Dishwasher question

Jem

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For whatever reason, I read the little "mini instructions" on the top of my dishwasher when I opened it to allow my freshly washed dishes to dry. I don't do the heat dry thing as I find it's not necessary and want to save on energy.
Anyway, what one part said was "Dishwashers run longer to save on resources, select "one hour wash" for faster results".
I have always used the one hour wash because I thought this would save on energy...now I read that the one hour wash uses more water, but I would have thought that overall a shorter wash cycle would be better for electricity.....IDK what to do now. What cycle is best to save on my bills/water/energy?
I don't care how long it takes for the dishwasher to run, if it ultimately uses less energy/water, so that's not a concern.
Also, my dishes have always come out clean so I have no issues relating to performance either.
 

Willowy

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My "rule" for the internet is that, no matter what question you have, some nerd has figured it out, the only problem is finding where they posted the results :tongue: .

Anyway, this one claims that the longer cycle saves water AND energy: What's the most eco-friendly dishwasher cycle?

And this one explains why:
Why newer dishwashers run for an alarmingly long time.

But no matter what, any modern dishwasher uses less water and energy than handwashing.

(Its power use is not extremely significant to your bill; even if you run it every night on the hottest setting it uses maybe 2 kWh per load. Which for me, would be 26 cents, depends how much you pay per kWh but it would be hard to top $10 a month. But still, $10 is $10, lol.)
 
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margecat

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For whatever reason, I read the little "mini instructions" on the top of my dishwasher when I opened it to allow my freshly washed dishes to dry. I don't do the heat dry thing as I find it's not necessary and want to save on energy.
Anyway, what one part said was "Dishwashers run longer to save on resources, select "one hour wash" for faster results".
I have always used the one hour wash because I thought this would save on energy...now I read that the one hour wash uses more water, but I would have thought that overall a shorter wash cycle would be better for electricity.....IDK what to do now. What cycle is best to save on my bills/water/energy?
I don't care how long it takes for the dishwasher to run, if it ultimately uses less energy/water, so that's not a concern.
Also, my dishes have always come out clean so I have no issues relating to performance either.
When we bought the one before this new one, we were told the same thing about the cycles. BTW, i don't recommend Whirlpool dishwashers,it was nothing but trouble. Even though it still "worked", after two years, we bought a Bosch. It's smaller, but it it actually gets things clean, the rack clips didn't keep breaking, nor did we have five service calls in the first month.
 
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Jem

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W Willowy - thanks :), I did look but wanted to be sure, and know what others do....even in the link you posted, is says you should always run a full load, but lately I've seen commercials for a certain dishwasher detergent...can't remember which one, that now contradicts that, saying that even a non full dishwasher load is better than washing by hand...:ruminating:

When we bought the one before this new one, we were told the same thing about the cycles. BTW, i don't recommend Whirlpool dishwashers,it was nothing but trouble. Even though it still "worked", after two years, we bought a Bosch. It's smaller, but it it actually gets things clean, the rack clips didn't keep breaking, nor did we have five service calls in the first month.
We have a whirlpool, but thankfully, so far so good....We've had it for.....7 years or so???? Can't remember. But our choices were limited as we had to get a dishwasher that would fit in the slightly smaller than average hole in the cupboards. I guess dishwashers are bigger then what they were 40 plus years ago when my kitchen was built.
 

Willowy

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lately I've seen commercials for a certain dishwasher detergent...can't remember which one, that now contradicts that, saying that even a non full dishwasher load is better than washing by hand...:ruminating:
It probably is. Faucets usually run at 2 gallons per minute, and dishwashers can use as little as 2.3 gallons. . .so unless you manage to use less than that while handwashing you'll still come out ahead using the dishwasher. But for maximum cost effectiveness, yeah, running it full is best.

When mine was working I ran it every night. I usually didn't have a full load of human dishes so I'd fill it up with dog and cat dishes, lol. Now I maybe wash their dishes once a week. . .ugh, I really need to get a new dishwasher.
 

fionasmom

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I have a three year old Whirlpool....I am a huge Whirlpool devotee and think that they make rock star appliances, but not so much with this dishwasher. Its internal disposal system is not the best and I clean the filter a lot...no problems like overflowing but just not the best results.

The materials that came with it also assured me that the longer cycle was much better for water and energy economy all around. There was even some comparison like driving a car at breakneck speeds uses more gas and creates more wear and tear.

Dishwashers do use less water and I am trying to stop the hand washing for the most part and to begin relying on the dishwasher more.
 
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Jem

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Well...I guess I need to change the setting on my dishwasher to "normal". We're never in a hurry for dishes so a 2 / 2.5 hour cycle isn't a big deal if I'll be saving more in the end. Glad I randomly decided to actually read the label on the dishwasher door!
 

susanm9006

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Those long cycles would drive me crazy. Makes me very happy that I am keeping my sixteen year old dishwasher alive! W Willowy , I really thought last year I was going to have to replace mine - it was stinky and cleaning poorly. Then I watched some YouTube videos on dishwasher problems and learned some parts on mine were easy to remove and clean clogs and dishwasher cleaning tablets do a just amazing job of removing built up minerals and gunk that make the dishwasher stink. Mine is running just like new now.
 

Silver Crazy

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What our family has done here is buy the under counter commercial dishwashers like they have in restaurants and bars etc.
They cost double the price of a domestic dishwasher and dont look as pretty but they connect to your hot water so not wasting power heating the wash water, use a tenth of the amount of water others use, wash cycle is about 10 minutes and will last you 20 years.
The lesser energy and water usage more than make up for the high buy price.
 

fionasmom

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Interesting. I buy Speed Queen washers and dryers. They are plain white industrial looking, no unsightly, but very plain. Since they are the smaller version of what is in laundromats they simply never break down.
 
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Jem

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What our family has done here is buy the under counter commercial dishwashers like they have in restaurants and bars etc.
They cost double the price of a domestic dishwasher and dont look as pretty but they connect to your hot water so not wasting power heating the wash water, use a tenth of the amount of water others use, wash cycle is about 10 minutes and will last you 20 years.
The lesser energy and water usage more than make up for the high buy price.
Interesting. I buy Speed Queen washers and dryers. They are plain white industrial looking, no unsightly, but very plain. Since they are the smaller version of what is in laundromats they simply never break down.
Ooo, I'm going to have to keep that in mind when I need to replace my current appliances! I'm cheap, but I will spend on quality if it saves in the long run!
Silver Crazy Silver Crazy - What's the brand/company name?
 

Willowy

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Then I watched some YouTube videos on dishwasher problems and learned some parts on mine were easy to remove and clean clogs and dishwasher cleaning tablets do a just amazing job of removing built up minerals and gunk that make the dishwasher stink. Mine is running just like new now.
Mine just quit. The display is blinking and that's it. No buttons will press, nothing happens, just blinking. It's probably repairable (wiring problem?) but it's over 10 years old so I'm not going to bother. I'll get the plainest model I can find (I inherited my dad's opinion of bells and whistles---"just more things that can break") and have my dad or uncle install it, so it should be fairly inexpensive.
 

Silver Crazy

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Silver Crazy Silver Crazy Silver Crazy Silver Crazy - What's the brand/company name?
We use an Eswood here..a English brand but I have been out of the industry since the 1990's and there would be many different brands around now and your country would have a heap more choices..I would check out the Commercial Food Machinery suppliers and find the best recommended machine...Hobart brand is another in your country that is popular but very expensive even here.
 
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susanm9006

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On the dishwasher topic, I once had a dishwasher that went haywire, the heating element stayed on and got so hot that the plastic on the racks melted and dripped, filling the kitchen with noxious smoke. Fortunately I was there to unplug it or it could have continued on to a full out fire. It was still under warranty so they replaced it but it always made me a little nervous after that.

just out of curiosity I just looked up dishwasher fires and found this. Just one more thing to worry about,

DishwashersDishwashers are the second most common source of a kitchen fire caused by non-cooking appliances. ... We suggest you avoid turning on your dishwasher before leaving your home to avoid the risk of faulty elements starting a fire.Nov 6, 2019
 
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