Saturday, November 19, 2011
Kya deLongchamps continues her series in being more energy conscious in the home this winter
MACHINE or Hands? The dishwasher might seem a curious power saver, but it is in fact infinitely superior to washing dishes by hand. For starters, getting soaped up to the elbows over a 12 place dinner setting would take a staggering 42 litres of hot water to complete. A modestly performing dishwasher could handle the same load in just 12 litres. The total energy for heating the water, never mind the potential future cost of the water is 55% with the help of a machine. To snap on the gloves for a whole year and wash the family’s eating and cooking detritus demands at least 300 man hours, more than 10 days of thankless servitude, only ever be noticed if you don’t do it!
THERE’S MORE
It takes a temperature of around 65ºC to properly clean and disinfect dishes, something difficult to tolerate even in thick rubber gloves and screaming stabs to retrieve the cutlery. Drying with heat takes away streaks and the danger of smearing dishes with a vagrant tea-towel. The only real price of stuffing your slop behind a nice bright white door is the inevitable chore of emptying the blasted thing.
IMMACULATE FEATURES
When choosing a machine don’t just look at the overall efficiency reading (from A, the most efficient, to C), notice the reading is for its washing and drying cycles, generally stated individually on the energy label. An "AAA" rated machine, which hits the heights of energy, wash, and drying efficiency and performance, is now more widely available. Don’t be dazzled by a machine with eco-this and bio-that. Sometimes, the eco-cycle is judged on a small, pre-rinsed load.
A basic machine, and this is largely all most of us need, will boast a standard (65ºC), intense (65-70ºC) and economy cycle (50-55ºC). Extra performance cycles for example to put a dazzle on glassware (40ºC and low water pressure) are increasingly popular. As with washing machines, half-loads may only cut your energy draw by 10-25%. One of the significant improvements in dishwasher design is in the reduction of noise thanks to better insulation and smaller motors.
Prices run from around €300 to over €1,000 for keenly engineered machines with fuzzy logic allowing full automation from Miele, LG and Siemens. These immaculate beasts can turbo-dry your ware and even soften calcium rich water. In entry level machines Argos offers a 12 place Beko with AAA rating, 5 programmes including a 30-minute quick wash at just €280 in white. Miele have a number of key features marking out their top flight machines including the G5000 Series, with its Comfort Close, that pops the door open to release steam and aid drying at the end of the cycle. From €849. www.miele.ie.
CAPACITY
A setting represents one dinner plate, one side plate, a cup and saucer and a dish, and every machine will have a setting capacity. A fully loaded, full-size machine is the most economic choice if you can justify it. Don’t be overawed by a complicated configuration as extras like cutlery drawers can impinge on over-all space.
Even an average-sized family might have difficulty in filling a full-size 60cm machine of 12-14 settings in the course of one day. In that case you can either vouch for a slim-line machine of 45cm with capacity for some 6-9 settings or find a machine with the flexibility of a half load setting which will only wash one basket. The Fisher Paykel DishDrawer has an individual two drawer design as you can split the load and the programmes for one wash. From €1,089 in stainless steel. www.fisherpaykel.ie.
SHY OR ON SHOW
Would you prefer freestanding, semi-integrated or fully integrated? In a freestanding model the machine is slid under a kitchen counter leaving every detail of its big flat face on show. If you want something more tailored and certainly more expensive, a semi-integrated machine carries a furniture door to match the rest of the cabinetry of the kitchen leaving the drawer height aspects of the machine including the handle and controls on view. For even greater discretion, the dishwasher can be rendered virtually invisible behind a full cabinet door, the full integration of the machine. In this case the controls are neatly tucked away along the inside edge of the machine door. In terms of cost, the more of the machine you hide, generally the more expensive it becomes.
Help prevent leaks this winter
If you’re worried about leaks from your dishwasher or the spectre of burst pipes this coming winter (and aren’t we all) there are some great new products from an Irish firm on the market, detailed to stop the problem at source before major damage occurs.
The Leakstop Autovalve (€290) responds to the pressure and flow of water in your pipes and shuts off the water supply in your home or business when:
- There is a catastrophic pipe failure in the system.
- The air temperature at the valve location drops below 3°C.
- The water is left running continuously for more than 10 minutes (adjustable between 10 min and 40 minutes).
- The water is not in use for 24 hours.
Leakstop Ireland, also carry a Floodstop Valve (€145), an electronic device that is wired to the valve installed on the main water inlet. If the Moisture Detection Pads come into contact with wetness, the system will shut the valve off within 10 seconds. You can fit as many pads as you like (€18.40) and even a second valve for peace of mind in a larger property. A wireless whole house kit, including several pads and a remote hub, is available to cover all the home’s major flood danger points, from the kitchen to the laundry (from €385).
- For pricing, delivery and further information telephone 021-4320020 or log onto www.leakstopireland.com
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