Water Temperature
Control System
To get dishes clean and dry you need hot water. To help you get
water of the proper temperature,
your dishwasher has a water heating
feature that automatically senses
the temperature of the water in the wash cycle and heats it, if necessary,
to the proper temperature. This water heating feature may allow you to turn down your household
water heater and save energy if you're willing to let the dishwasher run a little longer while it heats water to the proper temperature, For good washing and drying, the entering water must be at least
120°E To prevent dish damage, inlet water should not exceed 150°F.
How to test water temperature:
Check your water temperature with a candy or meat thermometer. Turn on the hot water faucet nearest the
dishwasher. Put the thermometer
Help prevent spotting with a rinse agent,
A rinse agent makes water flow off dishes quicker than usual. This
lessens water spotting. Makes drying faster, too.
For best dishwashing performance, use of a rinse agent is recommended,
Rinse agents come in either liquid or solid form. Your dishwasher's dispenser uses the liquid form.
Here's how to fill the rinse agent
dispenser. Unscrew the cap. Add the liquid rinse agent until it just reaches the bottom of the lip inside the dispenser opening. Replace the cap. The dispenser automatically
releases the rinse agent into the final rinse water,
If you accidentally spill: Wipe
up the rinse agent with a damp cloth. Don't leave the spill in the dishwasher. It can keep your
detergent from working.
How to choose and use the right detergent.
First, use only powder or liquid detergents specifically made for use in dishwashers. Other types will cause oversudsing.
Second, check the phosphate content. Phosphate helps prevent
your water is hard (7 grains or more), your detergent has to work
harder. Detergents with a higher phosphate level will probably work better. If the phosphate content is low (8.7% or less), you'll have to use extra detergent with hard water.
Your water department can tell you how hard your water is. So
can your Extension Agent. Or your area's water softener company. Just
call and ask them how many "grains- of hardness" there are in your water.
How much detergent should you
in a glass and let the water run
temperature stops rising. If the
water temperature is below 120°E,
adjust your water heater.
continuously into the glass until the
_
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use? That depends. Is your water
you need extra detergent to get dishes clean. With soft water, you
need less detergent.
"ha rd" or "soft"? With hard water,
Helpful hints: If outside
if your water travels a long distance temperaturesfromheater toaredishwasher,unusually youlow,mayor
need to set your heater's thermostat
up. If you have not used hot water for some time, the water in the
pipes will be cold. Turn on the hot water faucet at the sink and allow it
to run until the water is hot. Then start the dishwasher. If you've recently done laundry or run hot
water for showers, give your water heater time to recover before
operating the dishwasher,
_
Your dishwasher's rinse agent dispenser holds 41/2ounces. This
should last about 3 months. Fill as needed. Do not overfill.
Too much detergent with soft water
harmful. It can cause a permanent notcloudinessonly wastesofglassware,money, itcalledcanbe
"etching." An outside layer of glass
is etched away! But why take a chance when it's easy to find out
the hardness of your water.
Keep your detergent fresh and dry. Under the sink is not a good
place to store detergent. Too much moisture. Don't put powder detergent
into the dispenser until you're
ready to wash dishes, either. (It won't he fresh OR dry.)
If your powder detergent gets old or lumpy, throw it away. It won't wash well. Old detergent loses its
power. Lumpy detergent often won't dissolve.
If you use a liquid dishwasher detergent, these precautions are not necessary because liquid detergents don't "lump" as they age or come in contact with water.
