There's no question that using a dishwasher is easier than washing dishes by hand, but the question of whether using a dishwasher is more energy efficient and lest costly than washing dishes by hand is a rather more complicated one. If energy costs are of particular importance to you and you're trying to decide whether or not to purchase a dishwasher, you can calculate the overall energy efficiency of dishwashers.
History
Clearly dishwashers are much more energy efficient than they used to be. In the 1990s, federal legislation mandated higher energy efficiency in dishwashers and other home appliances. New dishwashers are therefore much more energy efficient than their older counterparts. New dishwashers are also built to use less water overall than older dishwashers and to keep their own water supplies continually heated rather than drawing on your home's hot water supply. But the question remains how their efficiency stacks up against simply washing your dishes by hand.
Energy Efficiency
A dishwasher uses, on average, just over 8 gallons to wash a single load of dishes, compared to the estimated 16 gallons used to wash the same amount of dishes by hand, according to Home Tips, the website of home improvement author Don Vandervort. Since dishwashers use pressurized water fired at dishes rather than the gentle pressure applied by hand when washing dishes by hand, smaller amounts of water can be used to achieve the same cleaning effect.
Other Costs
Since dishwashers are much more complex devices than standard sinks and drains used to wash dishes by hand, long-term maintenance costs are an important consideration in the overall costs of using a dishwasher. Even if your sink and drain were to suffer a critical malfunction, the overall cost of repairing and replacing the sink would still probably amount to less than replacing a dishwasher. Exercise preventative care an maintenance with your dishwasher to avoid some of these long-term costs.
Other Considerations
Dishwashers, like many other home appliances, are labeled with Energy Guide stickers that approximate the dollar amount that you can expect to save by purchasing a particular model of appliance over another. Look for the highest Energy Guide rating that still fits within your budget for buying a dishwasher. Utility and energy companies in many communities also offer rebates on energy costs for purchasing more energy-efficient dishwashers and other appliances. Contact your local utility supplier to see if you're eligible for such a rebate.
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