jameslyssa, I am very sorry that you're having to deal with this. What a bummer. This ATC issue is why I bought a Maytag Bravos HE TL with an internal water heater. The heater works on almost all cycles, and I use it every time I need true hot or warm water. When I use it for true hot water, including the Sanitize cycle, the water is much too hot to touch and it steams up the washer lid. It is hotter than 140F water from the hot water heater, and I don't have to use Clorox on white cottons anymore, only OxyClean. My washer does not twist or tangle laundry, but my former traditional washers w/agitators did. Before I bought this washer, I researched Speed Queen too, but their washers were too small, too expensive, and I had read here that their spin cycles aren't as good as my washer's. I wash for a large family and the Bravos has cut my washer loads per week from 10+ down to 3-5. It is also a big help that I can wash comforters, don't have to spend megabucks at the laundromat. I'm glad you got a great warranty and I hope your washer is just a lemon, that you can get a really good one that meets your laundry needs.

James, What type of distribution piping do you have? How old is your piping and/or house? I would assume you have galvanized piping and I have heard of this happening after adding a softener, the buildup is breaking down. You could invest in an relativly inexpense water filter (Click on link) Home Depot sells one similar. Then you can buy adaptors to change the pipe thread connections to garden hose type threads. Then just screw on the filter. You'll be able to continue washing without worring about the filter clogging up reight away. If sediment gets into the washing machine solenid valve, it will be a costly repair. Happy Washing, Dan Martyn Here is a link that might be useful: Omni Water Filters

Thanks for everyone's great input. To answer a couple of questions, the hot water loop is separate from the cold water lines. It is insulated the entire way from one end of the house to the other. There is an electric pump next to the water heater that moves the hot water through the pipes, delivering hot water quickly to most any faucet. The hot water in the cold water pipe is due to the hot attic. The weather has cooled significantly here in SoCal and I can tell the difference. Today was about 70 degrees, and the "cold" water comes out room temp instead of hot when we have the 100 degree days. I know the problem. I was just wondering if there was an easy solution. Inslutating the cold pipe? Or the other one that makes sense - removing the insulation below the pipes, and tenting it over the pipes so maybe the air conditioned rooms below will keep the space with the pipes a bit cooler than when they are fully exposed. Or, just live with it. Maybe an under-sink chiller hooked up to the small filtered water faucet is in order.

Plllog, the Little Giant by Miele is a cold fill only, but has a tremendous sized heater and is 240v, so it can heat that water. It cost almost 5K IIRC. The regular Mieles are now 110v and have 1000watt heaters so I believe they need the hot fill to get the temps up to specs in a reasonable amount of time. I have a newer (2013) Miele 110v washer that I love and it is hooked up with both hot and cold water. Recently, I bought a used set built in 2003, that is a 240v unit, and I also have it hooked up to both hot and cold. There are some that say my used unit could be used for cold fill only, and the instructions state that too. But the appliance repair man that I bought it from suggested I let my household water heater do the heating. So that is what I have done. He is a certified Miele tech so I listened.