When to run the dishwasher and washing machine?

sunshinenz on 15/04/2022 - 10:08

I've been on Contact's Good Nights plan for half a year. I know that to make the best use of the 3 free hours, I'll need to finish the showers just before 9pm.

How about running the dishwasher and washing machine (hot washes)? Should I turn them on at 9, or before that? My question is mainly on the use of hot water: do my appliances heat water on the go, or use stored hot water from the cyclinders?

My dishwasher and washing machine (front load) are only a few years old, of reputable brands. Dishwasher heavy duty cycle takes 2 hrs 15 mins, a regular washing load takes about an hour. I wash bed linens and gym stuff on 40 degrees but other stuff cold. Thanks.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Alan6984 on 15/04/2022 - 11:33
    +1

    Probably a silly question, but if you have three hours of free power from 6pm to 9pm, why not run the washing machine and dishwasher just after 6pm?

    Make sure you have showers as early as possible too (not sure if you would be affected by having everything running at once, so you might have to spread out a bit perhaps), but finishing your showers etc just before 9pm (if that is when the free power stops) means that nearly all the (re)heating of the water tank is done outside of the free power period?

    Maybe I am being stupid and missing something obvious here?

    • notreallysure on 15/04/2022 - 11:51
      +1

      I assume the 3 free hours are from 9pm til midnight.

      • Alan6984 on 15/04/2022 - 13:15

        Yeah - could be, the is nothing explicit in the OP to say, but as I said above, perhaps I am just being stupid :-)

  • Detruire on 15/04/2022 - 12:00
    +1

    My question is mainly on the use of hot water: do my appliances heat water on the go, or use stored hot water from the cyclinders?

    Generally (IME at least) washing machines and dishwasher don't heat their own water, but you should confirm what is correct for your specific appliances.

    However, that likely doesn't matter much regarding the initial question: starting the dishwasher a little after 9 would probably be best, even if the water is from the cylinder, as the cylinder should start heating as it refills. You may need to start the washing machine later, depending how much hot water the dishwasher uses at the start - otherwise there may not been enough sufficiently hot water for both appliances.

    • rkl on 15/04/2022 - 12:31
      +3

      most newer dishwashers and front loading washing machines do infact heat their own. Only has 1 cold water pipe connected

    • Alan6984 on 15/04/2022 - 13:17

      You could even imagine that it might depend on the temperature of the wash you choose - if you ask for an 80-celcius wash, you might find it uses external hot water, and then heats it further, but a lower temperature would just use cold water and heat it.

  • sunshinenz on 15/04/2022 - 12:08

    Free hours are 9pm to midnight.

    I'm just not sure if washing machines and dishwashers heat water on the go or draw hot water from the cyclinders? If the former then best to turn them on at 9pm, but if the latter then best to finish them at 9pm, just like showers, right? I don't like taking showers at night so miss out on saving on that part completely.

  • bigcheese on 15/04/2022 - 13:23

    You would need to check the model of your dishwasher / washing machine.
    As rkl said above most newer machines heat their own water but not all.
    Look at the water connections for the appliance - do you have just a cold water connection or both hot & cold?
    If it’s the former then it heats its own water.

    • sunshinenz on 15/04/2022 - 14:44

      Thanks. Washing machine only has 1 pump. Dishwasher has 2 — one for water in and one for draining, I suppose? It's a mid-range Bosh 14 or 15 place settings, only 2 years old.

      • bigcheese on 15/04/2022 - 14:54
        +1

        Sounds like they are both cold water connections that heat their own water.
        The drain connection is irrelevant - that is just to empty the water from the dishwasher and is on all machines.
        I’m also with Contact but on a different plan so can’t comment on how the free power hours work.

  • Stoic on 15/04/2022 - 13:31

    Check to see if your hwc is on a timer or if its controlled by the power company for wjen it heats and make sure it heats during your free power.

    • sunshinenz on 15/04/2022 - 14:10

      How do I check this? I remember making inquiries about some peak/off peak plans before and the power company said I'd need to get an electrician in to separate the wiring first. I didn't bother then. So far we've only been on "anytime"-type plans.

      • Alan6984 on 15/04/2022 - 15:12

        If you want to allow the power company to manage the hot water heating (I have never done this, but I am guessing you get some kind of discount if you allow that), then you'd need it wired up separately.

        If you want to control it, then you would need some kind of timer, either on the circuit, or more likely (I'd guess) on the HWC itself.

        If you don't have those, then I don't think this would apply (without an outlay for an electrician).

        Alan.

        • sunshinenz on 15/04/2022 - 17:58

          Yeah currently I can only do that by switching at the cyclinders or the switchboard. Remembering to do it twice a day seems to much work for me, so I haven't bothered. So my main way of making use of the free hours is via the washing machine and the dishwasher.

          • Alan6984 on 15/04/2022 - 20:11

            @sunshinenz: You could have a timer fitted - I believe, but am not certain, that it would be Prescribed Electrical Work, so you would need a qualified electrician to do it for you (from a legal perspective), regardless of whether you are competent to do it yourself or not.

            • sunshinenz on 16/04/2022 - 18:41

              @Alan6984: I'll need to work out how much I can save by shifting the heating time. Not sure if the cost over 1 year (not sure if Contact will keep this plan going) will be enough to justify an electrician visit. I have 2x 250-litre hot water cylinders. I think we set the cylinder to 65 degrees (electrician's advice) so that at the tap it will be no less than 55 degrees, reducing the risk of legionnaires. One cylinder is about enough for one shower for a certain member of the family (20 minutes, 22 litres/minute shower head, changed to water-saving high pressure shower head before but he didn't like it so he changed back to his favourite).

  • rodnah on 16/04/2022 - 07:38

    The power companies only control hot water by turning them off during peak hours to reduce the load on the system/grid. Through out the day and night it would be still heating the water. If you check out your hourly usage you would see it spiking up even though you weren't at home or sleeping….

    Like what the others have said the dishwasher and washing machine heat their own water on the go… If you have a dryer then maybe wash before 9 and chuck it in the dryer at 9 as dryers consume more power, then throw more washing at 9… Or squeeze both in if time allows it.

    As for home wiring check out ECP 51 about home owners wiring, what you can and can't do as a home owner. From memory it's only like for like if you are competent.

    • sunshinenz on 16/04/2022 - 18:32

      I have a dryer but thanks to the sun and winds I seldom use the dryer!

      • Alan6984 on 17/04/2022 - 00:42

        Far more hygienic too - drying your clothes in the sun's UV kills off anything that the washer left, which is, unfortunately, quite a bit with colder washes these days.

        We use a dryer if there is no choice, but it always seems a bit yucky.

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