Dishwasher Installation & Repair

• In 1850, the first patent for a dishwasher was issued in the United States.

• Josephine Cochrane invented the first successful hand-powered dishwasher in 1887. She was married to a wealthy merchant and was expected to hold dinner parties. Her delicate heirloom china was getting chipped when it was washed by staff. So she started handwashing the china herself but did not have better results. She was also chipping her china. So she went in search of a better solution.

She designed the hand-powered dishwasher and built it with the help of mechanic George Butters. She then started her own company, Garis-Cochrane Manufacturing, to make and sell her dishwashers. George became one of her first employees.

In the early 1900’s, Josephine’s company became part of KitchenAid. 

• Motor-powered dishwashers weren’t invented until the 1920s but due to the depression in the 1930s and then World War II, they didn’t start showing up in homes until the 1950s and then only in the homes of the wealthy. 

They became commonplace in the 1970s.

• The first dishwashers had wire compartments where the dishes were put. While the dishes were sprayed with hot soapy water, one used a hand crank to rotate the compartments in the dishwasher.

• Dishwashers are regulated products. In Canada, Natural Resources Canada sets the minimum efficiency standards all dishwashers sold in Canada must meet. In the United States, the Department of Energy sets the standards.

• Dishwashers are included in the Energy Star program in both Canada and the United States. Energy Star certified products are tested by independent third-parties to ensure they meet the Energy Star’s strict efficiency standards.

On average, an Energy Star dishwasher in Canada uses 12% less energy and 30% less water than dishwashers not certified by Energy Star.

Look for the Energy Star symbol to make sure you are getting one of the most energy efficient dishwashers on the market.

• If you procrastinate unloading the dishwasher, don’t worry you aren’t alone. In a survey conducted by Cascade Platinum and Marie Claire, 78% of respondents said they have rerun a dishwasher to avoid unloading it. Even though doing the dishes has gotten much easier, we still do what we can to avoid the chore.

• Did you know some dishwashers have soil sensors that test how dirty the dishes are throughout a wash? The dishwashers uses that information to adjust the cycle to ensure your dishes get the best cleaning with the most efficient energy and water use.

• What uses less water? Hand washing or dishwashers? The answer is dishwashers. Hand washing uses around 27 gallons of water compared to the 4.25 gallons a dishwasher uses.

• Not only do dishwashers use less water, it is the more hygienic to wash your dishes in your dishwasher than washing them by hand.

• To prewash or not? Not. You don’t need to prewash your dishes, just scrape off the food and load the dishwasher. The little pieces of food on the plates actually gives the detergent something to grab on to, giving you cleaner dishes.

• Don’t forget to clean your dishwasher! Check your owner’s manual for instructions on how and how often to clean your dishwasher.

• The great debate. What’s the best way to load a dishwasher? This question causes a lot of tension in households and leads to a lot of fights. How often have you loaded the dishwasher only to come back and find out someone has rearranged it to their standards?

In a survey conducted by Cascade Platinum and Marie Claire, 42% of respondents admitted to reloading the dishwasher because they didn’t like the way it was originally loaded.

Let’s just agree to disagree on this one. (Though some dishwasher manuals give tips on the best way to load that dishwasher model).

• Yes, you can overload your dishwasher. We all want to fit as much as we can in our dishwashers, but if you put too much in, your dishwasher cannot do it’s job properly. And you will end up where you started in the end … with dirty dishes.

• Not just for dishes. You can wash a few other things in your dishwasher. Toothbrushes, hats, and flip flop are just a few ot the things.

• Try cracking open the door at the end of a cycle. This will help eliminate moisture and you will get a better air dry.

• Did you know there’s such a thing as a drawer dishwasher? Each drawer is operated independently from the other giving you flexibility in the size load you want to run. And a single drawer is perfect for small kitchens. They were developed by Fisher and Paykel and launched in 1997. 

• What is responsible for using most of the energy a dishwasher uses? It’s heating the water. It is said heating the water uses 84% of the total energy a dishwasher uses.

• Can you wash all dishes in your dishwasher? No, you shouldn’t wash non-stick pans, chef’s knives, and wooden items in your dishwasher.

• You will need to replace your dishwasher approximately every 10 years.

• Annually, an average dishwasher runs 200 cycles.

• Do I really need to use rinse aid in my dishwasher? Yes, rinse aid helps eliminate water spots.