Dishwasher

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pollyanna

Joined: 03 Nov 2012
Posts: 221

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 9:24 am Post subject:

Been using Aldi tabs for years with no problems. Put a dishwasher cleaning liquid through most times we finish a box of tabs. Often forget.

We use no salt. We have a cesspit so we use only chemicals that are deemed suitable. Ditto loo cleaner and clothes washing tabs. Not impressed with Ecover products. Shame as I would like to use them.

We have a Bosch which is badged Hotpoint. I will never buy any machine made by Indisit again after a terrible experience with a washing machine.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 11:05 am Post subject:

I have the same issue with hot point.

I know it wasn't the question that was asked (but who answers that anyway!) but my Neff was truly amazing, only you couldn't disable the endless beeping when it had finished (it beeped 7 times every fifteen minutes for about two hours after it had finished. We couldn't put it on to run at night in the end.)

I now have the same one, but badged bosch. You can disable the beep, although you have to put up with all the warnings being in German. It's preferable.

Is there anything stop you just connecting it to hot, so it gets hot water fill whether it likes it or not? I suppose you would always have to set it to a wash that is hotter than the fill, or it would throw a wobbly, but that won't matter (not like with a washing machine where you need lower temps in case stuff shrinks)

I also have a samsung washing machine with Eco bubble clever stuff. Before I had children and only put in things that were nearly clean anyway, I ran it on occasional pinches of Eco washing powder and low temperatures. I never bothered with empty hot washes and it worked just fine. Unlike the previous hot point, where you had to get an engineer out and pull the machine out to empty the filter which was at the back. Unbelievably poor design.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 1:36 pm Post subject:

We use a dishwasher.

We only use the eco type tabs. We do use salt. I have set it up to use pre heated water via a TMV. As its next to the sink we run the tap before hitting start to make sure that all of the water that goes in is pre heated. We only do it this way as our water is solar / wood fire heated & our electric in from an inverter so more costly than grid power. If I was on grid I would not bother. All of our washes are dong on the 30 min quick cycle. It seems to do the job & uses the least total energy.

Using pre heated water can be a problem with foods like egg that can cook / bake on if the fill water is too hot.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 1:44 pm Post subject: Re: Dishwasher

Treacodactyl wrote:

1) Do they always require salt? I know it acts as a water softener but as our water is already very soft (i.e. acidic) can we do without it?

You can adjust the rate that they add salt at according to the hardness/softness of your water. If our water was a litle bit softer we wouldn't need any salt at all. As it is I top the salt up once every six months or so and don't buy all-in-one tabs/liquid.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 5:09 pm Post subject:
How can a dishwasher be more environmentally friendly than washing by hand?

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 5:32 pm Post subject:
Because a dish washer uses a remarkably small am out of water to wash and rinse an entire load. Filling a 5 liter washing up bowl 3 - 4 times plus rinse water uses a lot.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 5:53 pm Post subject:
It only heats the water actually used. Filling the sink uses extra water while you run it till its hot & then when you turn the tap off all the water in the pipes that you paid to heat cools down. Ok that heat does go into the room but its not going to alter how much heating you use. When we built I designed in very short water pipe runs. Most houses have excessively long pipe runs.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 15 8:02 pm Post subject: Re: Dishwasher

sean wrote:

Treacodactyl wrote:

1) Do they always require salt? I know it acts as a water softener but as our water is already very soft (i.e. acidic) can we do without it?

Thanks for that, I didn't think to check as I don't recall our old dishwasher allowing use to vary the salt. I've just downloaded a modern set of instructions and it does indeed say you don't need salt in suitably soft areas.

I had a assumed our water would be soft as it has a low pH, but it doesn't seem as simple as that. I note SWW say our, and your, water is soft and we don't need salt (I'm assuming a spring in the area will also be soft).

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 15 6:28 am Post subject:

I wouldn't assume a spring is soft because the normal water supply is. I know of three springs in Devon which are hard water, and the only water fit to drink imo, coming from a hard water area, but the local water supply is soft.

We have a hot/cold fill washing machine and dishwasher that we have had for a long time. With dirty clothes I find that modern clothes washing powders or liquids just don't get them clean, particularly at 30 deg. C. I tried it for a while, but have had to go back to 40 C and add a booster to the powder, as stuff just wasn't cleaning. I know we probably produce more really dirty clothes than most people, other than the farmers and smallholders among us, but most washers and powders are just designed to 'freshen' clothes these days.

I am not sure if you will find running a dishwasher without tablets any good Treacodactyl. I find there is a difference between brands, particularly with things that stick on in the cooking.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 15 7:12 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

It's an educated assumption, the pH is 6.1 and I gather drinking water has to be 6.5 or higher. I am assuming the more acidic the softer it'll be, I may even get a hardness testing kit but it doesn't seem worth it.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 15 1:13 pm Post subject:
Between 6 and 8 is the standard. Love, Nick, inside Northumbrian water labs, currently testing newcastles ph.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 15 1:33 pm Post subject:
My water quality failed as the pH was under 6.5, so I had assumed that was some form of standard.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 15 6:11 am Post subject:
It will be fairly soft I would think. Good for doing the washing though.

VM

Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 15 6:25 am Post subject:
We use a dishwasher but we are in a very hard water area so have to use salt. I have used Ecover and other eco-friendly products for ages and they are alright. It is true that when once in a blue moon I run out and have to buy Finish from the Coop, everything comes out sparkling just like in the adverts - but I can live with just clean!

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 15 6:46 am Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

My water quality failed as the pH was under 6.5, so I had assumed that was some form of standard.

My apologies. Drinking water is 6.5-10.

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