Buying a New Energy Efficient Dishwasher

When purchasing a new dishwasher, compare models and types and find one that uses the least amount of water per load. Also weigh price against important features like air dry (as opposed to heat dry, which uses a lot of energy), a pre-heater (which makes your hot water hotter - if your dishwasher has this feature reduce the temperature of your hot water heater), and dish load capacity (the larger the dish load capacity, the more efficient the dishwasher).

Make Your Existing Dishwasher More Energy Efficient

1. Only run full loads of dishes. However, don’t overfill your dishwasher as this can reduce its life expectancy.
2. Don’t rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Instead, scrape off food bits. The dishwasher should take care of the rest.
3. Don’t use the “rinse hold,” “pre-wash,” or “heat drying” options on your dishwasher. The first two use much more hot water than you think, and the last option uses a lot of electricity when you can just let your dishes air dry.
4. Run your dishwasher at off-peak power usage times like later on at night or on weekends, as this might earn you a cheaper electricity rate.
5. Reduce your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit if your dishwasher has a water heating component (and most do), as this will save you 5 - 10 percent a year in energy usage by your water heater.

Related Articles

• Energy Efficient Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Energy Efficient Washers and Dryers
• Energy Efficient Water Heaters
• Energy Efficient Refrigerators and Freezers

Trackback URI | Comments RSS