Dishwashers and washing machines

[Witchword]

I understand that some dishwashers use as little as 11litres of water to wash a full load, which beats washing up in a bowl three times a day by quite a lot. Do any boaters have one?

 

Ditto washing machines- I have an ordinary one, and facilities in the marina, but I've seen a tiny one which takes 20 minutes and minimal water to wash. Someone I know also has a tumble dryer and she says it doesn't eat electricity anything like what she thought before moving aboard (she has a large family so lots of laundry). I've never used a tumble dryer except at a laundrette, because I always thought they were very bad for the environment, but I can see the use of them when space is so limited.

[Tony Brooks]

I do not want to be a doom sayer but this post concerns me if this is a cruising boat. If it spends all its time, or at least the time the washers and dryer are being used, on a shoreline or a large generator then fine but once you are supplying them from batteries unless you are very careful you will be heading for battery problems. This is especially true of anything that uses electricity to create heat - like all three will unless you circumvent the dishwasher's and the washing machine heaters.

 

You can get round it providing your alternator is large enough by only using them when the engine is running so the alternator is providing the bulk of the electricity.

 

So if you want good advice we need to know the battery bank size, alternator's maximum output, the inverter size, the current or power demanded by the appliances plus how long they will be on for. The last part will be difficult unless you have the average power consumed per cycle and how long that cycle is.

 

In short if on a shoreline or onboard generator then fine, go ahead investigating. If its a cruising boat or is off grid with no generator be very careful. I can see you spending a lot on equipment and then finding that you cannot keep your batteries charged. that in turn means you will be replacing your batteries frequently.

 

I bet its a wide beam - I am not sure how you could fit a dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer into an already built narrowboat

 

 

 

[NB Watersnail]

We've got a dishwasher and washing machine. I'll add that we are live aboard with a hookup, but do go cruising a bit. When away from the home mooring we have a generator that will run either device happily. I agree that expecting to be able to run them from batteries or engine will require some thought and knowledge. Do these items belong on a boat? Yes, in the same way that TV's and MiF's do. Can they be made to fit? We shoehorned a candy compact washer in to an exisiting fit out successfully. When we lengthened and refitted the washing machine and dishwasher were designed in.

[Witchword]

I'll have hookup most of the time. There isn't a place for them at present, I was thinking of later on. Interested to hear all considerations, though.

[nicknorman]

We have washing machine (small Zanussi automatic) and seperate small tumble drier. We don't have a dishwasher because washing dishes by hand seems easier than washing clothes by hand, and space is limited. We do cruise a lot and have a big alternator and Travelpower, so we just do washing and drying when on the move. It is great to get dry clothes out as one of my pet hates is wet washing hanging inside - and it makes a confined space like a boat, damp if you are not really careful about ventilation.

 

I wouldn't contemplate trying to run such things on battery power though.

[pearley]

We have a Zanussi ZWC1301 compact washer, an Indesit compact tumble dryer that sits on top of the washer and slimline dishwasher, all run from a built in generator.

[Keith M]

If the correct appliances are selected

 

With a well designed electrical system

 

To run these appliance should not be a problem

 

Over the years I have installed many different appliances including two Hot Tubes and a Jacuzzi

[Alan de Enfield]

We have a 'compromise' washing machine - a 'Travel/Camping' TwinTub

 

Uses just a small bucket of water and almost no electricity. Stores under the bed, out, plugged in, sits on the back, drains overboard, clothes washed in 15 minutes.

Spin dry to almost 'wearable' dryness.

From memory its a 4kg load.

Cost £80

 

Edited March 14, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[dmr]

A washing machine is a good thing to have. Personally I find the task of loading and unloading a dishwasher more of a chore that washing up by hand.

Hopefully there is a window right above the sink, or even better a side hatch, and in this case washing up becomes a pleasure. Ducks and swans will often gather to sift the dirty water as it drains from the boat, and if you have a open hatch some bolder swans will reach inside to see what they can scrounge.

 

.............Dave

[Dave Payne]

I have a top loading washing machine on the boat, no idea what i would do without it!

 

Issue i have is that with leaving the marina i now realise my inverter is not big enough to run the 2300 watts it claims to need.

 

Can you change the cold feed for the hot feed out the calorifier, meaning it doesnt need to heat water up, meaning it will not pull 2300 watts??

[Alan de Enfield]

I know you have what you have, but for someone looking the twin-tub option is very electrically economical.

 

It uses 230 watts on wash so for 15 minutes about 6Ah

It uses 116 watts on spin-dry, so for 10 minutes about 2.5Ah

 

Easily runs off the inverter and power used replaced in 'minutes' with the solar panels

[peterboat]

I have both on board no hookup large battery bank big solar works fine. Dishwasher on hot fill so when on move uses less power or hot water from Rayburn both are full size and built in appliances. Yes I have a widebeam but if I moved to a N/B I would still put both in

[Tony Brooks]

I have both on board no hookup large battery bank big solar works fine. Dishwasher on hot fill so when on move uses less power or hot water from Rayburn both are full size and built in appliances. Yes I have a widebeam but if I moved to a N/B I would still put both in

 

My dishwasher at home seems to use a heating element to dry the contents and that can nto be circumvented by usinga hot fill - unless there is a program that does not dry.

 

 

I have a top loading washing machine on the boat, no idea what i would do without it!

 

Issue i have is that with leaving the marina i now realise my inverter is not big enough to run the 2300 watts it claims to need.

 

Can you change the cold feed for the hot feed out the calorifier, meaning it doesnt need to heat water up, meaning it will not pull 2300 watts??

 

Yes and if you feed it via a thermostatic shower mixer or adjustable thermostatic mixing valve you cans et the temperature so you wash in warm or hot water and rinse in cold. Probably best to set the wash temperature on the machine to minimum (cold).

 

 

[Dave Payne]

 

Yes and if you feed it via a thermostatic shower mixer or adjustable thermostatic mixing valve you cans et the temperature so you wash in warm or hot water and rinse in cold. Probably best to set the wash temperature on the machine to minimum (cold).

 

 

 

Yes was thinking i should plug my power monitor in and run it on a cold wash to see what power it draws.....

[peterboat]

 

My dishwasher at home seems to use a heating element to dry the contents and that can nto be circumvented by usinga hot fill - unless there is a program that does not dry.

 

 

 

 

I dont know Tony all I know it works the dishes come out clean and dry and thats all I want

[Peter X]

The only time I've had a dishwasher was for 8 months in one rented house in 2008. Loading and unloading it takes up a bit of time, I found I often ran it half full because I needed a particular item cleaned, and I haven't missed having one. When my son's cat goes (she's 20 anyway and he's thinking of moving out, so one way or another it'll happen), the space occupied by the litter tray could be used for a dishwasher, but I might not bother. I certainly don't think I would use precious space and electricity on a boat for one, although someone usually on shore power with a family of people aboard might find it worthwhile.

 

So far I haven't been on a boat long enough to need to do a load of laundry, but if I were a liveaboard CC'er I think Alan de Enfield's twin tub would be the optimal solution. Either that, or if on a very cramped boat get to know where all the launderettes near canals are.

[steviebravo]

My boat has a standard Bosch washing machine installed when I bought it and works fine as long as I keep the temp to 30'. If higher temp then it trips the shore power.

 

I have not been so successful finding a dishwasher though. I have space for a slimline so I bought a Bosch one, however the wattage is too high so trips on a cleaning cycle so I'm only able to rinse which is not satisfactory.

 

The only brand I found with low wattage is called Klarstein. I did contact their customer services with the wattage query for shore power but their was not conclusive if it will work or not. When I have the funds I'll probably get one. It's a case of suck it and see I'm afraid.

[John V]

I am surprised your dishwasher trips your shorepower it must draw less than 13A as it will run off a socket so presumably it will draw maximum somewhere around 10 or 11 amps. What is the trip rating on the bollard you are using ? is it 16A or smaller ? I know some marinas only have 10A breakers ( I know of one that only gives you 6A)

[ditchcrawler]

I am surprised your dishwasher trips your shorepower it must draw less than 13A as it will run off a socket so presumably it will draw maximum somewhere around 10 or 11 amps. What is the trip rating on the bollard you are using ? is it 16A or smaller ? I know some marinas only have 10A breakers ( I know of one that only gives you 6A)

Are but what else is running at the same time?

[John V]

I am on a 16A breaker and have a dishwasher, washing machine and a tumble drier.....I am just careful to never have anything else on at the same time (apart from lighting) when on shore power, when the generator is running that is a different matter (6Kw)

[canals are us?]

I have a Indesit 12X full size washer/dryer on board but Marina Based on my 50ft trad narrowboat. I find it great. Refitted the kitchen to get it all in. I have a 12 volt fridge with small freezer compartment, 240 volt freezer, the washer dryer. Like to replace the 240 volt freezer with a 12 volt one.

If cruising I would buy a generator for the Washer/dryer. I have 380 watts of solar and seems to manage the 12 volt fridge.

 

James

[patty-ann]

I have washing machine but don't use it whilst out on the cut..don't think my inverter powerful enough..havn't used in in Marina either as I don't want wet washing causing boat to get damp..I normally use launderette in local town or bag up and visit little sis whose 10 minutes from Marina..I then get a bath whilst she washes and dries laundry..Works for me!

I worry about damp and condensation issues with all the wood panelling.

[Witchword]

We will have the marina's laundry facilities so a washing machine isn't essential. I was thinking with the dishwasher particularly about the water-saving element.... also I'm quite lazy

[blackrose]

I understand that some dishwashers use as little as 11litres of water to wash a full load, which beats washing up in a bowl three times a day by quite a lot.

 

Yes, if the water usage specification you are quoting is correct and you are catering for more than two then a dishwasher beats manual washing up by hand in terms of water usage. But then washing up manually easily beats a dishwasher in terms of electricity consumption.

 

As someone else said, I find pre-rinsing items and loading/unloading a dishwasher more of a chore than just doing the washing up.

We will have the marina's laundry facilities so a washing machine isn't essential. I was thinking with the dishwasher particularly about the water-saving element....

 

Don't you have access to water at your marina?

[rgreg]

I have a top loading washing machine on the boat, no idea what i would do without it!

 

Issue i have is that with leaving the marina i now realise my inverter is not big enough to run the 2300 watts it claims to need.

 

Can you change the cold feed for the hot feed out the calorifier, meaning it doesnt need to heat water up, meaning it will not pull 2300 watts??

I have a full size Indesit washing machine which pushes the inverter to the limit when heating. I resolve this by putting 4ltrs of hot water in manually, run the programme on "cold" setting, and it's happy.