I read this today; "Hardness minerals affect laundry in a gradual manner often not obvious in today's automated washing processes. People accustomed to hard water may not notice the increased detergent use, faster fading of colors or yellowing of whites, shortened fabric life, greater demand for hot water, increased wear on the washing machine, and extra wash and rinse cycles. Wasteful Hard Water ... Everything from soap's ability to clean to the life span of the washing machine can be affected. A study conducted by the American Institute of Laundering determined that detergent and laundering costs can be as much as twice as much in hard water as compared with soft water. Most modern detergents also contain builders, but in much greater quantities than soap. Unfortunately, the builders tend to be consumed in softening hard water. This limits their ability to clean, and requires greater quantities of detergent to be used to get laundry clean. Rinse Cycles and Water Temperature It's a well known fact that the hotter the water the cleaner the laundry, and this is particularly true in hard water. Hard water's effect on soap and detergent, which reduces cleaning ability and hampers the rinse, means hotter water and extra rinse cycles may be required to clean laundry. The energy used to heat water and to operate the washing machine for extra cycles translates to higher costs and wasted expense to consumers. Fabric Life and Appearance A Purdue University study found that fabrics washed in hard water tend to wear out as much as 15 percent faster than fabrics washed in soft water. This is probably due to the presence of hardness residues left in the fabric after laundering, making it stiffer and causing increased friction and wear on the fabric as it flexes. The Purdue study also found that hard water has a generally negative effect on colors and whites. Colors were found to fade and whites to darken more quickly in hard water. In addition, the study found that laundry washed in hard water became resoiled with greater ease. Washing Machines The dissolved minerals in hard water tend to collect in water-using appliances, shortening their life. Washing machines are not immune to this process, and the buildup of these minerals can clog pipes and cause excessive wear on moving parts. A study by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) found that washing machines used with hard water can wear out up to 30 percent faster. A washing machine, which might otherwise last 10 years, will likely last as few as 7 years where hard water deposits can be formed." Here is a link that might be useful: The Water Quality Association - Soft Water

I am looking at buying a kill-a-watt, but probably should check the watts-up. Any thought on which is the best deal? gordonr, I will look forward to your report on how your heater works. The cycles on my 2003 HE3t seem to be shorter than on the newer models, so I suspect the heater will be activated for a longer period of time if necessary. On my washer, the Whitest Whites (WW) and Heavy Duty (HD) are exactly the same, except that that WW cycle has the extra rinse option already selected, and the HD cycle has the stain treat option selected. The max amount of time the heater runs depends on the soil level setting. Light = Heater does not activate Normal = 7 minutes Heavy = 16 minutes When stain treat is selected, the heater can run for over 35 minutes, with a max wash time of over 40 minutes. The wash time for the Sanitary cycle extends automatically if necessary. While washing a huge load of towels with the stain treat option activated, the heater has run over 90 minutes. [The wash water starts at warm (104F) and is heated to extra hot (153F)] If you include the "catalyst" fill time and the wash time after the high temp is reached, the wash portion of the cycle can last up to an hour and 45 minutes. If stains don't come up after that, they probably won't ever come out. Joe

O.K. I get your POV, rpsinfoman. I happened to be at Home Depot yesterday and saw the Maytag Epic washer and dryer in black. You were right, they are the exact same machines as the KA Ensembles. However, they were not priced lower than the KA Ensemble washer and dryer. They were priced the same as the original price of the white or black KAs (not the floor model price I got) at Western Appliance. Home Depot didn't have the Whirpool Duets, so I couldn't compare the pricing there, but the Duets were definitely cheaper than the KAs at Western Appliance. Maybe Maytag is trying to raise the profile of the Maytag name? I also understand the "prestige" factor in a label. I was all set to buy a Kenmore DW and FD refrigerator, but my sister-in-law said I couldn't have Kenmore in my kitchen because it wasn't appropriate to the value of my house (her family is in real estate). I went to Western Appliance, and found the same appliances but with a Kitchen Aid label - and negotiated a lower total price than I was going to get at Sears, and my sister-in-law was happier with that choice! Very funny!

Here is my suggestion and I will explain why based upon your husband's socks. Get this Maytag at Lowes Maytag Maxima 5500 You are "negative" about Allergen and Sanitary because you don't have health concerns. Hot water is what cleans clothes. The Allergen cycle is P351 NSF and it is required to reach a temperature around 130 degrees. HE top loaders still have dumbed down temperatures (even with steam) because of the volume of water., My Duet has a prewash cycle and I've never used it, even for my heavily soiled kitchen towels. If I were doing your husband's socks with the suggested machine, I would use Tide HE with bleach powder; Power Wash cycle with extra hot temperature selected and steam for stains. If you feel you must do a prewash, just select rinse & spin and let the "rinse" be a prewash with detergent. Other selection might be Allergen with steam for stains and in both instances heavy soil level. Dumbed down temperatures don't get things adequately clean (Hello MamaP), especially heavy soil. Dirty heavy soils, select extra hot and steam for stains. My duet has cycles machines don't have now days because it's a 2011 model. I don't use a cycle based upon what it's intended garment description says. I select the cycle because it give me the tumble speed I want, ste4am for stains and hotter temeratures. I don't use the "Normal" cycle because that the energy star certified cycle--translates to even lower water temps than in the other cycles as well as reduced water amounts per fill.