It seems counterintuitive: Could using an appliance SAVE energy over performing the same task by hand? The answer is “Yes,” when the task is washing dishes.
According to a study conducted by the University of Bonn and reported in TreeHugger.com, automatic dishwashers clean up big time when compared to washing dishes by hand. The study shows that dishwashers use half the energy, one-sixth the amount of water, and less detergent. Oh, and dishwashers also provide greater cleanliness, too.
Today’s dishwashers use an average of 6-8 gallons of water for a normal cycle, compared to the 16 gallons typically used to hand-wash dishes. New dishwashers achieve efficiency by using powerful high-volume pumps to recirculate the water through fine-mesh filters.
If you have a pre-1994 dishwasher, it may be time to replace it with an energy-efficient model. When buying a dishwasher, consider the following suggestions from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Look for:
- A dishwasher with an Energy Factor (EF) of at least 0.65, for an estimated energy use of less than 340 kWh/year. That is about 40 percent better than the federal standard. Find this number on the yellow EnergyGuide label on the appliance.
- ENERGY STAR products, but go beyond to look for the amount of water used. Some ENERGY STAR dishwashers use twice as much water as others. Find a list of ENERGY STAR dishwashers.
- Wash cycle options. The more options, the more you can tailor the cycle to your needs. Some dishwashers have a soil sensor technology to automatically adjust water use depending on how dirty the dishes are in the load.
- No-heat dry. An electric heating element consumes about 7 percent of the total dishwasher energy use. Most models offer an energy-saving, no-heat drying feature, which circulates room air through the dishwasher with fans, rather than using the heating element.
- A booster water heater. Most dishwashers have the ability to boost water temperature to 140-145 degrees F, the temperature recommended for optimum dishwashing performance. The advantage: You can keep your water heater temperature at 120 degrees and your dishes will still get clean and sanitized.
Tips for efficiently using a dishwasher:
- Scrape chunks of food off dishes before loading, but there is no need to rinse them unless food is dried on or burned on.
- Properly load the dishwasher, filling completely with dishes, but not overloading.
- Don’t use the Rinse-Hold cycle; it uses 3-7 gallons each time you use it.
- Choose the least powerful cycle necessarily for the dishes you are washing. In most cases, the Regular or Normal cycle is an energy saver over the Pots and Pans or Power cycles.