Dishwasher Installation Precaution: Should Dishwashers Use Hot or Cold Water?

Many people don’t know which water pipe to connect to their dishwasher. Should the dishwasher use hot or cold water? Or, is it harmful to operate the device in cold water?

Following the user manual, dishwashers are almost always connected to the hot water supply line. It helps the device clean items with ease. It also saves the device from hitting the water, increasing energy use.

Let’s take the discussion deep to see how dishwasher functions work. Also, we will see the usability of the home appliance with both cold and hot water faucets. So, let’s dive into it.

How Does Dishwasher Work?

When you install the dishwasher, you should understand its operating process. It will help both in its installation and maintenance.

A dishwasher has multiple parts:

• Water inlet valve that takes the water from the faucet
• The heating element that helps the water reaches the right temperature
• The detergent dispenser will add the detergent to the water
• Spray arms will spray the detergent-mixed water over the dishes
• A timer and temperature sensor that detects the water temperature and cleaning time

There’re a few other parts too. However, the device works with the following basics:

• The water inlet valve takes the water from the faucet.
• Its sensor will detect the temperature
• After that, the heating element will start heating the water
• Once it reaches the right temperature, detergent gets dispensed to it.
• Finally, the spray or rotating arm will clean off the dishes
• The sensor will keep tracking the water temperature and heat the water multiple times
• Cold water will rise to the right temperature after a long period.
• Finally, the dispenser will rinse off the residues from the dishes

As you see the functioning of the dishwasher, it can operate both in hot and cold water. However, the washing period will be delayed with hot water. It has other inconveniences too that we will discuss in the next part.

Do Dishwashers Connect To Hot Or Cold Water Lines?

When installing the dishwasher, it is easy to get confused about its connection. Many people think they can run the appliance with cold water. Well, it is possible but not recommended. You should connect the dishwashing machine to your hot water supply lines.

Connecting the dishwasher to the hot water supply line is beneficial. It includes:

1. Running with a hot water supply means the appliance doesn’t need to heat the water separately. So, it saves electricity and your energy bills.
2. Hot water can destroy the fats and debris on the cleaning items quickly. So, it improves the cleaning capacity of the device.
3. Liquid and powdered detergents are designed to work better with hot water. So, they can clean the items faster and better when you connect the machine to the hot water supply line.
4. Moreover, washing the dishes and other items in hot water will kill germs and bacteria. WHO referred that at 145°F, most germs are killed. Thankfully, a dishwasher can use water up to 155°F to provide a healthier cleaning service.

Hence, the machine should run with hot water for the overall convenience of your kitchen and cleaning. In fact, modern-day dishwashers have an additional heating element at their bottom. You can use it at different temperature settings to increase the water’s heat further. It will help destroy the chemical bonds of the fats and residues on the dishes and utensils. So, you will get cleaner items from the home appliance.

Temperature and Time Requirement For Dishwasher:

The standard water temperature for dishwashers is 120°F (48.88°C) to 155°F (68.33°C). However, it varies slightly from one brand to another. For instance, Samsung dishwashers discourage exceeding the temperature above 149°F to avoid burns and scalding.

Now, the question is, how long does the dishwasher take to heat the water?

Thankfully, dishwashers will only need 1-minute to increase the heat by 1-degree. Plus, the machine will heat at 120-145℉ for the main cleaning phase. For rinsing, it will increase the temperature to 140-155℉. So, it will kill the germs for a more hygienic cleaning result. As you see, dishwashers are designed to work with hot water.

Is It Possible To Run The Water Heater With Dishwasher?

Yes, you can run the kitchen sink’s water heater or hot water faucet before running the dishwashing machine. When you run the hot water faucet or heater beforehand, it will supply hotter water to the dishwashing appliance.

As a result, the dishwasher’s water heating and cleaning time will reduce considerably. Running the hot water faucet will fill the dishwasher with heated water. So, a long time to increase the water temperature won’t be necessary. If you are in a hurry and want to clean the dishes, run the water heater. It will put less pressure on the device.

Can You Hook Up Dishwasher To Cold Water?

When you install the dishwasher, two considerations become crucial. First, what type of water line should you hook the device to? Secondly, should you buy a countertop or front-loading dishwasher? So, here goes the answer.

You can hook the dishwasher with the cold water line. The standard US dishwashers have two hooks. It does the following tasks:

1. The cold hook will draw the water from the cold supply line and heat it using the internal element
2. The hot water hook receives the water directly from the faucet or heater. So it doesn’t require additional heating before use.

The dishwasher uses the hot water hook when it is running. It speeds up the cleaning process without any delay in temperature rise. So, we may conclude that you can hook the dishwasher with the cold water line. There’s no harm in it.

Nonetheless, it is not recommended. Running the machine with cold water will require more energy and utility bills. Also, the cleaning time will increase frustratingly. Lastly, it will lower the cleaning benefits to your awe.

It is also not worth it because the heating time required for the appliance is too long. It may even consume hours. Will you accept such long waits to see the dishwashing machine heating water?

We leave the answer to your patience.

Can You Run A Washing Machine With Just Cold Water

You can run a washing machine with cold water only. It won’t hurt the cleaning performance of the washing machine. It is possible to use a Y-connector or valve to divert the washing machine to just the cold water line. In this way, you can quickly connect it with a cold supply line. It is possible even if your machine has hot and cold water facilities.

Moreover, many washing machines are now designed to work with cold supply lines. Plus, many detergents can work with their enzymes at 60°F temperature too. So, you no longer need to use hot water to activate the cleaning enzymes of the detergents.

Finally, running a washing machine with cold water will protect your clothes too. Most clothes will have wrinkles or shrink in high temperatures. So, it ensures a long life for your favorite dress.

Long story short, the dishwasher and washing machine both works with hot and cold water. But for best results, run the dishwasher with hot water and the washing machine with cold water.