A friend recently purchased a new top-loading GE washing machine, model number GTW491BMRWS, from a large Canadian furniture and appliance company with an outlet in Summerside. Remembering a time when appliances were much more basic, she wanted a machine that would add as much water as she likes, unlike most washers that limit water to meet energy efficiency and water conservation standards.

To allow more water to be added to wash loads, many GE models offer something called Deep Fill, a button you push to add more water, and her machine has that feature. Try as she might, though, she couldn’t get that button to work. A little LED next to the button would never light, and she read the entire manual trying to figure it out.

She contacted the store, but as more than 72 hours had elapsed since she purchased the washer (really), they wouldn’t help her and she would have to contact GE to get them to send a service person. The store folks did suggest that she try unplugging the machine to reboot it, which she did, but still no luck. She was feeling pretty disappointed.

I found the answer through some convoluted web searching, and eventually discovered GE’s explanation:

Deep Fill is available on all wash cycles except the Normal/Colors cycle due to 2016 Department of Energy regulations.

GE doesn’t add that helpful tidbit to their owner’s manuals for reasons unknown. There are detailed tables in the booklet that explain all the different cycles that can be used, and in what combination with which options (many, many knobs and buttons), but nowhere in there does it say “don’t bother using this button with the Normal soil level setting.”

This is my first post to be tagged “enshittification”, but probably not my last!