Appliances

Install Efficient Dishwashers and Use Responsibly

What Is It?

There are many energy efficient dishwashers on the market today — both residential (which can be used in offices as well) and commercial. New ENERGY STAR qualified models use new technologies such as Soil Sensors to test dirtiness throughout the wash and adjust the cycle to achieve optimum cleaning with minimum water and energy use; Improved water filtration to remove waste from the wash water, allowing more efficient use of water and detergent; More efficient jets; and Innovative dish rack designs to situate the dishes for optimized cleaning (ENERGY STAR).

Tips for efficient use of your dishwasher(s):

  • Run dishwasher only when full. This is one of the easiest and most necessary ways to save. Far too often, people run their dishwasher when it is partially full, but a little patience goes a long way
  • Turn off dishwasher when not in use. High temperature dishwashers have a heat booster to raise the temperature of the water. The heat is instantaneous and the heat booster is always in a semi-ready standby state, prepared to wash dishes and drawing energy, unless it is shut off entirely. Most large kitchen appliances don’t take more than 15 minutes to warm up after being turned on; make sure to turn dishwashers completely off overnight and during times of inactivity (including in the morning before dishes have been dirtied) will save on energy and utility costs.
  • Use the Eco-friendly cycle settings if your dishwasher has them. They may be called “Sensor,” “Smart Wash,” “Auto,” or “ProWash.” Look at the owner’s manual for details.
  • If possible, purchase dishwashing liquid and powder that is natural, biodegradable, and free of petroleum and phosphates. Also look for products sold in bulk to save on packaging, and powdered detergents, which are lighter and so require less energy to ship.
  • Avoid the drying options. These “heat dry” or similar settings use fans and/or heat to dry your dishes after the wash is finished. This is an unnecessary waste of energy; air dry or wipe quickly with a clean hand towel instead and save about 15% of your average dishwasher energy use (Homeguides).
  • Don’t “pre-wash” by hand. If a dishwasher, especially newer one, is working properly, one does not need to wash dishes by hand before running in a dishwasher, though many carry this assumption from stigmas created when dishwashers were far less powerful. This actually wastes much more water than one might think; all that’s needed is quickly scraping off food particles before loading.
  • Turn down your heat. Many dishwashers re-heat the water from your home before washing. Many newer dishwasher manuals have recommendations of lower water temperatures to which you can set your heaters (eg. 120°F) (gov).
  • Communicate! Make sure all employees, residents, and other occupants know these tips and expectations. Your energy bill will reflect the effort, and so will the sense of ownership from occupants who know they are helping move towards energy efficiency.

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