Eco functions on machines

[Jellypot]

Apparently the eco function on appliances is supposed to use less energy and less water.

Is that true? I never used the eco functions on the machines at home because they go on forever. Over 2 or 3 hours on the clock and I think that's very long.

How much energy does it save if you do a 60 degree wash? It probably doesn't save as much energy.

Do you use the eco function on your machines and have you noticed a difference?

It uses less energy but more electricity.

Fork. Less water, more energy!

The less water is a problem for me. Less water means more friction between the clothes rubbing together in the machine, meaning more little holes, the clothes wear out sooner so you have to replace them. Not very eco friendly at all.

Some of what is being posted is not correct. We have a new dishwasher, the eco setting takes 3 and a half hours, but if you look into the stats it uses less water and electricity.

It works well and is really quiet

Never come across an eco setting that takes longer, eco mode shortens the length of the wash on my machine.

Yeah I can't believe the eco setting uses more elec?? My guess would be it runs at a lower intensity for longer , therefore using less water and electric. We use this setting on the dishwasher whenever we can.

I thought they less of both? More sitting still and more soaking time so the dirt has more time to just lift out.

It's fine if you have the 3 hours to wait

Never come across an eco setting that takes longer, eco mode shortens the length of the wash on my machine.

Then you don't have a Samsung Eco-bubble. The eco wash is the lengthiest cycle available.

@Angel2702

Never come across an eco setting that takes longer, eco mode shortens the length of the wash on my machine.

Both my washing machine and my dishwasher's eco settings take significantly longer than the other settings. Like pp have said it's usually 3 hours vs around half an a hour for a quick wash.

I'm annoyed that my new washing machine has an eco 40-60 cycle that doesn't let me reduce the temperature to my regular 30, so I tend to use a different cycle which can be set to 30. Not sure which is best environmentally but I don't want to end up accidentally shrinking stuff by washing at too high a temperature which would also be wasteful.

Modern eco settings use both less water and less electricity. There's a thread about this running elsewhere at the moment too!

They work by soaking for longer and less agitation.

www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/techtalk/what-is-eco-mode-and-how-does-it-work/

This explains it a bit

Is it Bosch? I find this too. We've recently invested in some modibodi period pants which need washing at 30, so I can risk them in the normal eco wash as apparently a full eco wash washes at 45 for some of the cycle.

In answer to the op an eco wash saves water and electricity and you pay in time instead. I always put things on after dinner, to be finished before bed, so I don't set the house on fire, but I'm not waiting around for things to be clean (put the washing machine on rinse hold, to be spun and hung out the next morning).

The eco cycle might be fine if you can use biological washing powder but it just doesn't cut it with non bio. I need to use the more agitaty? cycle.

My Bosch machine I can choose after or eco which is slower, and I can choose the temperature. It shows me (using lights) whether each choice is using more or less electricity.

So I can choose a 40 degree mixed load (1 hr) or change to quicker (45mins- more elec) or eco (1hr 20- less elec). Then I can increase temp (more elec) or lower temp (less elec)
Or I can tell it not to heat the water at all, and then I fill it using hot water from my tap which has been heated by the solar panels.

Longer= more soaking time & less moving time = less electricity.
Less water = less electricity needed to heat it up.

It seems to vary.

My dishwasher, which is about 10 years old, has an eco setting which takes half an hour (and is excellent). It’s a high-end Neff, though, so is generally good at everything.

Whereas my washing machine, which is new, has an eco setting which takes almost four hours. It's a Whirlpool, and it is shit.

Just checked on mine, putting it on eco increases the time by 16 mins on my normal cycle, did not know. Will use in future.

I always use the eco dw cycle. It is considerably longer than the other options but if I can save a bit I don't see why not.

@Chicchicchicchiclana

The less water is a problem for me. Less water means more friction between the clothes rubbing together in the machine, meaning more little holes, the clothes wear out sooner so you have to replace them. Not very eco friendly at all.

No, the eco settings work by soaking during longer cycles, rather than having short, more agitating cycles. Less agitation means less friction.

Our eco on the dishwasher takes about 3 hours. I use that if I'm putting it on in the evening and won't need anything out of it until the next day. If I'm running it during the day, I put it on the quickest wash and get it done so I can unload it and reload again.