago
  > might be the same as the kettle thing: the US being on 120V, I think you could be right about washing machines/dishwashers, but as far as electric kettles... even at US 120V, an electric kettle is WAY faster at heating water to boiling than even my fairly powerful (bigger than traditional burner) gas range. (Not to mention much more energy-efficient). I have no idea why electric kettles aren't more popular in the US. But I never thought about the 110V/230V thing with regard to kettles. I guess even though electric kettles in the US are faster than the stovetop, they still aren't as fast as everywhere else with 230V? Maybe "faster but not faster enough" is why people still heat water on a stovetop here? I don't know!
  - plorkyeran 4y ago
    Heating water on a stovetop isn't actually particularly common. We don't have electric kettles because we have coffee makers instead.
    - jrochkind1 4y ago
      Most people that I know who make tea make it by heating water on the stovetop, and don't realize or don't care how much better an electric kettle could be; but of course you're right that coffee is much more popular than tea here, and perhaps that's why electric kettles aren't more well-known as superior for heating water. I do not think it's because of 110V though! Even a 110V electric kettle is far faster than stovetop.