What is a dishwasher?

Many housewives have never encountered dishwashers in their lives, and only know about their existence by hearsay. In principle, there is a general idea about the technology: it washes dishes, but only a small group of users have other, more extensive knowledge. We will try to describe the operating principle of a dishwasher, analyze the functions and options of the unit, talk about the variations in the design of the equipment, and understand how useful such a device will be.

What kind of device is it and how does it work?

A dishwasher is a complex electromechanical device designed to clean dishes automatically. The first primitive installation was invented back in the 19th century, and over the course of two centuries it was constantly technically improved and modified. The dishwasher can be used at home, to serve several people, as well as in catering establishments. The machine consists of the following elements:

• washing chamber, which includes a lower and upper basket, as well as a cutlery tray. Some models can be equipped with a separate place for washing glasses;
• container for detergents;
• sprayer and nozzle systems;
• supply wiring;
• A heating element responsible for heating cold water to a given temperature;
• control panel, including various buttons, switches and indicators;
• sealing door;
• drainage system;
• thermal insulation material;
• door locking devices;
• water intake valve;
• softening filter;
• tank for salt composition with ion exchanger, etc.

The dishwasher, depending on the cleaning mode launched by the user, can fill with cold water from 1 to 5 times. The liquid, having entered the system, is passed under pressure through a softening filter element, heated by a heating element and transferred to the sprayers located above the baskets. The speed of the streams washing the cutlery, and, consequently, the cleaning time and the quality of washing, directly depends on the power of the pumping apparatus that supplies water. Manufacturers very rarely highlight this important parameter in the characteristics of the device; usually only the total power of the dishwasher is specified.

The sprayers, rotating around their axis, wash the dishes laid out in trays with streams of water. The liquid flows onto a tray located at the bottom of the chamber, then passes through a mesh filter element and enters a special reservoir, from there back to the feed pump. When the main cleaning cycle is completed, the waste water is discharged through the drain pipe into the sewer system.

During the washing process, the device automatically dilutes the detergent loaded by the user into water. Afterwards the cutlery sets are rinsed. Also, some dishwasher models are equipped with a water purity sensor, which allows you to check the quality of the liquid after rinsing.

Main settings

We have figured out what a dishwasher is and what the principle of its operation is, let’s move on to another important question: “What parameters and characteristics of the model should you pay attention to when choosing?”

First, of course, you should look at the size of the washing machine. Many housewives do not decide to buy a dishwasher precisely because of insufficient space in the kitchen area.However, today you can find fairly compact devices that can be built into a furniture set. Its capacity directly depends on the dimensions of the equipment:

Manufacturers define one set of dishes as 4 plates, a mug, a fork and a spoon.

The volume of the washing chamber, designed for 10 sets, can accommodate several extra plates, since there are no standards for the size of dishes. Therefore, please understand that the indicated capacity is only an approximate value.

It is important to remember that pots, pans or baking sheets placed in the basket will take up space that would be enough to wash 4-5 sets. Appliances with a stated capacity of up to six sets are suitable for families of one or two people, and for average families it is better to purchase machines for at least 10 sets of dishes.

Let's look at other technical characteristics of the dishwasher that you need to focus on.

1. Water consumption. The equipment uses much less water in one cleaning cycle than would be required for manual washing. On average, manufacturers claim approximately the same volume, equal to 10-14 liters. The consumption can be adjusted by the user when choosing economical programs or using the “half load” option.
2. Energy consumption. An important parameter is the electricity consumed by the unit during operation. It is better to choose equipment of the highest resource-saving class. Then the cost of one wash will be significantly lower due to fewer kilowatts spent.
3. Power. Powerful machines will handle cleaning much more efficiently and quickly. The shorter duration of the standard washing program reduces energy consumption.
4. Noise level.A classic operational parameter indicating the volume of the dishwasher. For a one-room apartment or studio, you should select machines with a small amount of emitted decibels (up to 45 dB), since the washing machine wash is almost always started at night. If the kitchen is located far from the bedroom, it is permissible to purchase noisier models.
5. Washing class. The higher it is, the more effectively all contaminants on the dishes will be washed off.
6. Drying class. “A, A+, A++” category assumes that the utensils will be taken out of the chamber absolutely dry, class “C” allows for the remaining drops on the surface of the dishes.

I would like to dwell in more detail on the type of drying. It determines under what conditions the cutlery will dry out. So, there are condensation, convective and turbo drying.

Condensation involves the natural evaporation of water from the surface. After rinsing, the dishes are doused with hot water, the drops remaining on the cutlery evaporate, settling on the cool walls of the chamber. The main advantage of this type of drying can be considered the simplicity of the method - no unnecessary devices or parts are required to ensure drying in this way. Therefore, condensation drying machines will be slightly cheaper.

The disadvantage of the condensate method is the duration of the procedure and the imperfect quality of drying. There are often drops, streaks and small puddles of water left on dishes. Increased residual humidity in the machine hopper provokes the appearance of an unpleasant aroma, so after drying, be sure to leave the dishwasher door open for ventilation.

The convective method of removing water from dishes involves drying them by creating air exchange in the chamber.The heat exchanger forces the drying of products due to the convection movement of air. In some devices, convective drying operates thanks to ventilation holes provided in the device body.

Dishwashers with this type of drying cost a little more, but they provide the most effective drying of washed items.

Turbo drying operates thanks to a heater and a fan. The heating element warms up the air in the chamber, and the fan accelerates it inside the machine. This way the moisture evaporates much faster. In this case, drying will be the most effective, but also the most expensive: firstly, such models cost more, and secondly, there will be increased energy consumption by the device.

Almost all dishwashers from any manufacturer are equipped with an ion exchange filter. It is necessary in order to soften hard water entering the system. Too hard water can lead to damage to the heating element. The water passing through the ion exchanger is saturated with salt ions, and particles of magnesium and calcium remain in the reservoir, so the liquid becomes much softer.

Over time, the filler loses its properties and must be regenerated with a salt composition.

The dishwasher's ion exchanger has a special container for salt. It must always contain sodium chloride to a specified level. Some models are equipped with a special indicator that monitors the salt level in the container.

The sodium chloride consumption is manually set by the user, depending on the degree of water hardness in your region. Having found out the indicator, you can install the salt consumption regulator in accordance with the instructions for use.New dishwashers have an option to automatically record the hardness of tap water. So the consumption of sodium chloride will be regulated by the device.

Description of common washing modes

All dishwasher models have not one, but several cleaning functions. The user can independently select one or another program depending on how dirty the dishes are. Let's look at the definitions of the most common washing modes.

• Express cleaning. Helps quickly clean lightly soiled cutlery. The duration of the program is significantly shorter than with the standard cycle.
• Economy mode allows you to save water and electricity resources to the maximum.
• Intensive washing. It involves heating water to the highest possible degree. You can expect increased energy consumption from this program. The benefits of intensive cleaning are great - the dishes will practically be sterilized, which means they will definitely be neutralized from bacteria. When starting the intensive, it is better not to put plastic or thin glass products into the chamber; such material can be damaged by the high degree of heating of the water.
• Delicate cycle. Perfect for cleaning dishes made of fragile materials. The water will be heated by the heating element to 45°C, so in this mode you can wash any products.
• Rinsing. Involves prompt washing of dishes without the use of household chemicals. Typically used when you need to refresh dishes that have been clean but have been sitting in the cabinet for a long time.
• Pre-soaking. This option is considered one of the most important. A dishwasher can only efficiently remove fresh dirt.Often, housewives “accumulate” dishes to the required volume, as a result of which food residues dry out and stick tightly to the surface of kitchen appliances. The same goes for burnt food. So, before starting cleaning, you must soak the dishes, which is possible in the sink, but it is much more convenient to entrust this task to a machine.
• Half load. An economical program that starts when only one basket in the machine chamber is full. This reduces the consumption of water resources and detergents by half. However, the efficiency of such a cycle will be lower than with conventional cleaning.

By purchasing a dishwasher with sufficiently wide functionality, you can adjust the operation of the device to each specific sink. This means that you will have the opportunity to independently control the washing time, and, consequently, the consumption of all types of resources.

Principle of equipment selection

Each family should select the optimal dishwasher capacity based on their needs. If you like to receive guests, or your household promotes healthy five meals a day, then by the evening a lot of dirty dishes will accumulate, and even for 3 people you need to choose a larger machine. And, on the contrary, if family members are busy at work, in schools and various sections until the evening, and only gather for dinner, you can pay attention to compact household appliances.

On average, a dishwasher for 10-13 sets of dishes will be enough for a family of 4.5 people.

Also focus on your specific preferences: if washing speed is important to you, choose units with turbo drying and increased power. When the primary parameter is the cleanliness of the dishes being cleaned, look at the washing class of the equipment. The soaking function will be necessary for housewives who do not want to accumulate soaking dishes in the sink.

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