Who would not want to save money on energy bills each month? Saving energy does not have to be difficult and expensive. In fact, it can be as simple as using a few easy tips to help your dishwasher be more efficient. Whether your unit is a built-in or portable dishwasher, you will definitely be able to save a significant amount of energy simply by modifying the way you run it. Below, you will see a list of must-know tips created to help you limit the amount of energy you use for the dishwasher. You will be able to save energy, time, and money at the same time. Let’s get started!
WASH ONLY FULL LOADS
It is recommended to only run a cycle when the dishwasher is at maximum capacity. Rather than washing partial loads, wait until the load is full before starting the dishwasher. The dishwasher consumes the same amount of water regardless of how full the load is. Hence, placing dishes inside the dishwasher throughout the day and operating it once at the end of the day will take up less energy and water. For the most ideal results, stack the dishes in the dishwasher trays neatly.
USE THE AIR-DRY OPTION
Depending on the type of dishwasher model you have at home, you may be able to choose the option of letting your dishes air-dry after they are washed clean. This will allow you to save energy that would have been utilized to dry the dishes with heat.
SCRAPE, NOT RINSE
When using the dishwasher, some people pre-rinse the dishes first before placing them into the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers do an amazing job of cleaning even dishes that are heavily soiled. Most dishwashers are also designed with the ability to clean away tiny food pieces after the big pieces are removed. Hence, you should simply scrape away the leftover food on the bowls and plates, and the dishwasher will do the rest for you. This will save you not only energy and water, but also a lot of time.
TURN DOWN THE WATER HEATER TEMPERATURE
Most dishwashers in the United States are sold with a built-in heater so as to boost water temperature to 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature suggested by manufactures to achieve optimum performance. One advantage of having the booster heater is that you are able to turn down the water heater thermostat, decreasing the costs of water heating significantly.
USE ENERGY-SAVING OPTIONS
Pay close attention to the various cycle options available on your dishwasher and choose the one that takes up the least energy for the job. You can make use of the energy saving mode to save around half the water and energy used by the other cycles.
Many models now come with “eco†cycles meant to reduce consumption of water and energy. If your dishwasher has a no-heat air-dry function, you should use it. If your dishwasher does not come with this feature, you can turn off the dishwasher once the final rinse cycle is done and allow the door to open for air-drying.
