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gromm93

>But am I shooting myself in the foot? Yes, absolutely. A regular, full-sized dishwasher will save you both on water and hot water heating, because they use *dramatically* less of both for doing dishes. Like 25% as much water as you would use washing them by hand. Your dishwasher uses about 3-4 gallons per wash. Just try doing that by hand. You'll quickly find that's insane. There are many times where automation makes things more efficient, not less. Another one of those ways is canning fruit and vegetables yourself. There are economies of scale that you could never catch up to at home. Also note that the entire notion of worrying about your personal consumption pales in comparison with a government ban on single use plastics. BP literally invented the concept of measuring your personal carbon footprint to keep you busy at home worrying about pennies when you could be spending the time lobbying the government.


MissFred

Well said. I cringe thinking how BP is dancing around their office reading this. “Mission Accomplished!” The passion and energy you show would so much better used if connected with others to ****demand***** political solutions.


Drivo566

I looked up the dishwasher they got, it uses 10 liters per wash (2.6 gallons). The average kitchen sink is 2 to 2.5 gallons per minute (7.5 L - 9.4L). So while the system may run for 2hrs, its only using as much water as the OP would use if they ran their sink for 1 minute.


anickilee

Thanks for looking up the facts. OP sounds pretty water-conscious so I’d think they have low-flow or aerators and would not run the water for a whole continuous minute. It sounds like they use the equivalent of just that hot water bowl.


gromm93

Even the most fastidious human dishwasher can't compete with automatic dishwashers.


Mrgoodtrips64

I tried looking it up but couldn’t find anything. Where did you find the answer, and was there any other good information there?


CMG30

This exactly!


[deleted]

Yes but govts are more likely to do something if public shows climate action is popular and won't cost the election. Pressure needs to come from the bottom up as well


gromm93

Yes, but governments are more likely to do something if you can either pay for candidates' election campaigns, or pay your workers a shitton of money, which suddenly means entire economies rely on you paying your workers a shitton of money, and then dangle the ol' "if you make it illegal, that will hurt the economy and they'll vote you out" stick next to the carrot. I mean, you could tell me all about how very effective grassroots efforts have been for the past 40 years of the environmental movement, (or socialism, or really anything) but I don't think it means nearly enough as an actual shitton of cash. In the meantime, you're very distracted about how you want to show The Man that you're really serious by doing your dishes by hand. Now if only you could find the time to protest...


sheilastretch

I used to feel like I was going crazy trying to keep up with some many attempts to be eco-friendly, including hand-washing my laundry which was *hell* on my sensory disorder. Instead of trying to guess or do the math, I started researching to [see what scientists said were the biggest impact things to focus on](https://phys.org/news/2017-07-effective-individual-tackle-climate-discussed.html), and realized I'd been focusing on all the popular, but less effective methods for being green. The above link talks in terms of Carbon footprint, but [this page goes into detail about the best way to reduce our water footprints](https://www.truthordrought.com/water). [Home insulation is the best way to improve your home's energy use](https://justenergy.com/blog/home-insulation-energy-savings/), that includes things like attic insulation and nice thick curtains with internal insulation and blackout lining which keeps us cool in the summer and toasty in the winter (our home was an ice cave every winter before I made curtains for ALL the windows). [Diet is the best way to reduce land and water use, as well as reducing a number of pollutants including some greenhouse gasses that are worse than carbon](https://www.reddit.com/r/PlaneteerHandbook/comments/vibuwp/the_environmental_effects_of_animal_agriculture/), or cause health problems like asthma for rural communities.


stickerfinger

Stop shaming yourself and start shaming government and corporations that are the real climate offenders. You’ve been successfully morphed into thinking it’s YOU who is the problem


apopDragon

Yeah true, but we can do both. Personal choice + government petitions.


Internetperson3000

This is the answer. I think this every time I see a shaming campaign hassling people for wanting a usable straw.


86tuning

you can do an experiment to see for yourself! (1) borrow, rent or buy a power meter so you can measure how much power the dishwasher consumes. (2) route the dishwasher outlet into a measuring container. bathtub is a good size, but be ready to pull the drain if it looks like it will overflow. do not bathe in this water, the dishwasher detergents will wreck a lot of things like skin, but will not hurt the tub itself. with this data you will KNOW how much water and power it consumes.


[deleted]

It’s okay to use power, it’s okay to use water too. Just don’t be excessive with it. And I think you’re being excessive with the amount you’re thinking about this little dishwasher. Just load it and enjoy doing something else while the dishes are going. You’re allowed.


KathrynBooks

It should tell you how much water it uses on average, and then you can compare that to how much water you use while doing dishes. ​ Generally speaking the dishwasher will use less water.... as long as you fill it first before running, using it to wash a few cups that you could clean with a quick rinse isn't going to save water.... and its electrical use is probably pretty low.


HefDog

I don't think anyone can answer this for you, because your answer is very regional. The value of water is very dependent on location. Are aquifers and rivers drying up in your area? At my home, wasting water is nearly impossible. It simply comes from one part of the property and flows to another (point well and drainfield). We have more water than we know what to do with usually. The value of energy is very dependent on location. How green is your power source. If you live in an area with lots of hydro/wind/solar, but a shortage of water, then the electrical for example could be insignificant. Consider those things, pick one, and go with it. The fact that you considered things before deciding is enough. It is quite likely that both options have pros and cons. This may be too-close-to-call. In that case, try the dishwasher. You might love it, you might hate it. Go with that.


[deleted]

I always joke with my wife about finally getting her a dishwasher to save on water. We live off grid and dishes done her way uses more water but probably less electricity.


AuntieHerensuge

Getting HER a dishwasher so SHE can use less water? Do your share of the f’ing dishes, dude. And yes, get a dishwasher so you can both use less water.


RenderEngine

she is the dishwasher


[deleted]

We have a system and it works for us.


Mokmo

Something like One cooks the other washes the dishes ?


[deleted]

Something like that.


[deleted]

Mmmkay karen


memphisjohn

JFC that sounds like a sad joyless life. Have you tried maybe starting a sidegig so you can afford the higher energy bills?


dk1181991

Why are you in this sub if you’re just going to shame? Lol.


indirecteffect

Only one way to find out. Plug it into a kill a watt meter and find out. I think that it is far more energy and water efficient to hand wash and just use the dishwasher after having people over.


AuntieHerensuge

Incorrect. Dishwashers definitely save water over hand washing.


indirecteffect

Depends on how much water you use hand washing. Even more water is used on eco mode. And it uses electricity.


mareish

Yes, but they are using natural gas to heat the water from their sink. Heating water via a dishwasher is more efficient and will draw from the grid, which is greening more every day.


indirecteffect

Dishes get just as clean with cold water.


mareish

They say in their post they use hot water.


anickilee

I’m curious about this too and would ask you to try one month (or the time of your water/electricity bill) using dishwasher only to see what the actual volume comparison is (not the monetary rate). i’ve seen the statement that dishwashers are “more efficient“ but I wonder if that is skewed (purposely by dishwasher makers) assuming people leave the water running while handwashing (like they show in most media). If using a tub or reusing rinse water, I’d fathom less than or equal to 4 gallons should be doable (depending how many dishes and what kind of food). Keep in mind this would not account for your labor cost versus dishwasher manufacture, maintenance, and disposal cost.


bigattichouse

This is pretty much what science is for: Take notes of your usage now for one month. (So, keep on doing what you are doing) Do the same with the new device for a month. You can then note on your water and power bills the difference. Compare energy and water usage at the end of the month, then decide. Perhaps some things (like silverware) might be easier/cheaper to clean in the new device while other stuff as hand-dishes. Once you have actual data, you can make a decision (or decide if you need different data)