How Much Water Does a Dishwasher Use?

Using a dishwasher means you don’t have to wash your plates, glasses, and cookware by hand, creating less of an impact on the environment, and is more sanitary. Its also saves time, money, and water.

Modern appliances are both energy and water efficient – excess water is wasted as you hand wash dishes – so, how much water does a dishwasher use? Find out more here…

Dishwashing vs Hand Washing Dishes

Washing dishes in the sink can take an unbelievable amount of water – up to 102 litres at one session. The process is extremely wasteful and uses up to seven times more water than your dishwasher needs, particularly if you rinse each item before washing them properly.

Bear in mind that to fully sanitize dishes the temperature of the water needs to be between 60 to 60 degrees Celsius. This is way to hot for hands! Most new dishwashers have internal heaters that warm water much more efficiently than your water heater.

An Energy Star rated dishwasher can use as little as around 11 litres per load, according to the Department of Energy, with the average dishwasher using about 27 litres. This means that an Energy Star certified dishwasher could save up to 22730.45 litres of water on an annual basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Appliances manufactured before 1994 can waste more than 45 litres of water during every single load.

In 2013 dishwashers were required to cap their water usage at 22 litres per load. Some energy-saving models can now reach a lower level of around 13 litres per load, once more saving up to 22730.45 litres of water each year.

Dishwasher water usage in litres is on average 27 litres per load with some Energy Star models reducing that figure to 11 litres per load.

Dishwashers only use hot water for cleaning and are typically connected to the hot water pipe which lets the appliance wash with the hottest possible water. They don’t have a cold or warm cycle like a washing machine.

Many dishwashers are designed to work by heating up water from cold. And Energy Star dishwashers actually heat the water by using their own water heaters – making them up to 40% more efficient than standard models.

Factors Contributing to Dishwasher Water Usage:

It’s important to consider:

• The age of your dishwasher
• The size of your household
• Energy consumption
• Whether your dishwasher has a built-in heater to efficiently raise the water temperature
• If you choose to pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher

Increasing Dishwasher Efficiency

There are several water and energy-saving tips you can try and these include:

• Loading your dishwasher properly and only running it when completely full with enough space between dishes to let the water circulate
• Don’t use the pre-rinse as you can save up to 208 litres of water over the life of the appliance by skipping this cycle
• Clean your dishwasher about once a month to keep it well-maintained and working efficiently
• Keep on top of easy fixes so you don’t have to resort to washing by hand
• Air-dry dishes by missing the heat dry cycle and simply opening the door to let the dishes dry on their own

Need Help with Repairs?

Simply contact trusted Dishwasher repair London experts to quickly diagnose and resolve any dishwasher water consumption issues for you. An experienced technician will provide you with a fully insured service – at a time that suits you. You can get a quote on the job upfront and any repairs will automatically come with a six-month quality guarantee.