Dishwashers have always proved to be a handy appliance in modern kitchens. It frees you from the stress of washing dishes by hand. And it does so more efficiently.
There isn’t anyone who would dislike having a dishwasher in their kitchen. Why stress your hands when a machine can do it better?
You may wonder how a machine can do this better. How can a dishwasher remove tough food stains & residues? Does it use any special mechanism?
Well, dishwashers can clean better than your hands. This is because of the complex processes they use to wash dishes.
Another important thing is using ‘hot water’. Do dishwashers use hot water?
Yes, almost all dishwashers use hot water to clean the dishes. This helps them wash & clean the dishes quickly. Hot water helps to remove the food residues & fats from your utensils.
But how do you think a dishwasher procures hot water? Do they heat it on their own, or do you need to provide a hot water inlet?
Let’s answer and understand these concepts in this post.
How Does A Dishwasher Get Hot Water?
Your dishwasher will certainly need hot water to run and clean the dishes inside.
The main question here is, how does a dishwasher get hot water? By heating it on its own or drawing it from your home’s hot water feed?
The simple answer is that it can do both.
A dishwasher needs water at the temperature of 140o-150o F to work effectively. You can provide this on your own through the hot water line running in your home.
But if you can’t, due to any problem, there is no need to worry.
A dishwasher has a thermal sensor that can measure the water temperature. If the water temperature is low, it will heat the water on its own and then use it for cleaning.
Most homes have a hot water line running through their kitchen, which can be easily attached to the dishwasher.
Sometimes there won’t be any outlet near your sink to attach it to the dishwasher. In that case, call your plumber, and they will fix one for you, connecting it to the dishwasher.
Still, there is no need to worry even if you don’t have a separate hot water line. Your dishwasher will heat the water using its own mechanism.
It’s best if you can provide hot water from outside. It quickens the washing process and saves electricity.
Even if you provide hot water to the dishwasher, it will still heat it to make it reach the desired temperature.
Just remember to run the hot water tap in advance for some time before starting the dishwasher. This will take out the cold water sitting in the pipes, taking only the hot water to the dishwashing machine.
Another question that comes to mind is, how can a dishwasher heat its own water? Does it have a geyser inside it?
Let’s understand this now.
How Do Dishwashers Heat Water?
Dishwashers come with many different components. It has a thermostat to check the water temperature. It also features a heating coil sitting at the bottom of the dishwashing machine.
When you supply water to the dishwasher, it gets stored in the bottom cabinet. The thermostat then measures the water temperature.
If the water is not hot enough, the heating coil starts working and heats the water to the desired temperature.
Once the water gets heated, the heating coil stops working. The heated water is then used for the cleaning process.
A dishwasher performs multiple cleaning cycles and also sanitizes the dishes using hot water. Due to this, it may need to heat the water numerous times.
This is why, if you already supply hot water to the dishwasher, it will help in saving time & electricity.
Almost all modern dishwashers have a heating system. It helps maintain the correct water temperature.
However, if your dishwasher doesn’t have one, you need to connect it to a hot water line. But this is rare and only happens with a few older models.
Can I Run My Dishwasher With Cold Water?
Modern dishwashers don’t need hot water from outside to work. They can heat the water by themselves, as we have seen.
Therefore, if you are dispensing only cold water to your dishwasher, it will heat it up for use on its own.
A dishwasher without an in-built water heating system will use the same cold water to wash the dishes. Few older models don’t have the heating functionality.
Running a dishwasher with only cold water won’t harm your dishwasher or the dishes inside. The only problem you will face is that the dishes won’t get as clean as they would with hot water.
The smell of the food may also stay back since hot water is also used to sanitize the dishes. This won’t be possible with cold water.
There may be bits of food residue or a few stains left on the dishes you put inside to clean. To summarize, you can say that the efficiency of your dishwasher will come down.
Other than this, there won’t be any other issues.
Final Words
We can now be sure that dishwashers always use hot water to clean the utensils we put inside them. This increases the washing efficiency and provides a good sanitization measure.
Hot water helps to remove any tough dirt or smell from the dishes and makes them super clean. This is something you can’t do with your hands easily.
Your dishwasher has a filter that catches all the food particles. This helps remove them from the hot water, and it can be used again in the next cycle.
To perform this task, a dishwasher draws in hot water from your kitchen’s hot water line.
If you only supply cold water to the dishwashing machine, it will use its own heating coil & thermostat to heat the water to the desired temperature.
However, if none of the above options are available, you can run your dishwasher with cold water only. The only problem this will cause is to decrease the cleaning efficiency of your dishwashing machine.
It is always advisable to provide your dishwasher with hot water. This helps it clean with full effort, resulting in shining & cleaned utensils.
You can also talk with your local plumber, and they will help you set up a hot water line for your dishwasher.
Related Questions
1. How much hot water does a dishwasher use?
New standard dishwashers use less than 4 gallons of hot water to wash your dishes for every load. They have an advanced system in place which only uses as much water as necessary for cleaning & sanitizing the dishes effectively.
2. Why is my dishwasher water not getting hot?
The problem might be with the heating element of the dishwasher. The heating coil is responsible for heating the water inside the dishwasher. If it’s not working properly, the water will not get heated.
Even the drying mechanism won’t work without it. Consult a local professional or your manufacturer to get it fixed. You can also use a multimeter in ohmmeter mode to check the heating element.
3. How long does it take the dishwasher to heat the water?
An average dishwasher will take around 2 minutes to heat the water by 1 degree. A lot of the dishwashing machines need water temperature up to 150o F. If you supply water at 120o F, it will take around 50-60 minutes to heat the water.