Do Dishwashers Need To Use Hot Water?
All brands of dishwashers need really hot water to work their best. In my 30 years of appliance repair, I’ve seen many dishwashers not cleaning well and not melting the soap because the water wasn’t heating properly. The 120-degree water from your home’s water heater generally isn’t hot enough for your dishwasher to do its job. That’s why most dishwaters boost that water’s temperature to 160 degrees, high enough to kill all pathogens and melt all your dishwasher soap. If you open your dishwasher door 30 minutes into the cycle, you should see a big plume of steam billowing out. If not, something’s wrong with your dishwasher’s heating system. The most common reason for a dishwasher not heating properly is the water inlet valve not letting in enough water to activate the heater. At 30 minutes into the cycle, if you open the door you should see water high enough to touch the heating element near the bottom of the dishwasher. Some dishwashers, like Bosch and Miele, ...