What is a half load dishwasher?
When buying a dishwasher, people often come across sellers who, while praising the equipment, mention the half-load function. In a large flow of information, the consumer does not fully understand what this function is, how it works and whether he needs it. It is better to deal with all these issues in advance than to regret the purchase later. Let's talk about everything in order.
Half load principle
Half load is a special function that allows you to not only load fewer dishes, but also use less water, which means heating them faster and saving energy. In a dishwasher without a half load, of course, you can load fewer dishes, but the same amount of water will still be consumed and the washing time will not be reduced.
For your information! In modern expensive models, they do without half loads, integrating special sensors that determine the degree of soiling of the dishes, their quantity, automatically reducing the water supply and washing time.
Most dishwashers come with a half-load feature, and it can be selected for any of three main modes:
- intense;
- economical;
- preliminary
Advantages and disadvantages
We figured out what this function means and how it works. But whether half the load is needed is not so easy to answer. To do this, you need to list its advantages:
- significant water savings;
- less energy consumption;
- fast program execution;
- lack of a mountain of dishes after eating and the need to accumulate them.
As for the disadvantages, they include the inconvenient use of 3 in 1 tablets.Either you will have to spend more of these tablets, or divide the tablet in half each time. The only solution is to use detergents separately and manually dosage them.
Based on this, we can conclude that if you have a small family and you are used to washing dishes after every meal, then this function will be useful. If you don’t have to wash dishes often, or after eating and cooking, the dishes are collected for a whole load, then the half-load function in the dishwasher will become unclaimed, you will only overpay for this option.
Placing dishes
If the dishwasher hopper is only half full, then the dishes in the baskets must be placed in a special way to ensure high-quality washing. Depending on the brand and model of the dishwasher, the layout of dishes during a half load may vary. In some dishwashers, with a half load, the dishes are placed only in the upper basket, in others, loading in the lower basket is required, in others, unwashed kitchen utensils are distributed evenly between two baskets.
To determine exactly how to place dishes specifically in your “home assistant”, you need to carefully read the instructions, everything should be explained in it. Once you figure out which baskets you should put dishes in in the half-load mode, study the general recommendations for arranging dishes, which are relevant when running the dishwasher in any mode. These are the recommendations.
- Place the ladle and spatula horizontally in the front of the utensil basket.
- Place spoons, knives, forks vertically in special cells.
- Any fragile dishes should be placed so that they do not touch during washing, since the machine vibrates during washing.
- Arrange a small amount of dishes more freely, and to prevent them from vibrating, secure them with clamps.
Dishwashers with this function
BOSCH SMS 53N12 - a dishwasher from a well-known German company and assembled in Germany, has standard dimensions, and therefore the capacity is 13 sets of dishes. In principle, this is not small, and therefore the manufacturer has provided a half-load function in the dishwasher of this modification. The machine is also equipped with all the necessary programs, there are only 5 of them, and has all degrees of protection. Average price: $939.
BOSCH SPS30E32RU - even this narrow 45 cm machine has a water and time saving feature due to less loading of the baskets. The full load is 9 sets of dishes. The machine has a basic configuration, only 3 programs. It should be noted that it is quite noisy. Average price: $386.
BEKO DFS 05010W is a Turkish-made dishwasher, which, when fully loaded, includes 10 sets of dishes. The machine has an average noise level, protection from children and leaks, as well as 5 washing programs. Average price: $280.
MIELE G4203 SC CLST Active - this machine, assembled in the Czech Republic, is designed for 14 sets of standard dishes. It is distinguished by stainless steel rocker arms, the presence turbo dryers, half load function, full water leakage protection. For such an assembly you will have to pay about $877.
For your information! The INDESIT DSR 15B3 RU dishwasher, as well as the CANDY CDP 4609 and ELECTROLUX ESF 9420 LOW machines do not have the function we reviewed.
So, loading the dishwasher halfway is a very useful feature, especially for a small family.Dishwashers of different price categories are equipped with a similar function, so anyone can find a suitable appliance for themselves. Good luck!
Interesting:
1 reader comment
At least I learned something about half load! It's in the car, but not in the instructions!