Energy monitoring plug has just arrived - now what?

Spoonie_Turtle

tux900 said:

dunstonh said:

jvjack said:

dunstonh  I use the eco setting too. It takes about 40mins. Its maybe 20 years old though so uses twice as much electricity as yours. 
I might give the intensive setting a go with Tapo on. Then if there is a difference i can at least feel like i'm making a saving using eco.

That eco setting isn't really an eco setting then, by today's standards.  All the modern energy-efficient dishwashers with an eco mode take 5-6 hours in the cycle.

The difference being due to the change in dishwasher detergent over the years, and the removal of phosphates in particular.

Modern phosphate-free dishwasher detergent relies much more on contact time and so Eco programmes, with their lower temperatures, have to extend their running times significantly to be effective. Eco programmes on older machines, designed for older detergents, reduce their running time to help achieve cost savings but performance these days is likely to suffer as a result. 

Interesting.  Our reasonably old (~third-hand) dishwasher's eco cycle takes 1.5x the length of the normal - 3 1/2 hrs.  I nearly fell off my chair the first time someone mentioned theirs took 5!  Unfortunately the plug is completely inaccessible to measure the energy use of the dishwasher at all.

[Deleted User]

Spoonie_Turtle said:

tux900 said:

dunstonh said:

jvjack said:

dunstonh  I use the eco setting too. It takes about 40mins. Its maybe 20 years old though so uses twice as much electricity as yours. 
I might give the intensive setting a go with Tapo on. Then if there is a difference i can at least feel like i'm making a saving using eco.

That eco setting isn't really an eco setting then, by today's standards.  All the modern energy-efficient dishwashers with an eco mode take 5-6 hours in the cycle.

The difference being due to the change in dishwasher detergent over the years, and the removal of phosphates in particular.

Modern phosphate-free dishwasher detergent relies much more on contact time and so Eco programmes, with their lower temperatures, have to extend their running times significantly to be effective. Eco programmes on older machines, designed for older detergents, reduce their running time to help achieve cost savings but performance these days is likely to suffer as a result. 

Interesting.  Our reasonably old (~third-hand) dishwasher's eco cycle takes 1.5x the length of the normal - 3 1/2 hrs.  I nearly fell off my chair the first time someone mentioned theirs took 5!  Unfortunately the plug is completely inaccessible to measure the energy use of the dishwasher at all.

Is the flex accessible anywhere to use a clip-around monitor?

tux900

[Deleted User] said:

Is the flex accessible anywhere to use a clip-around monitor?

You'd have to cut the cable and split the cores otherwise they'd cancel each other out.

[Deleted User]

tux900 said:

Deleted_User said:

Is the flex accessible anywhere to use a clip-around monitor?

You'd have to cut the cable and split the cores otherwise they'd cancel each other out.

Yes, but could be done carefully if you really wanted to know.

edit: to clarify, this is not a recommendation but I know how much some people here value accurate and granular data!

tux900

[Deleted User] said:

tux900 said:

Deleted_User said:

Is the flex accessible anywhere to use a clip-around monitor?

You'd have to cut the cable and split the cores otherwise they'd cancel each other out.

Yes, but could be done carefully if you really wanted to know.

Probably best to temporarily fit an extension lead and conventional plug-in monitor.

[Deleted User]

tux900 said:

[Deleted User] said:

tux900 said:

Deleted_User said:

Is the flex accessible anywhere to use a clip-around monitor?

You'd have to cut the cable and split the cores otherwise they'd cancel each other out.

Yes, but could be done carefully if you really wanted to know.

Probably best to temporarily fit an extension lead and conventional plug-in monitor.

Not if the plug is completely inaccessible, but yes, not a recommendation!

Spoonie_Turtle

Deleted_User said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

tux900 said:

dunstonh said:

jvjack said:

dunstonh  I use the eco setting too. It takes about 40mins. Its maybe 20 years old though so uses twice as much electricity as yours. 
I might give the intensive setting a go with Tapo on. Then if there is a difference i can at least feel like i'm making a saving using eco.

That eco setting isn't really an eco setting then, by today's standards.  All the modern energy-efficient dishwashers with an eco mode take 5-6 hours in the cycle.

The difference being due to the change in dishwasher detergent over the years, and the removal of phosphates in particular.

Modern phosphate-free dishwasher detergent relies much more on contact time and so Eco programmes, with their lower temperatures, have to extend their running times significantly to be effective. Eco programmes on older machines, designed for older detergents, reduce their running time to help achieve cost savings but performance these days is likely to suffer as a result. 

Interesting.  Our reasonably old (~third-hand) dishwasher's eco cycle takes 1.5x the length of the normal - 3 1/2 hrs.  I nearly fell off my chair the first time someone mentioned theirs took 5!  Unfortunately the plug is completely inaccessible to measure the energy use of the dishwasher at all.

Is the flex accessible anywhere to use a clip-around monitor?

No.  There are several reasons why pulling it out to get to the cable isn't feasible, the two main ones being we can't physically do it ourselves, and the kitchen is so narrow it would completely block access to the sink / cooker / kettle (all the useful areas bar the fridge!) so we really couldn't get someone to pull it out for us and leave it there until we'd finished monitoring.  It's just not worth it. 
[Edit: the extension lead is an interesting idea, but not being able to move the thing ourselves precludes that - it's not worth getting someone in just to do that!]

We'll try the eco cycle and see how well it cleans, but beyond that there's not much we would/could do about it anyway - we already only run it when it's full every few days, and hand wash larger items so they don't take up excess space.  We can't afford a new one (and a new fridge / freezer is the priority) and we're not willing to stop using it altogether.  The monitoring would be for information only, really, at this point.

jvjack

'That eco setting isn't really an eco setting then, by today's standards'  dunstonh
'The difference being due to the change in dishwasher detergent over the years,' tux900
Thanks.

All three setting on my 20 year old Boch dishwasher say 65 degrees. That includes the Eco setting. Was wondering before reading above if they meant at the time it will just be on for a shorter time. 
But no.  That detergent change is making sence. 

Edit;  But still scrathing head a bit.

dunstonh

jvjack said:

'That eco setting isn't really an eco setting then, by today's standards'  dunstonh
'The difference being due to the change in dishwasher detergent over the years,' tux900
Thanks.

All three setting on my 20 year old Boch dishwasher say 65 degrees. That includes the Eco setting. Was wondering before reading above if they meant at the time it will just be on for a shorter time. 
But no.  That detergent change is making sence. 

Edit;  But still scrathing head a bit.

Eco on mine is 50 degrees.  And the drying phase generates less heat which is why it takes longer.

jvjack

ahh.  And mine is 1.2kw a wash in slimline diswasher. Yours is half a kw.
What size is your dishwasher.