I would try different cycles to see if one filled with hotter water than Normal. I can see it being the coolest of all cycles. Is this a top load machine?

I still say eventually all machines will go to cold water only. JMO

Samsung describes the Warm and Hot settings on the Normal and Heavy Duty cycle as "swimming pool temperature" and "acceptable bathwater temperature" respectively. Reviewed measured LG's Heavy Duty cycle at 98F on Hot. Consumer Reports say 75F is the common Warm setting on US washers today.

That being said, you can try different cycles - with the addition of Steam - to boost the target temp. Fast cycles will sometimes also yield higher temps.

Well now I think I would have liked your grandmother. I have a almost new Speed Queen I do get true hot tap but sometimes I like it hotter so I boil a big soup pot of water on the stove and dump it in. Lol

Is your washer a TL or FL? If that's as hot as hot gets I'd send it back.

Is this a TL or FL machine? If your machine has an allergen or sanitary cycle you will have to use that to get a hot wash.

Does your model have an internal heater? That seems super low to me. I have a new LG and I've been checking temps on the display and it seems that hot on the few cycles I have tried is varying between 110-115 throughout the cycle which is low compared to years ago, but I actually haven't gone through the full cycle as I am busy playing and trying to get an idea of the temps. LOL But, 74 seems ridiculously low.

Do you have a steam cycle? I have heard that can increase temps. I haven't checked any of my temps with steam yet.

Edit: I am trying a steam cycle right now and the current temp is 120. Not sure if it will go up any higher. Will try and keep an eye on it.

Edit 2: I spoke too soon, it's at 127 now.

Edit 3: 136 now. My dish clothes are getting a workout with all these cycles tonight!

Edit 4: Last check was 138 and I stopped the cycle and did a rinse and spin as I have to get bed and want this load (that has been washed about 6 times tonight to test stuff out) in the dryer! :)

Blue - I'm comforted to read this. After seeing this discussion yesterday I looked up the manual for a high-end LG and read that the internal heater only activates on "Extra Hot" cycles, and by my assessment the only cycle one can choose with Extra Hot is Sanitize. So it sounds like using the Steam feature will bring up the temp, too. How does Steam work in an LG? In my Samsung, most of the wash water drains after the main cycle, it refills a bit with HOT tap, and then activates the heater for 10-15 minutes. But the Steam feature does nothing to the rest of the wash cycle, even on Heavy Duty or Deep Steam Clean. It's a worthless feature, in my machine.

Does LG's Steam feature start heating the water earlier in the wash cycle?

Steam introduces small amounts of water into the outer tub and and heats it as the drum tumbles. Little by little, the heated water/detergent mix is absorbed by the clothes. Once the steaming is over, the spray jets come on to saturate the load - at least that is how I saw it on YouTube.

Alex - Whirlpool and Electrolux steam washers work the same; although they do a slow spin before the post-wash steaming.

Thank you for the clarification. So who makes a machine that does a HOT wash but not sanitize -- say 130F or 140F -- in the US market? I know Miele and Electrolux both do. I'm curious what temp the Whitest Whites setting washes at on these without activating the Steam feature.

I was disappointed when I learned hot is not really hot in my fancy Bosch. I, too, resort to a pot of hot water if challenged by stubborn stain or soil. Grandma, where are you???

ETA I have a temp boost option but don't use it or have bothered to learn what it means

Alex - look for an Allergen cycle. Per NSF, it must heat to 131F for three minutes. Alternatively, you can move to a different country. I see the 5.6 cu.ft. LG washer does boil washes - in Korea. ;)

http://info.nsf.org/Certified/Protocols/

WhirlpoolAlex - Don't think I haven't thought about it! I had so much fun doing laundry when we were back in France this fall. I fell in love with my family's new Siemens. *sigh* Don't mean to hijack the thread...

Alex Chicago, I am not sure if that is true that the heater only works with extra hot. Last night I had the hot temp selected on a few cycles and the temp rose during the cycle. Which I don't think would happen if the heater wasn't being used. I would think I would see hottest temp on fill only which wasn't the case.

Hopefully I can test again this weekend in case I am remembering incorrectly.

Also, on my machine, extra hot can be selected on the Heavy Duty and Normal cycles. And obviously on sanitary it is the only option for temp. Then the Allergiene cycle exists on my machine too.

On LG, machine water heating works on Allergene and Sanitize. !39F and 149F, I believe. They removed actual steam generators several years ago, and just create some steam with the water heating coil.

LG are liars by anyone's definition but their own.

Current FL LG washers Hot is 45C with the exception of Normal and Heavy Duty unless Steam is selected. Sanitary will run it just shy of 160. Steam option will raise the temperature considerably, Bulky, Large Jumbo will get you 143F. Your temp sounds way to low. The minimum connected water supply should be at least 120F. You can also forget about adding hot water manually. The machine is smart and will issue a drain and cooldown if the temp is above the target temp by a large margin. It cannot be fooled.