When it was nearly time for breakfast, Jay could hear the sound of a little running water. It seems as if the washing machine drain was not completely open and allowed a dribble of water to escape when the pump was removing water from the machine. We had to stop the machine several times. As soon as the wall pipe filled completely, a bit of water ran out.
It was a good excuse to pull the machine out of its closet-like space in the bathroom. The cheap, Chinese RCA washing machine does have a filter plug on the rear, bottom area. A manual said it should be checked every few months, but I hadn't in almost a few years. So, I shut off the water to the whole apartment. Then, we disconnected the hoses, power cord, and thin drain hose and pulled it from its shelter.
I had noted when trying to do a hot water wash to ensure detergent scum didn't build up once before, the water was not very hot. So, I figured I might iron out that problem at the same time. First, I had to run down across the street to buy some Liquid-Plumr gel. They didn't open until 9:30 AM. It was rather a feat of magic ensuring the drain cleaner and subsequent hot water entered the drain because of the tricky arrangement of the upper drier shelf.
The bottom filter drain I mentioned was free from any buildup, so I'll not be too concerned about checking again right away. The hot water hose seemed to be fine so the washer was getting enough hot water. I thought I'd run a load without shoving the machine back into the closet space. Hum, still not very hot.
Being the stickler I am for details, I figured I'd ignore the fact we cannot do a really hot wash. An occasional warm load seems like it'll suffice. I could take off the back panel of the machine, but I'll do that some other year. I feel better with everything back in its place even though the second problem wasn't solved.