Dishwasher and washing machine heated by a hot water circulation loop

Electric energy (70–90%) used by electrically heated dishwashers and washing machines is used for heating the water, the crockery, the laundry and the machine and could as well be replaced by heat from other sources than electricity. This article evaluates prototypes of a dishwasher and a washing machine, where the machines are heated by a hot water circulation loop and the heat is transferred to the machines via a heat exchanger. The machine therefore uses water from the cold water pipe. Measurements and simulations have been performed showing that all energy for heating can be replaced if the supply water temperature is 65–70 °C. An alternative and common way to save electricity is to connect the machines to the domestic hot water pipe, but the electrical savings with this measure are much smaller, especially for the dishwasher. Computer modelling has been performed and the model has proved to have a high agreement with measured data. However comparison with manufacturers’ data indicates that the computer models overestimate the energy demand by about 10%.