Buying a New Dishwasher
If you are in the market for an efficient dishwasher, there are some good features on the new models.
Remember that most of the energy used by dishwashers, about 80 percent, goes into heating the water. So more efficient models use less water per load. Models built since 1994 follow national efficiency standards, using only 7-10 gallons per cycle.
 You also want a dishwasher with a built-in heater that raises water temperature to 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit, which most dishwasher manufacturers recommend for best performance. With a built-in heater, you can drop the temperature on your water heater to about 120 degrees. This should significantly reduce your water heating costs since each 10 degree reduction in the water temperature setting cuts the heater's energy consumption by 3-5 percent.
Look for a model with a selection for drying the dishes without heat. Choosing this feature circulates room air over the dishes by fan rather than heating up an electric element to cook the dishes dry.
At this point, the new "dirt sensor" technology that is supposed to automatically adjust the water level based on the amount of junk in it has too many problems to make it an energy-saver in a dishwasher.
By all means, check the EnergyGuide label on new models. However, bear in mind that it doesn't tell the whole story. It only gives ratings based on 322 cycles per year set on the normal setting. Using other settings would vary the results. Perhaps substantially. The EnergyGuide label also doesn't differentiate between compact and standard models. If a compact model washes fewer dishes, its true efficiency (or lack thereof) may not be reflected on the label.
There's a really evil little loophole here. Manufacturers aren't required to test how effectively their model cleans on the same settings as they test the model's energy efficiency. So they might tell you about how well their dishwasher cleans without telling you they were testing the heavy-duty setting, which sucks down power. Then they point to how good the energy rating is, which is based on the normal setting. Bad, bad manufacturers. But don't lose hope. There are some good models out there. The easiest way to choose an energy-efficient dishwasher is to get one with the EnergyStar® rating.
By the way, when you install your new dishwasher place it away from the refrigerator. That way the heat from the dishwasher won't make the fridge work overtime.
| 
