You don't need to use the maximum discharge temperature for a dishwasher to be effective.
If your dishwasher isn't providing you the cleaning results you want, it may be because the water discharge temperature isn't right. The water temperature not only can affect a dishwasher's overall cleaning power if it's too low, but can also diminish the quality of your dishes if the temperature is too high. For this reason, knowing the maximum discharge water temperature for dishwashers can ensure your dishwasher cleans and sanitizes dishes properly without damaging or breaking them.
Maximum Temperature
Set your residential dishwasher's discharge temperature between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, states MasterPlumbers.com. Although certain dishwasher manufacturers may recommend a lower discharge temperature, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends a discharge water temperature of about 140 degrees Fahrenheit for dishwashers, which it claims on its website is ideal for cleaning.
Proper Cleaning and Sanitation
Although 160 degrees Fahrenheit is the maximum discharge water temperature for a dishwasher, a temperature of anything less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit won't completely eliminate germs and bacteria on dishes. Although you may think that reducing the discharge temperature may decrease your utility bill, it may actually increase the cost if you have to rewash dishes because the dishwasher didn't get them entirely clean in one cycle.
Avoid Damaging Dishes
Setting your home's hot water heater to discharge water to your dishwasher at a temperature anything above 160 degrees Fahrenheit can damage dishes. When very hot water mixes with dishwasher detergent it can leave a white film on dishes and glassware that can be difficult or impossible to remove. Furthermore, certain dishes, such as those made of plastic and rubber, can warp or curl if they're washed in water that's too hot.
Considerations
Since kitchen and bathroom faucets have a lower maximum discharge water temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit compared to dishwashers and washing machines at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, you may want to install a tempering valve to regulate the supply of water to various water outlets in your home. The valve will automatically adjust the water temperature supplied to kitchen and bathroom outlets to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or less -- whatever temperature you choose -- by mixing hot water with cold to get the right temperature. This way, you don't have to choose one discharge water temperature for all of your water outlets and appliances. In addition, you may also want to install a balancing valve to your kitchen and bathroom faucets that would prevent you from getting scalded when using hot water for washing when another household member starts the dishwasher or flushes a toilet, creating a sudden water pressure drop that would otherwise impact the temperature at other water outlets in your home.
Related posts
Extremely hot water increases the efficiency of dishwashing operations.The temperature of the water is a key factor in automatic dishwasher efficiency. Since it uses water too hot for human hands...
Amana makes several appliances including dishwashers. While several internal components of Amana dishwashers can affect the way the machines clean your dishes, two of the most important are the wa...
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 ha...
Dish washers experience numerous common problems.Dish washers is definitely an enormous time saving idea. Instead of scrub away at containers and pans, who owns dishwasher can easily place dirty d...
Rent or buy the tools required for installing of your Bosch dishwasher before beginning.Installing a Bosch dishwasher requires merely a couple of common tools, and could be performed by anybody wh...
