After 3 years, I just found out my GE dishwasher does NOT heat the water. What brands do heat the water?

Question

We built a house 3 yrs ago, bought all brand new appliances. I thought my new dishwasher would automatically heat the water. I found out recently that it does NOT. So all for 3 yrs, I guess my dishes were not getting clean and sanitized. What brands do heat the water and not rely on tap water being hot enough?

Answer 1

Most models of most brands do heat the water because most people have their water heaters set at 120 and dishwashers like warmer water. I am surprised yours does not.  It is possible it does heat it some you just don't have a selector button to turn on/off the water heat. But maybe not.

You could turn up your water heater if you don't have very young children or very elderly in the home.

You would have to check model by model, not by brand. Most now would have a button for turning on the water heat. (That has to do with how they test for energy usage).

And FWIW, making sure your water is hot at the sink before starting the dishwasher is usually fine for washing. Then you really don't need the water heat.

Restaurants have a sanitizing cycle that has to be above 160 degrees. But that is because they re-use their dishes so fast. In the home it is drying that "sanitizes" by killing off the bacteria and that does a better job than a sanitizing wash (commercially they also need to use a sanitizing rinse solution).    

And these days dishwashers in the home don't get up to over 160 degrees anyway.

Personally, if the dishes are getting clean,  I would just make sure they

are very dry before putting them away and not worry about no water heat.



Good Luck.  

Answer 2

Are you sure your unit doesn't have a setting to heat the water?  If must have been a really low level appliance if it doesn't.  I thought they all had that setting?  My Maytag has a wash heat boost that raises the water temperature in the dishwasher to sanitizing temps.  I really thought that was standard.

Answer 3

They don't heat the water use your hot water line

Answer 4

z

Answer 5

Our Kenmore Ultra III DOES heat the water if we turn the proper switch on.  We have had it for at about 12 years.  Most modern dishwashers do have a setting to heat the water.  Visit different showrooms with that question.  I'll bet you find many that heat the water.

Answer 6

about the only ones that heat the water are commercial brands,the best thing for you to do would be have a dedicated hot water source installed for your dish washer,this would be allot cheaper than a commercial one,they are around 4 to 5 grand and very large.you could have a tank less hot water source installed that will get up to 190o and that is plenty hot enough.also if you use the heat drying function on your d/w that alone should be enough to sanitize your dishes

Answer 7

I don't know but i wish my G.E. stock would do something it hasn't done in years,GO UP, i miss Jack Welch.

Answer 8

dishwashers do not heat water, they use your house hot water line at 120deg., just like if you were handwashing the dishes. did some dufus hook your dishwasher to the cold water line? if so, you will have to re-run the line from the hot water under your kitchen sink.

Hope that helps.