Does anyone use the Eco wash function on their dishwasher?

Sometime up-thread mentioned using the DW after 11pm, because it’s cheaper. I didn’t realise that !

Always eco and always overnight on cheap rate electricity. Having experienced a fire from this previously I am NOT afraid as all systems are in place and it shouldn’t happen again. However as frightening as it was I also learned how quickly things could be dealt with.

My Eco wash takes much longer than any other wash. Why it’s called an ‘Eco’ wash, I’ll never know

Ours doesn't seem to work very well, and I'm not convinced that the dishes that look okay are in fact are properly cleaned. I use the full fat program. OTOH most of my clothes are done at 30°, I only use higher temperatures for towels, sheets, underwear, and cleaning cloths.

MiniMoon

I would never use overnight any appliances that heats - e.g. dishwasher, washing machine, tumbledryer.
I've read too many horrific and tragic news reports over the years about fires caused by doing so.

I believe that the Fire Services advises against doing so.

I recall that in 2008 Sir Terry Wogan and 'the current Lady Wogan' (!!!) went to bed (c) midnight sfter putting the tumble drier on. It overheated and started a fire. They didn't hear the smoke alarms but their daughter Katherine did and raised the alarm and alerted her parents.
Firemen spent over 2-hours containg the blaze. Luckily the door to the Laundry Room was a fire-door and was closed which slowed down the blaze.

Sir Terry said that if his daughter hadn't been there to hear the alarm then there would probably had been a very sad outcome.

When I read about it I stopped using all such appliances after bedtime. I also NEVER have the tumbledrier running at ANY TIME if I go out.
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Yes, most of the time. I put the washer on last thing before we go to bed, so the dishes are clean for the morning.

Occasionally use the shorter hotter washes if there's greasy dishes or pans.

Yes I have used it but I found glasses smelled like a dog bowl (no pets).
Gone back to 75 degrees.

Our dishwasher ECO setting takes 5 and a half hours, and if you hit the button by mistake there is no way you can cancel it.

I am with you there, Rosie. I would never put any of those machines on without them being supervised. The fire risk is too great.

Yes, we use the Eco dishwasher programme most of the time. "Which", the UK consumer association has done studies which compare different dishwasher programms. (Worth reading, IMO: anyone can access this online - you don't have to be a member of Which.)
It does take hours, so on the few occasions we need a swifter dish-wash, we use another programme. (We find that Eco cleans as well as the other programmes, but we don't have much greasy stuff.)

I use Eco quite often if there's nothing greasy among the load. It takes almost 4 hours but I start the programme late at night so it's finished when I get up.

Not for me. I use auto, which means I do smaller loads more economically

on mine its a tabletop non plumbing one, i have eco quick fruit (for fruit washing) intense and air dry so covers all things! as only being me eco does me most the time. i am vegan and eat a lot of uncooked food like fruits etc so they do not mess the plates up much nor do my home made yoghurt bowls either. i am guessing the intense would be good for saucepans etc

The Eco setting on mine, temperature 50C, takes 4hrs 35mins whereas the Auto setting, where the temperature varies between 45C and 65C, takes 2hrs 20mins.

I only use Eco if I set it by mistake, as it's so difficult to cancel.

I do but now I'm thinking I shouldn't. Thankyou for the info.

No. Takes far too long.

Many fire services including the London Fire Brigade do not recommend using high power use appliances like dishwashers or washing machines overnight because of the fire risk. Having met a family who lost everything but their lives when a dishwasher caught fire overnight I immediately stopped. It may cost a little more but it’s not a risk I’m prepared to take anymore.

We have PV panels so energy consumption is less of an issue. I try to run everything during the day to use power while the batteries are being replenished.

I have looked this up and YES eco is definitely a lot cheaper.
It does a lot of spray and soak and not so much heat.
Lower temperature but for a longer time is the same clean apparently.
Eco mode heats the water to a lower temperature because heating water uses ~90% of the energy. The eco cycle has lots of "sit" periods to soak through food debris.
I use it whenever I run the dishwasher at night.

I do, all the info I’ve read has made me believe that it really is eco friendly, less energy and water used.
My dishwasher is about 25years old and still does a great job.
Probably not as efficient as a newer version but if I only have to have 2 dishwashers in my life rather than 3 then that’s also eco friendly isn’t it?

Thank you for the replies. I prefer the quicker, shorter wash at 65 degrees rather than the eco at 50 degrees and will carry on using that.

I don't use the Eco programmes on the dishwasher or the washing machine. The dishwasher doesn't wash at the temperature it says on the eco setting and everything comes out with water droplet marks on, not properly dried and often not properly clean, so it's no economy because you have to wash things twice.

The German "Test" - the equivalent of "Which" measured the temperature of the water in a 60° eco programme - it was 27°!!! This shocked me and I haven't used the eco programme since. I often set it to a higher temperature than the one I want as the water is never heated to that temperature.

The default setting in the dishwasher is the eco programme and DH just presses the button if he switches it on, so it runs on that, and then I have to put half the dishes back in again because they come out not properly washed.

It's more important to make sure the filter is regularly cleaned out and the spray arms are not bunged up.

I do the hot wash on it's reduced setting. We use it overnight when we get cheap electricity.

I try to wash dishes when sun is shining as have big bank of solar panels

My quick wash takes 29 minutes whereas the eco wash around 4 hours. I occasionally use another wash if the dishes are particularly dirty and it takes around 2 hours 30 minutes.