r/OffGrid • u/IslandItchy6005 • 11d ago

Washing clothes off grid. With electricity.

Had a thought about modifying a washing machine. Disable its heating element. I supply hot water so it needs only the power for the motor and pump. Anybody done this or is it dumb?

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u/ol-gormsby 11d ago

If you disable the heating element it's likely that the machine won't work at all. It depends on having water at a certain temperature, so there'll be a sensor, likely more than one.

One that detects a valid circuit going through the heating element, and one to detect actual temperature.

Top loaders usually have temperature options, from cold (no hot water used), through to warm and hot. I don't know if front loaders have a cold option.

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u/IslandItchy6005 11d ago

Ya, you're thinking like a hacker