Are you thinking of buying a dishwasher? Are you also thinking of installing a heating element in your dishwasher for further convenience? Additionally, are you wondering whether or not it is possible for a dishwasher to run without the heating element?
Are you wondering whether or not there will be any differences in the performance of a dishwasher without the heating element?
Can you run the dishwasher without a heating element?
You can definitely run a dishwasher without a heating element however, a heating element can give you some added advantages. Nevertheless, you will be able to reduce excessive power consumption and water use if you use a dishwasher without a heating element.
A heating element is such equipment for the dishwasher that adds several efficient advantages to the cleaning process of the dishes.
Consequently, it helps to remove all the food particles from the dishes, cleans all the water spots, and also helps to dry the dishes thoroughly.
However, it is also very much possible to effectively run a dishwasher without the heating element despite all these advantages derived by the addition of heating elements.
In addition, this will not only help you to save a lot of money on the water and electricity bill but rather this will also do the washing and drying cycle properly with the “low energy quick cycle” process or with the “condensation drying” process.
Can you run the dishwasher with a broken heating element?
A heating element is a very crucial thing for your dishwasher which helps to give your dishes a very effective and efficient spotless clean look and also helps to cure any possible health risks related to bacteria and germs.
However, if you happen to have a broken heating element in your dishwasher, then you may likely face some problems while dishwashing though you can surely run it.
In addition, one of the most common problems you will face with a broken heating element is that you will find food scraps being stuck to your dishes even after the completion of the cleaning process.
Moreover, the lack of a good heating element in the dishwasher will not sanitize your dishes properly and you will not be able to clean your dishes with hot water which will result in more germs and bacteria.
In addition, another major problem you will face with a faulty or broken heating element in the dishwasher is related to wet dishes.
Accordingly, when your dishes come out of the dishwasher, you will also find several water spots on your dishes which will not give a finished cleaning look to your dishes.
What happens when the heating element goes out in the dishwasher?
When the heating element goes out in a dishwasher, there will be a myriad of different problems regarding that. Therefore, being knowledgeable about the possible outcomes of a faulty heating element can help you to adapt your decisions accordingly.
Cold Water:
One of the most important things that a heating element does is that it heats the water for the washing cycle.
Accordingly, when the water is heated, there is more chance that the dishes will be cleaned thoroughly but with a faulty heating element, you will notice that the water remains cold and doesn’t get hot despite the heating element being turned on.
Ineffective Drying Cycle:
Another most important thing that a heating element does in your dishwasher is that it heats the airflow within the dishwasher so that the dishes come out dry and clean.
However, if the heating element goes out in your dishwasher, you will notice that the airflow within the dishwasher does not heat up which causes the dishes to be wet after cleaning.
Unclean Dishes:
Another negative outcome that will result from a faulty or broken heating element is that it will not clean the food particles off of the dishes properly as you may notice some scraps of food still clinging onto the dishes despite being washed.
In addition, you may also face problems with sanitizing issues and accordingly, the lack of a heating element will encourage germs and bacteria to cling to the dishes more.
Spots on the Dishes:
If the heating element goes out in the dishwasher, you will also witness that the dishes will have water spots all over them due to the lack of hot water.
In addition, along with the spots, you will also see that the dishes despite being washed are very cold to the touch whereas they should have been warm.
How does a dishwasher dry without a heating element?
A dishwasher can definitely dry without a heating element as several new dishwashers are not equipped with any kind of heating element as a heating element can cause huge power consumption which will just add to your electricity bill.
Although in the drying cycle, the heat drying process with the help of a heating element can actually provide very spotless cleaning of the dishes, nevertheless there are other options like “air-dry” which does not have the heating element but does the job effectively and efficiently.
Accordingly, this type of drying system is only available in Energy Star models of dishwashers which sought to reduce the power consumption by almost fifteen percent.
In addition, there is also another option called “extra dry” which provides enhanced drying probabilities which is almost as good as hot air cleaning of the heating element of any dishwasher.
Moreover, another way of drying your dishes without a heating element in a dishwasher is by using the “rinse aid” option.
This helps to dry huge loads of dishes faster and it also does not allow the water’s surface tension which results in fewer water spots on dishes.
Do dishwashers have their own heating element?
Whether or not dishwashers have their own heating elements depend a lot on the type of dishwasher you have. Accordingly, if you have a dishwasher that is an old one, chances are that the dishwasher will have its own heating element.
Additionally, when it comes to advanced and newer dishwashers, it is most likely that these types of dishwashers will not include the heating element but may have some type of substitute for the heating element like air-dried option and so on.
Moreover, in the slightly older type of dishwasher, the exposed tube at the very bottom of the basin is actually known as the heating element of a dishwasher. Accordingly, this helps a lot to dry dishes a lot quicker in the drying cycle.
How to install a dishwasher heating element?
It is very important that you have a perfectly working heating element in your dishwasher.
Therefore, being knowledgeable about the proper ways of installing a heating element in your dishwasher will help to eradicate any kind of problems you may face in the future.
Power off Everything:
You need to be very careful while installing a heating element in your dishwasher and the very first thing you need to do is to make sure that all the power connection of the dishwasher is turned off.
Accordingly, this means you also have to cut the water supply of the dishwasher so that water does not get wasted.
Collect all the Materials:
You now need to collect all the necessary materials and things you will need to install the heating element in your dishwasher.
Accordingly, you will need gloves, rinse aid, screwdrivers and most importantly, you will need the heating element.
Remove the Dishwasher:
In this simple step, you have to remove the dishwasher from your cabinet so that you have better access to all the power cables at the bottom of your dishwasher which will be highly effective for the installation process.
Install the Heating Element:
In this step, you need to unpack all the elements and you have to first dampen or lubricate the seals in rinse aid and after that, you need to match the leads to their respective holes in the tub of the dishwasher.
After that, you now need to fasten the clip or the mounting clip so that the heating element is attached to the tub of the dishwasher.
Moreover, you also need to fasten the wire nuts to the heating element and these things will be easier if you move the dishwasher on its back, and with that, you will be able to have your heating element ready to be used.
Test the Heating Element:
In the last step, you need to reassemble all the parts of the dishwasher back to their original shape. Now, all there is left for you to do is to actually test whether the installation process has worked or not.
Final Thoughts
Although the heating element can enhance the performance by cleaning the dishes thoroughly, it can be achieved without a heating element also. Accordingly, you will also be able to use the “condensation dry” instead of the hot air-drying technique in dishwashers with the absence of heating elements.