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Table of Contents

1. Choose the Right Cycle When Washing Clothes

2. Don’t Pre-Wash Dishes Before Loading the Dishwasher

3. Use the Refrigerator Water Filter Purge Water on Plants

4. Maintain Your Appliances

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How Can I Use Less Water in My Appliances? 4 Water-Saving Tips

Updated Mar. 08, 2024Terry Mehilos7 min read
Mom and son do laundry together

Want to save money on your water bill and have a positive impact on the environment? Discover the top ways to reduce water usage for home appliances like your washing machine, dishwasher and more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Discover the top ways to reduce water usage for home appliances like your washing machine, dishwasher and more.
  • Between the shower, washing machine, faucets, toilet and dishwasher, the average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water every day at home.
  • The good news is, you can easily cut down on your water use — and help save money and the environment in the process.

Between the shower, washing machine, faucets, toilet and dishwasher, the average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water every day at home, according to the EPA. That seems like a lot, doesn’t it?

The good news is, you can easily cut down on your water use — and help save money and the environment in the process. Here are four simple things you can do to help reduce water usage when it comes to your appliances.

1. Choose the Right Cycle When Washing Clothes

Front-Load Washer – Choose Quick Wash

If you have an HE front-loading washer, it already uses much less water than a deep-fill top-loading washing machine. To use even less water in a front-load washer, choose the Quick Wash cycle when washing lightly-soiled loads. The Quick Wash cycle uses up to 1/3 less water than normal wash cycles in most front-load washing machines.

Top Load Washer Fill Level

Top-load Washing Machine – Use Deep Fill Sparingly

In 2022, top-load washers have seen a significant resurgence in popularity over front-load washers because they don’t develop mold and mildew around their opening like front-load washers. Many users also like top-loaders because they offer the Deep Fill option. A Deep Fill cycle is certainly appropriate for washing some heavily-soiled loads and bedding items, but using it all the time wastes a lot of water.

Only use the Deep Fill option when absolutely necessary to save water when washing clothes in your top-load washing machine.

Wasting Water by Hand Rinsing Dishes Before Loading the Dishwasher

2. Don’t Pre-Wash Dishes Before Loading the Dishwasher

There’s no doubt that using a dishwasher to clean dishes saves lots of water over hand-washing dishes in the sink. But you lose that water savings if you rinse most of the food off dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.

Resist the urge to rinse food off dishes before loading – trust your dishwasher to do its job. Scrape excess food off dishes without using water before loading them in the dishwasher to save lots of water.

3. Use the Refrigerator Water Filter Purge Water on Plants

When replacing the water filter in your fridge every month, use the gallons of water that you purge through the water dispenser to water plants. The carbon residue coming out of the new filter during the purge won’t harm your house plants. The chlorine-free water dispensed from your fridge is also better for plants that tap water.

Recycling filter purge water from your refrigerator will save several gallons of water each month. That savings will add up over time.

4. Maintain Your Appliances

Keeping your water-using appliances in top shape will also conserve water. Have a Sears Technician professionally check and maintain your appliances yearly to keep them operating efficiently and using the right amount of water.

Here are the ways that proper maintenance can help your appliances use less water.

Washer Maintenance

Having a professional technician check and maintain your washer will typically have the biggest impact on appliance water savings in your home.

While performing annual washing machine maintenance, the technician will complete these water-saving tasks.

  • Inspect water fill hoses. Leaking or broken fill hoses can lead to many gallons of wasted water in a short period of time -- as well as causing severe flood damage your home. Fill hoses eventually wear out and leak or break. A technician will inspect fill hoses for cracks and wear that can indicate potential failure. The tech will recommend fill hose replacement when it’s likely that a fill hose is at the end of its useful life. This maintenance step is often the most important one that the technician performs.
  • Check the washer tub and internal hoses for wear and leaks. Some internal water leaks begin as small drips you may not even notice. Small leaks can eventually turn into large ones that waste gallons of water and damage walls and flooring. During washer maintenance, the technician will check internal fill hoses, dispenser hoses and drain hoses for leaks and wear that need addressing.
  • Test the water fill level. To keep your washer working efficiently, the technician check water fill levels. Too much water can waste water, cause leaks and damage suspension components.

Having a professional examine these components of washer performance during the annual maintenance check will help conserve water used by your washing machine and prevent unexpected breakdowns that can waste gallons of water.

Dishwasher Maintenance

Leaks in the dishwasher can go unnoticed for months—wasting gallons of water and eventually causing damage to kitchen cabinets. Maintain water use efficiency in your dishwasher by having it professionally checked and maintained by a Sears Tech annually.

During the annual maintenance check, the technician will perform these tasks that can help save water.

  • Check incoming water supply. The technician will examine the water supply line for damage or leaks. A leaky or broken water supply line can waste many gallons of water.
  • Examine pumps and the tub for leaks. Cracks in the washer tub or leaky pumps can waste water. The technician will examine the water tight integrity of components at the bottom of your dishwasher to help avoid water leaks.
  • Test water fill level. Making sure that the dishwasher control fills the tub to the proper fill level will help conserve water. A dishwasher that continuously overfills can waste gallons of water.
  • Check the water fill valve. The water fill valve shuts off water flow to the dishwasher. If that valve leaks, the dishwasher tub will fill with water between uses. The technician will check the valve to make sure it’s not leaking and wasting water.
  • Check and clean dishwasher seals and gaskets. Door gaskets, also called door seals, prevent water from leaking out of the dishwasher. Other seals and gaskets in the dishwasher also prevent water leaks. The dishwasher technician will check seals and gaskets for wear, damage and leaks.

It’s important to keep your dishwasher in top shape to help conserve water. Having your dishwasher professionally maintained every year will keep you from wasting water when using this appliance.

Refrigerator Maintenance

You may not think that your refrigerator can waste much water but small water-wasting increments can add up over time. Also, a leak in your refrigerator’s water system can go undetected before water begins seeping out from under the front of your fridge.

During professional refrigerator maintenance, the Sears Technician will check these components of your refrigerator that can affect water use.

  • Examine the water system for leaks. Your refrigerator has an extensive system of water lines and components that can crack and leak. Small water leaks in your fridge water system can go undetected if you don’t have the refrigerator professionally maintained. The technician will check all water system components and advise you of any water leaks or excessive wear.
  • Check the water supply line and its connections. Because the water supply line is behind the fridge, you can’t check it yourself unless you pull the refrigerator out from the cabinet. A slow leak in the water supply line can go undetected and waste gallons of water over time. The refrigerator technician will make sure that the water supply line is in good shape and that it’s connected securely.
  • Test water and ice dispenser operation. The technician will make sure that the dispenser is working properly and the ice door is sealing shut properly to prevent ice cubes from melting. Water waste in this this area of the fridge can add up over time.
  • Check ice cube size. Oversized ice cubes can cause harvest and dispenser problems as well as wasting a significant amount of water over time. The technician can adjust ice maker water fill level if necessary to keep your ice maker working efficiently.

Having your appliances professionally maintained every year will cost you money, but you’ll reap savings dividends such as lower water use, energy efficiency and longer-lasting appliances. You can also avoid unexpected appliance repair bills each year by having your appliances professionally maintained.

Take all of these easy-to-follow steps to save water when using your home appliances and you’ll see lower water bills as water prices increase in 2022 and beyond. You can also do your part to help deal with water scarcity in your community.

Schedule kitchen appliance maintenance now!

Regular kitchen appliance maintenance can help prevent costly breakdowns, reduce energy costs and extend the life of your appliances. We'll help you keep your refrigerator, dishwasher and range in top shape.

Call (213) 596-2538 or schedule online now.

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