Dishwsher with hot-water inlet

[Annpan]

I don't seem to be getting anywhere with google looking into this.

We bought a fancy shmancy washing machine when we moved in here, but we were puzzled to see it only has a cold water inlet - I have since discovered that this is pretty standard on new appliances.

Now it comes to us buying a new dishwasher soon - but we will be having solar hot water installed soon and it seems down right daft to be paying to heat water electrically when there is a tank full of free hot water doing nothing.

soooooo.....

can anyone point me in the direction of a new, good brand dishwasher that will have both hot and cold inlets. I have just subscribed to Which, so I can go by their 'best buys' but unfortuenatly not one review mentions hot inlet

[contadino]

Most brands now accept water up to 60º through the cold inlet. This applies to washing machines and dishwashers. Best to check for specific models, just to be sure. Any higher than 60º, and it may invalidate the warranty, so best feed it via a TMV.

[Annpan]

Thanks contadino good to know.

If we can afford a Miele we will go for it, I have just found this on a Miele downloadable instruction manual

^ If your household water system is
suitable, this dishwasher can be
connected to a hot water supply for
further economies. If the water is
heated by solar panels, for example,
this would be energy efficient.
However, if your water is heated by
electricity we would recommend
connection to cold water.

So Yay

[contadino]

As an aside, when I hooked our washing machine up to the hot water feed, the duration of a wash cycle dropped to about half what it was previously. Plus, as it rinses with hot water, it takes less time to dry on the line.

[Annpan]

The only problem with that, that I could find online was that modern washing powders are designed to work while being heated up, they don't dissolve correctly if you just put them in hot water (don't know if there is any truth in that)

But I do use my washing machine for woolens and delicates, so hot water only wouldn't be good for them anyway.

[contadino]

I don't think we've noticed any difference in the effectiveness of washing powder.

That's why you need a TMV. You can change it so that it feeds in water at 40º or 60º or cold, depending on your wash cycle.

[contadina]

We don't use washing powder with detergents (just soap and bicarb) so I don't know if that would make a difference.

[sortanormalish]

We always only use cold water to wash and I have never had a problem with the powder. (Our water is usually 50-60 degrees Farenheit when it comes up. So significantly cooler than 50-60 degees C.) The hot water connection isn't even attached. It does take a little longer for the machine to fill, we have nasty clay soil that comes out just fine, and the clothes dry on the line just fine, even in winter. Though we do have a milder winter than you.

Sometimes the boys come in caked with what could have been made into a terra cota pot and I wash on the longest cycle and use an extra rinse. Most detergents here (US) are labeled 'cold water dissolving' maybe you could look for that and have water left over for a long soak in the tub?

As for a dishwasher, every one I have ever had only had a hot water inlet. However, ours is hooked up to the cold line and we let the heater on the dishwasher warm the water. It does take longer for the dishes to wash and you do have to get a model that can heat sufficiently before washing. It basicly has an instant hot water heater on it. These models do cost more, but they pay for themselves quickly and then start saving. But if you are using solar hot water, why not buy one without the heavy duty heater, maybe just a supplemental heater, and just hook up to your solar tank?

[Annpan]

Hi sorta,

I will have solar hot water - thing is that dishwashing machines in the UK tend to be pretty standard so to find one without heater would be nigh on impossible. but, if the Miele ones are designed to accept water from a solar tank then I am a happy bunny (provided of course I can save up the money for a miele machine - if not I might be able to source an alternative)

re. washer - I personally find my self more at ease with being able to wash clothes/towels/sheets/nappies at a high temperature if needed. But our washing machine guarantee will be voided if we connect it to a hot water inlet (and I think it came with a 10year guarantee) so I am happy to continue plumbing that into the cold.

[contadino]

re. washer - I personally find my self more at ease with being able to wash clothes/towels/sheets/nappies at a high temperature if needed. But our washing machine guarantee will be voided if we connect it to a hot water inlet (and I think it came with a 10year guarantee) so I am happy to continue plumbing that into the cold.

Did you check your manual for your washing machine? It's pretty rare than models sold within the last 5 years or so won't accept warm water.

If you fed the machine water at 60º, the washer would only need to heat it an additional (maybe) 20º rather than heat it to 80º from cold. You'd be saving a huge amount of energy/money without voiding your warranty.

[seasidegirl]

We don't use washing powder with detergents (just soap and bicarb) so I don't know if that would make a difference

.

Contadino, just read about your soap making on your blog.
Is this the soap you mix with bicarb in your washing machine?

Do you have hard or soft water where you are?

[contadino]

We don't use washing powder with detergents (just soap and bicarb) so I don't know if that would make a difference

.

Contadino, just read about your soap making on your blog.
Is this the soap you mix with bicarb in your washing machine?

Do you have hard or soft water where you are?

We only have rainwater, so it's soft. Couldn't tell you about the soap, however. That's the wife's blog - Contadina

[Annpan]

[3 other posts were written while I typed this up - ach]

yes, the washer has big red letters on the back 'DO NOT CONNECT TO HOT WATER' and the instruction manual, or somewhere in the pile of gumph that came with it says you will void the warranty by doing so.

pain in the bum, I know... next washer will have a hot and cold inlet...promise...

main problem being that we bought a washer with a long guarantee on it so we won't need to buy a new one for a long time... hmmmm....

The argument is, of course, that machines heat only the water they use and nothing more, which is them being super efficient.... but not if you have free hot water from solar... If we pop up a big wind turbine I suppose I wouldn't be that concerned about the use of electricity, then I could just wash everything by hand and quit my belly-aching all together.

[contadino]

Ah, OK. When I was researching this I discovered that some brands have a solenoid or something that can't deal with incoming hot water. Daft really. They could just offer a model without a water heater at all. One less thing to go wrong, and either a higher margin for the manufacturer or a lower price for customers.

[Annpan]

well, yes, it would be nice to at least have the choice wouldn't it.


Susie, My hotwater tank will be quite close to my washers (dishes and clothes) - about 2-3 metres of well insulated pipe in total, but I have no way of knowing what heat loss there will be through the pipes as.... well.... I don't have anything plumbed in... not even cold water.