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How is a mode that lasts 3.5 hours more efficient than one that lasts 30 minutes?
Baffle me with science.
Probably lets it soak more in colder water.
I dunno about clothes washing but that's what our dishwasher does. Cooler water for longer and more soaking.
Our washing machine's eco wash is cool or cold and only lasts 45 mins or something.
It's not just energy it uses less of, it's as much about using less water.
I have a 60 minute power wash on mine, set it at 40c. Always put some unbranded Oxi stuff in with the powder.
Works great.
Also has a 20 minute quick wash which is fine for a small load of lycra and lightweight base layers.
Which is more knackering, walking for a mile or running it?
Interesting stuff.
Don't think I've ever used the eco mode basically because it just takes so long!
3 hour wash 😵💫
Take this morning for instance: dry bright and windy (good drying conditions) but rain forecast this afternoon.
If I used the eco mode then the washing couldn't go out until lunchtime by which time it could be raining.
So a normal cotton's wash but on the fast cycle which takes just over an hour... Hopefully dry before the rain comes.
(My washing machine isn't smart enough to have a programmed start - just a delay - and I'm not smart enough to plan ahead!)
If you are tumble drying, eco mode spins at a lower speed so you'll tumble dry for longer. Not an issue if line drying.
I have discovered that eco mode on the tumble dryer is actually quicker than a normal cycle.
It would appear to save energy by not drying your laundry properly.
Same with our dishwasher .
Quick wash at 40deg 45 mins
Eco wash at 40deg 3hrs 30 mins
Both are using electricity all the time they are switched on 🤷♂️
(don't shoot me) but I actually spent some time trying to work out what the eco (and other modes) on our washing machine and dishwasher did.
Your machines use energy in 3 ways - amount of water, amount of heating and amount of agitation (ie how much they move the drum or pump the water round in a dishwasher).
The eco modes generally take longer - so have more time soaking. Sometimes the eco mode actually washes at a lower temperature than 'it says on the tin' - Miele's Eco 40C and 60C don't actually get to those temperatures. Our washing machine also has a 'short wash' button that knocks about an hour off the time for an Eco 30 or 40 and that you're meant to use if your clothes are not so dirty. I don't think the mode changes the amount of water used - modern machines weight the washing or detect how much the clothes have absorbed (ie whether theres any water still sloshing about) to adjust that.
They're trying to hit A+ whatever targets so the actual differences might be small (all the codes were rebased recently because all the machines were hitting the top. It seems setting efficiency targets and making retailers display them has am impact after all....)
My conclusion was that most of the time our clothes aren't really dirty - they might be sweaty and dusty, but they're not covered in difficult to remove grease/oil/tomato sauce. So nearly all our stuff now goes on eco/short/30 unless theres some particular dirty stuff in there.
However - to stop a build up of gel like crud that shortens the life of the machine our towels go on at 60 with powder every few weeks (which has a gentle abrasive effect on the innards) rather than liquid soap.
Dishwasher is a bit more varied - the eco is good for most stuff, but intensive if it's really greasy or roasting pans. It also has a 'sensor wash' which supposedly resposnds to how dirty the stuff is and reduces the water used (so meant to be best for part loads).
It will say in the manual how much water and energy each cycle uses.
TBH I doubt they would make a cycle last 3 hours just to piss us off so there's probably something behind it.
However – to stop a build up of gel like crud that shortens the life of the machine our towels go on at 60 with powder every few weeks (which has a gentle abrasive effect on the innards) rather than liquid soap.
The Miele engineer told me to do a cottons "boil wash" once a week to clean the crap out of the machine.
I do the bed linen on it, as there is a saying "if you wash bed linen at 40C, you just get very clean bed bugs".
"if you wash bed linen at 40C, you just get very clean bed bugs”.
Yup, but I think that if you then tumble dry the bed linen that probably kills the bed bugs, if not remove them physically.
Yup, but I think that if you then tumble dry the bed linen that probably kills the bed bugs, if not remove them physically.
We have a heat pump dryer, works at a lower temperature for longer than our previous one, so I don't think it will. Although you're probably right with the older ones.
I think it’s been covered pretty well, but basically the rate of any chemical reaction (including detergent breaking down stains) occurs much more quickly at higher temperatures. Want to do the same job at lower temperature? Then it’s slower, much slower.
And for those complaining that it’s too long, does the machine have a timer? Load it up the night before and set the timer so it’s finished in the morning.
If anyone is interested our washing machine uses 0.3:kw in eco mode 2.5 hrs.
0.8 kw in mixed load 1hr.
Dish washer 0.7 kw eco mode 3.5 hrs and 1.2 kw on it's fastest mode which is 1.25 hrs.
Really surprised how little energy a washing machine uses.
Really surprised how little energy a washing machine uses
I'm really surprised at how long a dishwasher takes! I'll stick to washing up by hand 🙂
However – to stop a build up of gel like crud that shortens the life of the machine our towels go on at 60 with powder every few weeks (which has a gentle abrasive effect on the innards) rather than liquid soap.
I use washing machine cleaner on a 90C wash every few months.
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The other way to slow rubbish build up inside the machine is to use just the right amount of detergent to clean the clothes (usually around half that shown on the pack because Unilever are trying to sell more power/liquid) and a dessertspoon of Napisan or similar to kill bacteria.
Drum clean cycle (95C on ours). overnight every month and the machine should last decades.
I’m really surprised at how long a dishwasher takes! I’ll stick to washing up by hand
They are supposed to be very efficient on water use though.
We don't have one and I really like washing up by hand, find it quite therapeutic (I also love vacuuming).
It would appear to save energy by not drying your laundry properly.
My heat exchanger tumble-dryer has all its modes set to work this way. On the plus side it's never shrunk anything.
We don’t have one and I really like washing up by hand, find it quite therapeutic (I also love vacuuming
Weirdo!
Dish washer 0.7 kw eco mode 3.5 hrs and 1.2 kw on it’s fastest mode which is 1.25
I helped a friend of mine put some large solar panels up in his back garden, he doesn’t feed back into the grid but uses large LiFePO4 Batteries to get full use of the panels.
He discovered that electricity wise his Bosch dishwasher cost more overall to run in eco than whatever the normal mode is.
i looked at the energy draw for the dishwasher on the eco (3hr) and heavy soiled washes and concluded that the heavy wash was shorter and better for everything. Im not sure of the temps it gets to but the energy consumption is almost the same.
I dont care if it uses less water.
Same for the washing machine. Select a short wash and reduce the temp. Its the temp that consumes the electric. Again i dont care about water consumption.
It will say in the manual how much water and energy each cycle uses.
It does in ours - and also what the load amount is. Note that many loads are only a proportion of the 'full' load (most of our programmes in a Samsung are 4kg) compared to the Eco which is often the only 'full load' (ours being 8kg). So also compare amount of clothes being washed each time...
I just do a 45min 40c wash for pretty much everything.
Our Bosch does a 15min 30 degree cycle which I use for a lot of washes that aren't full load (can choose to extend it to 30 or 45 min). Have found it incredibly useful and adequate for washing stinky kit
ah you have a family like that too, boils my pee - then put another load on too early and try to cram it all on before the other stuff is dry, then promptly moans it's hard to iron or it stinks.. grrrr
hahahahaha - this is my life.
MrsChrispy sticks loads on back to back without any concern for how she's going to dry the stuff.
She does manage to throw it on some clothes racks (and I do mean throw) but hasnt quite grasped what the de-humidifier is for and then complains that it not dry. she also sticks wet clothes on top of the semi-dry clothes that are already out and again complains its not drying.
(don’t shoot me)
Too late, massive speil about eco this and that then admitted to using gel. Up against the wall with you!
It does in ours – and also what the load amount is. Note that many loads are only a proportion of the ‘full’ load (most of our programmes in a Samsung are 4kg) compared to the Eco which is often the only ‘full load’ (ours being 8kg). So also compare amount of clothes being washed each time…
Ours doesn't but bring Samsung it's probably near identical but programmed differently.
Still, can't beat The Trout though eh?
I’m really surprised at how long a dishwasher takes! I’ll stick to washing up by hand 🙂
It's not like you have to sit and watch it though. Stick it on at night and empty in the morning.
The “eco” mode on my Samsung washing machine takes 3 hours but is labelled as “40 - 60C”. How can that be more efficient than a 40 minute run at 30C? Unless all they’re measuring is water usage?
It’s not like you have to sit and watch it though. Stick it on at night and empty in the morning.
I guess people who can run dishwashers & washing machines overnight have big houses? They would keep me awake in mine.
Tend to do most washes at 30c or 40c on the quick 30-45 min wash or the 59 minute one. Fortunately, with the eco and other modes, it usually gives an estimate of wash time, then weighs the load and reduces time accordingly.
Did a 40 degree ,30 minute,1200 spin last night and that used 0.4 kw.
That was quite acceptable.
11.6p.
On a slight tangent ,how many of you are happy to leave your dish/clothes washers on overnight?
Many stories of dishwashers catching fire.
It’s not just energy it uses less of, it’s as much about using less water.
Is the answer. Which seems absolutely mental given the abundance of water we have here at the moment. But in, for example, California, water scarcity is a real and present threat (as it was here the summer before last).
So using less water and rinsing it round for three hours is arguably more 'eco' in that context.