How to choose a dishwasher - expert advice
When choosing a dishwasher should pay attention to its technical and operational characteristics.
content
- How to choose a dishwasher: selection criteria
- Is it worth buying a dishwashing machine?
- Types of dishwashers - what they are
- The main criteria for choosing a dishwasher
- Types of drying in the dishwasher
- Additional features
- How to choose a dishwasher
- How much does a dishwasher
- Top Dishwasher Manufacturers
- Dishwasher selection video
How to choose a dishwasher: selection criteria
When choosing, pay attention to the following dishwasher parameters:
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Installation type (built-in, partially built-in, stand-alone machine);
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Size (narrow, compact, full size);
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Water consumption and class of consumption;
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Number of programs;
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Connection type (for cold or hot water supply);
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Leakage protection;
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Filtration system;
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Additional functions.
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Manufacturer.
Is it worth buying a dishwashing machine?
If more than one person lives in the house - yes, it is. Especially if there is a small child in the family. The amount of dirty dishes is growing exponentially depending on the "population" of the house - that is, two people will be able to soil 3-4 times more plates and forks than one.
Therefore, installing a dishwasher can save time, effort and even reduce water consumption for hygiene.
Types of dishwashers - what they are
There are two criteria by which you can group existing washing machines - the type of installation and the size.
type of instalation
By type of installation, dishwashers are divided into built-in, partially built-in and free-standing.
Built-in dishwashers
The design of fully embedded dishwashers implies that they do not have their own façade, and the replacement of the external decorative body is the furniture panel. Therefore, such devices do not stand out from the rest of the kitchen.
Virtues
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Completely invisible in the kitchen;
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Often a lower price than partially embedded or full-size;
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Can be decorated with panels of any color and type, so you can not buy a new car when changing kitchen furniture;
disadvantages
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Installation of a dishwasher needs to be planned at the stage of choosing or ordering a kitchen set;
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Slightly more complex access to internal functional elements when repair or service is needed.
The most serious disadvantage of embedded dishwashers is that they cannot be purchased “on request” or “if necessary”. Installation of such a device will have to plan in advance, even at the stage of selection of the kitchen and engineering communications - to ensure water supply and connection to the sewage system.
Partially integrated dishwashers
Such dishwashers differ from fully embedded dishwashers by having their own façade. Therefore, they "stand out" from the rest of the kitchen.
The facade of partially embedded machines can be made of plastic or metal. The first is easier to clean up from various contaminants, but also easily scratched. The second is more difficult to maintain, but it has an attractive appearance and is resistant to various damages.
Partially embedded dishwashers are the most common type.
Some models of partially embedded dishwashers can be “converted” into fully recessed by hanging your own façade from the furniture panel.
Virtues
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A variety of models available;
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In most cases - concise and modern design.
disadvantages
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Stand out from the kitchen, as a result, they can spoil the design composition;
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The practicality is affected by the material from which the facade is made.
Separate dishwashers
Separate dishwashers are not designed to be installed in a kitchen unit. They are equipped with a decorative outer casing, thanks to which they can be placed anywhere.
In some cases (when there is no space in the kitchen set for installing an additional module or when access to communications is difficult) such machines are the most optimal solution.
Virtues
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Simplicity of installation (it is not required to do in advance inserts in engineering communications);
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Easy access to all functional elements when repair and maintenance is necessary.
disadvantages
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There is often a higher level of noise or vibration than embedded models;
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Stand out from the kitchen and occupy space in the room.
Dishwasher size
A parameter such as size serves as a selection criterion exclusively for both types of built-in dishwashers. Indeed, the detached "a couple of extra centimeters" will not be a problem. But too thick a car just does not fit into the kitchen.
There are three standard sizes for dishwashers:
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Compact - height 45 cm, width 55 cm, depth 45 cm;
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Narrow - height 82 cm, width 45 cm, depth 57 cm;
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Standard - height 60 cm, width 60 cm, depth 85 cm.
It is worth remembering that for manufacturers these parameters are advisory in nature, so the specific dimensions of the dishwasher may vary by several centimeters.
The size of the dishwasher directly determines its capacity. So, compact models are designed for 4-6 sets of dishes and therefore suitable for daily use in a small family of 2-3 people. Up to 10 sets will be included in the narrow, and already from 12 sets into the standard one. Therefore, choosing the size of the dishwasher is based not only on the dimensions of the kitchen unit (where it is planned to be built in), but also on the number of “users”.
When choosing a free-standing dishwasher, its capacity becomes the prevailing value.
The main criteria for choosing a dishwasher
Among the most important structural features that determine the practicality of the dishwasher, can be identified:
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Water consumption and energy class;
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Washing class;
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Type of management;
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Modes of operation and the number of pre-installed programs;
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Connection type;
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The presence of leakage protection;
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The presence of filters.
Water flow
This parameter determines how much water the dishwasher consumes during a full cycle of work, including prewash (for some models), main and rinsing. It depends on the specific device model, the installed program, size, year of manufacture and many other parameters.Therefore, it is not possible to determine the recommended value.
Most modern compact dishwashers use 6-8 liters of water for a full wash cycle, 8-10 liters for narrow ones, 10-14 liters for standard ones.
There are also ultra-efficient models - for example, standard models with a consumption of about 6 liters per wash cycle. But they are expensive.
For urban conditions, the type of water used in the car is also important - hot (expensive) or cold (relatively cheap). In the latter case, the device independently heats the fluid. Of course, it consumes electricity. Therefore, you should pay attention to the power consumption of the dishwasher.
Energy class
Energy class means the current consumption of the dishwasher for the cycle of work. The higher it is, the better. Energy classes are indicated in Latin letters, where A is the most economical and G is the most energy consuming.
Specific values are as follows:
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G - from 2.7 kW;
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F - 2.5 kW;
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E - 2.2 kW;
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D - 2 kW;
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C - 1.5 kW;
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B - 1.1 kW;
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A - up to 1.07 kW.
Some modern dishwasher models have an energy rating of A + or A ++, which consumes even less electricity.
However, the lower the power consumption of the dishwasher - the more expensive it is. Therefore, you should not chase for ultra-efficient models, even C-class devices are suitable for home use.
Washing class
Wash class - a parameter that shows how well the machine copes with the dirt on the dishes. It is also denoted by Latin letters, where A is the best work and maximum safety.
The quality and quality of the washing is directly affected by the number and location of the nozzles and nozzles. The more of them - the better the car copes with pollution.
Control type
Dishwasher control can be mechanical or electronic.
Mechanical control
Mechanical control means equipping the device with the appropriate switches and buttons. It is durable, but not particularly functional.
In modern dishwashers mechanical control almost never occurs. It can only be found in very budget models or special ultra-compact versions, with dimensions similar to a microwave.
Virtues
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Durability (expressed in independence of functionality from moisture or stability of electricity);
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Simplicity.
disadvantages
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Extremely meager functionality;
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Large dimensions of the control module, affecting the size of the device or useful volume;
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Lack of programs;
Electronic control
Electronic control is the de facto standard for modern dishwashers. It allows you to install many automatic work programs for maximum practicality or cost-effectiveness.
Virtues
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Wide functionality - a variety of modes and automatic programs;
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Relative ease of customization (for some models);
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Compactness of the module;
disadvantages
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High sensitivity to harmful environmental influences (humidity, voltage drops);
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The risk of inadequate operation of the device in case of problems with the firmware.
Modes of operation
Modes of operation determine the practical qualities of the device. Among them are the most important as follows:
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Prewash mode - designed to remove very strong contaminants, including dried and fatty. In it, the dishes are simply poured with water without the addition of chemical agents and “soaked” for some time;
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The main washing mode is the direct removal of dirt from the surface of the dish. In it, water is alternately applied to the surface of the plates with or without a special agent;
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Rinse mode - designed to flush away detergent from the surface of the dish;
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Drying mode - moisture is removed from the surface of the dish.
Types of drying in the dishwasher
The drying mode itself can be implemented in two ways - condensation and turbo drying.
Condensation drying
Condensation drying involves removing moisture from the surface of the dish in a natural way - it just evaporates from there and settles on the inner walls of the dishwasher.
Virtues
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Low power consumption of the dishwasher;
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Low price of the device;
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Lower water quality requirements;
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Low risk of damage to any elements of the dishwasher condensate;
disadvantages
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It takes a lot of time, up to several hours;
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The risk of stains on the dishes.
Turbosushka
Virtues
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High speed drying dishes;
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Lack of divorce.
disadvantages
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The high cost of the dishwasher;
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Increased power consumption.
Connection Features
Dishwashers can only be connected to cold or to cold and hot water. And the first type of installation is preferable.
When connected only to cold water, the dishwasher independently heats it to the desired temperature, due to which the costs of utility payments (hot is usually much more expensive) are reduced. In addition, this option is much easier to install. As well as the quality of washing dishes does not depend on the maintenance work of public utilities.
The only drawback of this connection option is that the heating element “eats away” the useful space of the main compartment of the dishwasher.
When connected to cold and hot water, the dishwasher does not heat anything on its own. This slightly reduces the consumption of electricity. But the installation is complicated.
Leakage protection
Protection against leakage is realized through a special sensor located in the dishwasher tray. Most often, it has a simple float configuration and works as soon as there is enough water in the bottom (usually 0.2 l).
The protection system can be of two types - full and partial.
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For dishwashers with partial leakage protection, a valve that blocks the water supply is located directly in the housing. It was he who triggered after the “panic” signal of the float sensor.
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For dishwashers with full leakage protection, this valve is located at the end of the hose. Thus, they are protected from depressurization of engineering communications and therefore much safer. But more expensive.
The presence of filters
In dishwashers, various types of filters are installed - from the inlet for softening water to the weekend, which purify the waste water before it is fed into the recirculation system.
The more different filters, the better. For example, input prolongs the operational period of the dishwasher, reducing the risk of scaling in the nozzles and on the heating element. And the output filters mechanically clean the waste water, removing food particles from the plates from it.
The only drawback of filters is that they need to be cleaned regularly, and in some cases even changed.
Additional features
Among the additional features that determine the practicality of the dishwasher, can be identified:
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Half load mode is designed for washing a relatively small amount of dishes.Despite the fact that the procedure time is not reduced, the water consumption is reduced by about 30%.
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The mode of fast washing, as the name implies, reduces the processing time for dishes by about 30-50% by reducing the duration of each of the stages of the cycle. Suitable for processing not too dirty cutlery.
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Intensive cleaning mode is designed to remove complex contaminants. In it, the amount of cleaning agent and the water pressure from the nozzles increase. It is clear that this also leads to a slightly increased energy consumption, but it makes it possible to cope with even very dry or stubborn pollution.
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The delicate wash mode is designed for cleaning heat-sensitive and mechanically sensitive dishes, such as crystal glasses. In it, the water becomes less hot, and the intensity of its flow decreases.
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The economical program and the BIO program reduce the consumption of tap water by increasing the amount of liquid used from the recirculation system. Not suitable for removing difficult dirt.
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Child protection eliminates accidental or uncontrolled depression. To set the operation parameters, as well as simply turn on the dishwasher, you will need to perform some complex actions (for example, hold down two buttons for some time).
How to choose a dishwasher
Choose a dishwasher according to the following procedure:
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Determine the type of placement (embedded or stand-alone);
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Determine the required size (compact, narrow, standard);
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Choose the desired modes of operation and pre-installed programs;
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Determine whether the selected dishwasher for its technical characteristics.
Ergonomics is also important, but it can only be defined in the store - and for each person it is different.
How much does a dishwasher
The cost of dishwashers depends on the functionality, type and volume. It starts from 10 thousand rubles, ends with several hundred thousand rubles. But the vast majority of models designed for home use, are in the optimal price range of 25-40 thousand rubles.
Top Dishwasher Manufacturers
Among the manufacturers of dishwashers one of the best is the German concern B / S / H, which produces household appliances under the Bosch and Siemens brands. In addition, quality models can be found at Whirlpool, Miele and Electrolux. In the budget segment in terms of performance and durability, Candy products are leading.
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Dishwasher selection video
Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.