Some people may agree that the dishwasher is one of the most convenient appliances in the home. Compared to hand washing dishes after every meal, the dishwasher can hold a few meals worth of dishes, and does all of the work for you- washing AND drying. One thing people may not realize, however, is that the old fashioned way to dish washing is one of the most un-efficient ways to conserve resources in the home. Here are some ways that dishwashers compare in water use and efficiency in relation to the traditional hand washing method.
Typically, a dishwasher can run a full cycle using anywhere from three to four gallons of water. Now, think of how much water is actually used hand washing dishes. The average hand washing method can use anywhere from sixteen to twenty five gallons of water per meal. The greatest issue with hand washing is that the tap is generally left running during the entire wash period, wasting a great amount of running water. The dishwasher method can clean the same amount of dishes at one time, or sometimes more, and conserve about 70 percent of the water used for the traditional hand washing method.
Not only do dishwashers use less water for each clean, most dishwashers purchased in the last 20 years have energy efficient functions. There are many different options that can help conserve energy based on your washing needs. There are also some things you can do manually to conserve energy.
No Pre-rinsing
Only scrape food off dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers and detergent are powerful enough to rinse all food particles from the dishes during the wash. Save the tap water, no pre-rinsing required.
No excess soap
Only use the directed amount of detergent per wash as listed on the manufacturer’s package. Overloading the soap compartment with excess detergent wastes the soap as well as water to do the extra rinsing.
Air dry
To conserve even more energy, use your dishwasher’s air dry option rather than going through the heat cycle dry. Use a little elbow grease and hand dry with a towel if needed once the wash is complete.
If you follow these tips to conserve energy, plus wash your dishes with an energy star appliance, you can be sure you are doing your part to be energy efficient in your kitchen. To see if your dishwasher is efficient, call on the Columbus plumbers at Crawford Mechanical services. Our knowledgeable technicians can come inspect your appliances and offer tips and suggestions for maximizing your home’s energy efficiency. Visit our website for more information: www.crawfordmech.com.
Typically, a dishwasher can run a full cycle using anywhere from three to four gallons of water. Now, think of how much water is actually used hand washing dishes. The average hand washing method can use anywhere from sixteen to twenty five gallons of water per meal. The greatest issue with hand washing is that the tap is generally left running during the entire wash period, wasting a great amount of running water. The dishwasher method can clean the same amount of dishes at one time, or sometimes more, and conserve about 70 percent of the water used for the traditional hand washing method.
Not only do dishwashers use less water for each clean, most dishwashers purchased in the last 20 years have energy efficient functions. There are many different options that can help conserve energy based on your washing needs. There are also some things you can do manually to conserve energy.
No Pre-rinsing
Only scrape food off dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers and detergent are powerful enough to rinse all food particles from the dishes during the wash. Save the tap water, no pre-rinsing required.
No excess soap
Only use the directed amount of detergent per wash as listed on the manufacturer’s package. Overloading the soap compartment with excess detergent wastes the soap as well as water to do the extra rinsing.
Air dry
To conserve even more energy, use your dishwasher’s air dry option rather than going through the heat cycle dry. Use a little elbow grease and hand dry with a towel if needed once the wash is complete.
If you follow these tips to conserve energy, plus wash your dishes with an energy star appliance, you can be sure you are doing your part to be energy efficient in your kitchen. To see if your dishwasher is efficient, call on the Columbus plumbers at Crawford Mechanical services. Our knowledgeable technicians can come inspect your appliances and offer tips and suggestions for maximizing your home’s energy efficiency. Visit our website for more information: www.crawfordmech.com.
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