Energy Star Dishwashers Save You Water and Money

A household item found in many kitchens throughout the U.S. has become increasingly popular over time. What most people don't know is that this item can save you a tremendous amount of water over the old traditional method used to complete the same task. The item is none other that the dishwasher and believe it or not, a dishwasher is a great "green" home improvement choice for those that don't already own one and upgrading you old dishwasher to an efficient new one is also an excellent choice.

Home improvement projects can take many different directions. This particular project focuses on adding a dishwasher to your home, or updating your old dishwasher if you already have one.

The traditional method of cleaning dishes by hand takes a lot of time and effort. Aside from time and effort, the hand washing method uses an extraordinary amount of water. Some estimates put the amount of water used to clean the dishes of a family of four between 30 and 40 gallons per day. The method is not efficient as the water is running continuously during the washing process.

Most people would think that a dishwasher would use more water during the hour long process of washing dishes, but that statement couldn't be further from the truth. Truth is, a new dishwasher with its extreme efficiency required under the energy star guidelines could use as little as 2 to 3 gallons of water per load.

For homes without an existing dishwasher, finding a place to locate one within the kitchen can be difficult. Usually you will have to give up a cabinet near the sink the install a new dishwasher, but for home with a dishwasher, purchasing and installing and new efficient model is a simple process.

Newer dishwashers clean even better than old models. Numerous tests have shown that current dishwasher on the market require no pre rinsing to fully clean even the dirtiest dishes. These dishwashers are adept at cleaning stuck on and baked on foods. Eliminating the pre rinse saves a tremendous amount of water.

The only downside to new dishwashers is the time they take to complete a load. Many will take well over an hour to clean dishes, but don't equate this long cycle with water wasting, they are very frugal with water.

Current dishwashers will cost about $400 to $700 in up front costs and possibly a small labor charge for installation, but they will save you countless gallons of water. On average, a new dishwasher will save you over 10 gallons of water per day over a 10 year old model, or 20 gallons per day over hand washing. This equates to between 3,500 and 7,000 gallons of water save per year. This not only lessens the impact on the environment, but also lessens the impact on your wallet when that water bill shows up.

So if you are considering a home improvement project around the house, consider replacing that old dishwasher and you will soon reap the benefits of the frugal use of water of today's efficient dishwashers.