6 months? Aren't you fancy. My LG lasted six weeks before the pump broke.

Yea, I unloaded the heavy wet microfiber throws, sucked the drum full of water out with a shop vac, and went to a coin op. It was interesting two people I was talking to were ALL there for the same reason. There high tech expensive energy efficient new fangled washers were broke. Brands were different and I won't mention. Both were waiting for parts, one had three failures in a year. Seems to me it's all junk!

Was wondering if you were able to get your clothes out. Not being able to with a power failure of sorts was my biggest fear with my Bosch. In fact it did happen one time, door locked, filled with water and nothing. I panicked, called to repair man and he said to unplug it and wait a few minutes. All was well again. Good luck, hope it's not an omen of things to come.

Yes, door wasn't locked which I found odd considering it was full of water on a comforter cycle. A little research indicates it's either the fuse on main board or the noise filter board. But now that you mention it the door should have remained locked if it lost power. Died on the second full rinse.

Main thing is to plug them into a surge protector regardless of washer brand. May not have anything to do with the problems you have now but it can't hurt down the road.

It is a nice machine, and with anything things happen. I hope this is an anomaly and not an indication of overhaul reliability. Quick search of the problem indicates failure to power up is a common issue. Cheap under built electronics so I am not optimistic. A machine that is not reliable is no machine at all. Time will tell

There's a blog post by a east coast (U.S.) appliance dealer that says they calculate the five year washer repair rate for LG at 50%, which is the worst they measured. From memory Miele was the best at 14%. This still leaves 50% of long term LG washer owners feeling that their machines are well made.

Doing it over I would buy either Maytag or Electrolux/Frigidaire. I don't think LG is junk, but clearly they are not engineering for reliability and longevity. They design for features, looks, and price.

For a surge protector I suggest a whole house unit properly installed at the main breaker box. The inexpensive units, like those sold at home depot, work fine. These types of units actually move excess current to ground, and a more effective than the plugin type. Plus this type covers the whole house.

Techs just left. The main board already. Service is excellent, part arrives directly to me Wednesday, install Friday. Total cost of warranty repair 469.00. Extended warranties on these things are MUST HAVES.

I wanted to correct myself regarding this fiasco. No board revisions, just shipped wrong part. Sears is replacing entire machine.

Machine arrived yesterday. Did six loads and on two of them had to unplug and replug the machine in in order for it to turn on. Very disappointed and frustrated. Sears will once again replace, however I have had it with LG made product so this time I will make a brand switch. Service is out of the question since their seems to be reliability issues with LG units, and over a longer term could be a nightmare. So the choices narrow.

I'm kinda gettin' the feeling Consumer Reports is placing quantity over quality. They seem to test every model out there - even though the only differences might be some of the features - but they don't really test the machine's durability (besides that survey). Our consumer magazine does not test that many models... but of each tested washer, three units are bought and run through 1820 cycles to verify the durability. In the last test, an LG model did well performance-wise, but each unit started to leak after several hundred cycles because the drain hoses were rubbing against something inside the machine and ripped.

What brands are you looking at now?

Alex

Think I would check out the Electrolux this time around but that is just my thought.

No to Samsung, LG, and Electrolux. The latter because of timely parts availability. Most likely Whirlpool or Maytag. Also need to research tech data for water temps delivered, must have heater.

I have 30 days to take a risk on this one. If only it wasn't such a dam nice machine. Anyone have any experience with Whirpools WFW97? Water temps, water usage, drum light? This most obviously would be my choice for swap. It does have an Allegene cycle which should get you a 132 Hot wash, and a Sanitary cycles. The normal cycle I would assume is the Energy star dumb down. Need some technical expertise from someone who is familiar with this model.

Go to automaticwasher and ask or contact member "appnut" about his WFW97. He knows all about it. I copied a little of one of the replies he gave below:

It was one of the first that Whirlpool sold that were produced here
in the US (wfw97). I
personally don't believe in washing in cold water. The cycles I use are
Allergen (for hot) and bulky items (for warm) and a slower rate of
tumbling for clothes of various types. For kitchen towels and food
stained textiles, I use the extra hot water temp. And I use hand wash
for delicates. I do not use the Normal/Casual cycle because it uses the
least amount of water. I find the machine to be extremely flexible and
offers several cycles that do allow extra hot. The stain treat (deep
clean) is also available for several cycles. That heats the water from
luke warm to whatever temperature you have set--warm, hot, or extra
hot. This is excellent for very bad stains and you don't have to
pretreat. (source)

Here I am. Alex, thank you for pasting the post. My version of the WFW97 is no longer offered--doesn't have the array of cycles any longer. If I had to select a washer today, it would be either the WFW96 or the WFW97. They both feature the active spray technology, that's essentially a recirculating spray (the Maytag MHW8100 has the same, called PowerSpray Technology). That's something LG touts a lot of but it's due to its TurboWash function. If based upon the user manuals for all 3, there is more flexibility of choosing deep clean/stain treat on these models than even on my model. Also hot and sanitary (extra hot) are available on more cycles too. That's something that isn't offered on LG made products and I hate that.

Thanks. It would be helpful to define actual delivery temperatures. With government mandates conventional HOT is not 120F and IMHO this is critical. So it's safe to assume Allergene gives at least 130F to meet NSF guidelines. Sanitary on the WP doesn't deliver as high a temp as the LG/Kenmore which easily gets to 159F and its Steam option delivers anywhere from 140-159F depending on load size. Sanitary and Allergene cycles are inconsequential amoung brands and all are fairly similar. So on the WP towels, cycle for example with Hot selected, what is the operating temperature? The LG will only maintain a hot wash at 110F with heat boost unless steam option is added. It's warm is 90-95F with heat boost. And yes I also hate that. So other than the regulation cycle or cycles needed for energy star compliance it's helpful to have the info to make an informed choice. I did look at the new WF97' not a fan of load and go, and the WF98 I wouldn't even consider with grid smart which overly complicates. The 97 lost the drum light. And finally did the WF97 lose the pulley and belt and by direct drive I assume it's invertor DC arrangement?

All WP front loaders are made in Ohio and they all use direct drive technology--mine was part of that first generation that came out of Ohio rather than made in Germany. I don't use the liquid detergent dispenser, always powder since day one of the machine. In fact, I'm not even sure where the cartridge is lol. I've looked at the panels for both the WFW 96 & WFW97 and they both still have the drum light as a secondary function of the extras rinse button (mine is a part of the ecoboost button). My water heater is sset around 120 (at the most)--it's a Whirlpool SmartSaver electric water heater. For hot washes I only use allergen or the Sanitary Extra Hot temp options. There's an NSF 351 (required to reach 130 degrees for 3 minutes--which LG doesn't have any longer--it did in their early models with Allergene) and NSF172 for Sanitary. You can look those up online and read what each specifies for laundry. My normal/casual cycle doesn't use the hater at all, unless stain treat is used. That cycle is limited to a hot temptarture of 122 degrees and has since the very first genereration. On whites, the temp reaches between 125 and 130 degrees. If wash water temperature is over 120 degrees, then some cold water (up to about a minute) is added to cool the load down to be kind to the plumbing lol. Even when I wash on warm, but use deep clean/stain treat, it still heats the water from tepid to warm. Then it goes through a steam phase and at the end of the steaming, it does cool the load down before it drains for the first post wash spin. It wouldn't surprise me the towels cycle is simply another name for bulky items--description says it has tumble pattern to prevent balling up and tangling of towels and sheets. The heater is used on bulky items and when it's set on hot wash, it too has to add some cold water before it drains the wash water. There is a difference in warm water temperature used for Normal/Casual and any other warm water shah temp cycle that uses the heater. Actually even if the cycle doesn't use the heater (jeans, delicate, hand wash), the warm water temp is higher than the warm for N/C. I'd say warm is anywhere between 95 and 105 degrees and that's based on hot air that comes out of the vent at the back of the machine during the spin after the first wash. And if sanitary is used, that first rinse is essentially warm due to the residual heat in the clothes. The spin after that 1st rinse is luke warm still lol. I don't think warm temp is dumbed down on any cycle that uses the heater--unlike N/C having initial dumbed down temperature. I will say I am pleased current models (based upon cycle/options in user guide) offers far more cycles with options for Extra Hot and/or deep clean with steam options than mine. If true, I wish my delicate cycle had option for steam or hot at times. I used N/c for a load of white perm press/wrinkle free shirts ONCE. Even after steam portion, the load wasn't very not. After that I opted to use bulky items for that kind of load.

Thank you! Very informative. It's difficult to compare the previous 97 to the new one I would think. All of those temps to meet mandated energy compliance would have had to be dumbed down on two common cycles. Most notably Normal and Heavy Duty and no heat. As far as being able to select extra hot on certain cycles, you can't unless you select steam, Allergene or Sanitary but I get what your saying. And there is no drum light, only on the Maytag. Wish I can take this energy rated bull and stick it somewhere! Lol. So to simplify things this machine covers the bases. HOT on Allergene, extra HOT on Sanitary, and everything else warm more that satisfies. Bedding and Delicate most water. Need to pull a service manual to confirm some stuff now.

Pulling a service manual. Sounds cool. Wonder if it would cover all 97 variations. Sorry to hear that they pulled the tub light. Another thing I don't like about the LG--it only stays on for 4 minutes and then you have to push the button to turn it on again. (Yes, sometimes I like to just sit and watch it through a cycle).

As a side note the new products for 2015 will even be MORE stringent or they won't be sold. May have go back back to my days with the double dexter. Lol

Just got off the phone with Whirlpool. Their as clueless as all the other companies. They are unable to provide target water temperatures for this unit which in my opinion makes it the same as all the other Energy Star rated products, dumbed down and kept secret! I just can't believe this information is so guarded, and as consumers we truly have a right to know how the appliance will function, well at least I do.

The reason that they cannot supply the target temperatures for any of their machines is because none of the machines on the market (except for maybe Asko and Miele Professional) heat water to a specific target temperature. The heater engages at a certain point in the wash phase, if the temperature reaches the upper limit, the heater turns off. If not, when wash time runs out, the machine proceeds. There cannot be a guaranteed temperature because of poor implementation.

That being said, most enzyme detergents perform better at lower temperatures than higher.

MRB

Oh that's just not true. LG has target, range and cutoff. And I most certainly think the rest do also. Some document in service literature, some do not. It's all about modified energy factor. My guess is tier 3 support or engineering could answer that question.

None of the LG machines that I have had/used guaranteed a temperature except for a Sanitary cycle. Once the wash time is up, its game over.

MRB

Thank you I appreciate your comments. However I am not speaking of a guaranteed temperature. No US marketed machine currently "guarantees" a temperature. The control units most specifically reads data from thermistors, water level, current temp and is entirely dependent on the way the wash control system is programed. These machines all have the ability to make and alter wash programs on the fly, thus the term Nuero Fuzzy Logic. None hold the wash time till the target is reached. In LG's case there are hard targets programmed + or - a deviation, which the machine will maintain. If the target is reached it shuts off the heat, if not by the end of the wash cycle it continues on. If the fill temp is hotter than the target, heat is never engaged. Sanitary and Allergen are the only two cycles in which a specific temperature is achieved in order to get NSF certification. Whirlpools and Maytag controls are set up the same. No guarantee per say, but there are high and low limits set depending on the cycle and how the wash control was programmed. Trying to obtain this data is very guarded. As I stated some spell it out in service literature and others do not. LG's Hot wash on the the new HE machines is targeted and capped at 44C on all cycles except Normal and Heavy Duty for Energy Star compliance. Sanitary/Allergen have the standard NSF targets set, In those regulation cycles there is no boost heat, and the HOT setting becomes 95F-100F strictly maintained by adding more hot or cold water.

All I am after is the same data for the Whirpool/Maytag line.

Years ago, when the Duet was first introduced, Hot on Whitest Whites and Heavy Duty meant boosted water temperature of 125F. From what I remember, the PowerWash heats to 140F... over the course of a 2.5 hours cycle.

Other than that, I have no idea what the temp range is. The biggest 240V is Asko's 2.8 cu.ft. washer. It's capable of even 205F washes... but obviously isn't nearly as large as the Kenmore.

Yes older duets were the bomb, I know I had one for 12 years. Newer is not better. I can't find a manual for the new machines, either to new or not updated yet.

I venture to conjecture on a point or two. On my Duet, the heater is engaged for both the Whites Cycle as well as a specialty Linens/Sheets cycle. ON Whites, if its washes long enough, the temperature reached is probably between 125 and 130. On the specialty cycle it's default is warm and it seems to maintain, slightly boost the incoming warm temperature. I used it on hot once and I'd say it heated to around 120 to 122. On bulky, the heater is also used as a supplement--but I largely use that for "clothes" as it has a medium tumble rate. I used sanitary on Bulky once or twice and it achieves that high temperature during steam portion. All in all, I'm very fortunate I"ve fuynd cycles that allow the machine to do what I want it to do-- Hot from Sanitary & Allergene; a "Medium Hot" on Whites; and a solid warm on the Specialty cycle mentioned above as well as Bulky items. Anything else I wash aside from those cycles is probably done on delicate or hand wash and that "warm" on those cycles meets my needs. I know of someone who uses the Whites cycle for just about everything whereby they want the heater being used as a supplement for warm and moderately hot washes. I think by in large, the American consumer is as just clueless and doesn't care and is as dumbed won as water temperatures. I cringe now that new standards require touting of a Cold Wash cycle on cycle settings all unto itself just as Sanitary used to be touted. It's like Cold Wash cycle is the news solve everything panacea to society and everyone jump on the bandwagon. Two worthless cycles to me on Whirlpool products (Maytag & WP) are both Cold Water Wash and the Overnight wash & dry or wash & dry cycles. GE has had something similar at times too. And don't even get me started on the updated energy requirements for dishwashers. "normal" wash temperature is now considered 105 to 110 degrees and "high-temp" is now considered to be 129-130 or 140 degree main wash temp if Sanitary Rinse temp is selected.

Yes I come to learn both Heavy Dury and Normal are both UL regulation energy cycles on the new Whirlpool and forced Eco boost water temps. Bulky, Perm Press, Delicate gives the most water, although slower final spin and cooler water temps. Towels runs at 113F a warmer warm, sanitary at 158 and allergene at 140. Wash and Dry useless, and only under the most unique fabric care would I ever use a cold wash, but nice to have. Steam can be added to some cycles but not sure how it's Implemented or functions. The multi dose detergent dispensor is neither here nor there as you can remove it. LG clearly makes the nicest machine which I have come to accept, although reliability still is questionable as is Whirlpools based on horror stories I have read. It's kinda a toss up, gamble, and risk with either. I Samsung, Maytag, and GE just aren't as nice as the LG and Whirlpool.