Mine is this way. I have a Maytag. I love it though. There is a cycle on mine I can choose that will allow it to fill up with water.I sort of know how you feel RickN, we bought a new washer and dryer around $1700.00 from Lowes and the washer that was installed didn't work. They picked it up and installed. another one. but these new washers are "energy efficient" in that they use very little water to wash. They make a grinding sound and sometimes the clothes have holes in them. If we ever get another set, I am not going to have one that uses little water. Surely there is some brand out there that will fill up the tub. Some woman on youtube shows how to fill a bucket of water from your sink to fool the washer making it "think" you have more clothes because it weighs more in the tub due to the water.