I think there's some confusion here... If a washer has dumbed-down temps, a heater won't make those temperatures any higher. What a heater may do, is offer the option of a sanitary or extra-hot temperature, great for cleaning but not safe for all items. And it may help by heating the water if the machine wants to do a hot wash, but fills with cool water because of a long hot water lag (long pipe run between domestic water heater and washing machine). Another thing: In most cases, dumbed-down temperatures are not forced on the manufacturers. They choose them in order to qualify for direct-to-manufacturer tax credits, as much as $250/unit. You could say that the manufacturers are selling out their customers to get the tax credits. The exception is traditional deep-fill agitator top-loaders. They use so much water that they may actually bump up against the mandatory Federal regulations. Even there, it's interesting to realize that, prior to 2011, there were no mandatory restrictions on water usage. There were energy restrictions, which may have mandated cooler wash temperatures on deep-fill machines (because all that water takes a lot of energy to heat). But there were no restrictions on unheated water, therefore no limits on how much rinse water could be used.

HE vs non-HE. Top load vs Front Load. Topics that resonates at this forum. Really a lot of factors at play to consider before laying down your hard earned cash on a new washer. Utility costs: -wash hot water most of the time; FLW or HE TLW the way to go -water and sewer cost a fortune; FLW or HE TLW the way to go -wash warm most of the time; not much to be saved with HE TLW -water and sewer cheap; not much to be saved with HE TLW -BTW, 90%+ of a washer's energy use is to heat the water -modern detergents work great in warm water IMHO Your personal time: -many HE TLW washers have really long cycle times; with less mechanical action they must work the laundry longer to get it as clean; cycle 60 min+; some have nearly 90 minute cycles that get top or near top rated by Consumer's Reports -traditional TLW washers have more mechanical action; 30-35 min cycle -how will the top load cycle match up to the dryer? Traditional TLW will give 150G spin and generally wash faster than the dryer can dry; dry time 40-60 min; you get that 150G every time with a repeatable cycle length -HE TLW claim they give 300G spin, but that requires nearly a perfect balanced machine; many have time consuming algorithms that attempt to rebalance; if they can't rebalance you get 150G or potentially much lower spin speed; many horror stories posted here about HE TLW balancing issues; so do you really get that extra cup or two of H2O out of the laundry after spin that you paid dearly for? -do you mind doing the wash all weekend or do you want to get it done fast? Your personal tolerance for detergent residue: - only traditional TLW has a good deep soak -HE TLW have a spray or partial bath rinse; not as effective to get all the soap out Your personal tolerance for fabric wear: -traditional agitator is generally harsher on clothes than a little puck on the bottom of an HE wash basket Since you are ruling out front load washers, you leave some of their advantages off the table for a low energy, low water use machine. Saving the world one wash load at a time: -certain areas are very hard pressed for water; it is an undeniable fact -all areas some day will face energy shortages some day if not already -does saving one gallon of water in the Upper Midwest really help the drought stricken southwest or a farmer in Florida? How will that saved gallon get from say Chicago, a water rich location, get to Phoenix, a water short location? -is the same Eco minded person buying an HE washer driving around in a gas guzzling SUV or living in a 10,000 SQ ft mega mansion? -why do certain people guilt those who buy traditional TLW as energy/water gluttons, yet move or chose to live by choice in water starved area or in a desert running the AC non-stop that the local environment cannot sustain? I know I am being cynical here, but being ecologically sensitive is an all-inclusive way of life, a summation of all the choices that a person makes. But if buying an HE TLW or better yet a FLW is your first step to helping our planet, then great, but be aware of all your decisions that impact the environment.

The simple answer is "NO". A vent line may not be run horizontal until it reaches an elevation of 6" higher than the highest fixture served by that vent. If you are under the Uniform Plumbing Code you would be required to run the vent through the roof as your plumber has suggested. If you are under the International Residential Code you could install an AAV(air admittance valve) on a riser at the washing machine location.

I hate to tell you this, but washing is no guarantee that fabrics won't bleed later. I have no idea why, but even fabric from the same bolt might act differently. Just yesterday, I had a small scrap of RJR panel print to make a label for a quilt. Spritzed it a bit first with cold water to press first, and very soon, the reds ran. All the fabrics were rinsed in cold water before I used them, and nothing ran. So, I got another idential scrap, and rinsed it in cold water first, to check. No running. Huh? So I got another and spritzed it. No running. It was all from the same bolt. Hmmmm. I guess I will just use one that didn't run. Go figure. I'm left to wonder what will happen if the quilt itself ever gets washed. It would not be the first time I've had this happen. BlueBars