Normally dishwasher requires hot water for cleaning dishes. So will dishwasher work if hot water heater is broken? Let’s find out the answer.
Will Dishwasher Work If Hot Water Heater Is Broken?
Older dishwasher models don’t need a heater to heat water because it is directly connected to the hot water lines.
But the latest version of the dishwasher comes with a heating element to heat the water.
Yet all dishwashers can work without a heater. You can directly use a hot water connection that will work as a heater.
Even a dishwasher can clean dishes with a cold water supply. The cold water can reduce the cleaning efficiency, but it won’t damage your machine.
So if your hot water heater is broken, simply connect it to the hot water connection. Your dishes will come with sparkling cleaning like before.
Why Is Hot Water Essential For Cleaning Dishes?
Often we have stuck residue and stubborn stains on our dishes which are tough to clean.
Hot water is more effective in cleaning out the toughest residue, grease, or burnt stains from utensils.
That is why using hot water is always advisable for dishwashers to derive better cleaning results.
Moreover, hot water also sanitizes your dishes by killing germs and bacteria. So if you want to maintain your family’s Safety, hot water cleaning is always the first priority.
Even dishwasher detergent can work best when the water temperature reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
When you use cold water, the detergent becomes less effective compared to hot water.
However, a cold water connection is not harmful to your dishwasher machine.
If you need to clean some fragile utensils that have a risk of damage in hot water wash, then you can use cold water.
The only issue is it extends the cleaning cycle time and minimizes the dishwasher cleaning efficiency.
The latest dishwasher can heat its own water before starting the cleaning cycle.
So if you don’t have geysers or water heaters, don’t worry; the latest dishwasher can heat their own water.
Why Is A Hot Water Connection Advisable For A Dishwasher?
We already mentioned that the latest dishwasher comes with a heating element to heat their own water.
Even though it has the power to heat water and works fine with a cold water connection manufacturer recommended using a hot water connection instead of a cold water supply. Now the question is, why?
Yet the heating element is very efficient it can raise your electric bill. So to save electricity, it is advisable to connect the hot water supply.
When you connect the hot water supply, your geyser will work 24/7. As a result, the dishwasher always gets warm water, so the heater won’t need to heat the water like before.
It takes less energy to heat warm water than cold water. That reduces your electricity bill.
Some older models of dishwasher machines won’t have any heating element. This type of dishwasher can stop working if the water is too cold.
Besides, it has a chance to maximize cleaning time and reduce cleaning efficiency.
That is why experts suggest connecting the dishwasher machine to a hot water line.
Adding Hot Water
Many users mistakenly connect the cold water lines to the dishwasher.
After knowing that cold water reduces cleaning efficiency and can’t sanitize dishes, they are looking for an alternative method.
They become curious to know whether they can pour hot water manually inside the dishwasher.
The answer is a big No. You should not try to manually pour Hot water inside the machine. It has a high risk of damaging your expensive dishwasher.
In a wash cycle, the dishwasher changes water 5-6 times depending on the soil level.
During this washing period, the dishwasher door remains locked until the cycle is complete.
If you try to forcefully add hot water, it can damage the locking system. But some old model allows manual hot water adding, but it is not advisable.
However, the dishwasher machine that has a thermostat offers an option for the users to pour manual water during the cleaning cycle.
If your dishwasher offers these features, then you can go for manual water-adding techniques.
But before trying this trick, read the user manual carefully to avoid accidents.
As you are planning to add hot water, it can harm the machine as well as you. So precaution is a must.
Well, you need to add manual Hot water because you don’t want to connect the hot water supply.
Maybe you want to avoid the plumber cost, or you have no geyser. But trust me, this little cost will increase a lot of pain.
Manual adding is a very annoying job that will make cleaning tough and time-consuming.
So we suggest you use a hot water connection instead of manual adding.
FAQs
Do you need Hot water to run a dishwasher machine?
Generally, dishwashers use hot water to clean dishes.
The cleaning efficiency depends on the water temperature. If you use cold water, that reduces the cleaning performance.
Can you wash dishes with cold water in the dishwasher?
Yes, you can wash dishes with cold water. But it fails to make the utensils germ-free.
Do dishwashers heat up their own water?
The latest dishwasher machine comes with a heater to heat up its own water.
But older models are not capable of heating their own water.
Can you use the dishwasher without Hot Water?
Technically you can use a dishwasher without Hot water. But to get better cleaning results, it is recommended to use hot water.
Bottom Line
Hot water ensures superior cleaning performance in a dishwasher machine. Besides, it is essential to get a germ -free dishes.
But a hot water heater can suddenly get damaged. So will dishwasher work if hot water heater is broken? All types of dishwashers work if the heater is broken.
Maximum users connect the dishwasher to the hot water supply, so the machine already gets warm water when the heater is broken.
It can reduce the cleaning efficiency, but it will work fine.
