I am not saying you should do it but if you hard wire the dishwasher with a brand new 12 gauge Romex strung correctly nonstop to the panel without telling anybody and without pulling a permit, then chances are nobody will ever notice.
I have never seen a DW that does not have a heating coil. Most people never have their water heater set high enough for a DW(140 degrees). In fact that would be a very dangerous temperature and is well above the 125 recommendations.How old is the house? Check the installation instructions to see if it requires a seperate circuit. Chances are if it is an energy saver model it will. My guess is that when the first DW was installed it was a builders grade POS and only required a 15A circuit. When it was replaced an energy saver was installed, but nobody bothered to replace the branch circuit with a 20A. The next question you are wondering is how a 20A DW can save money over a 15A. The energy saver has an electric heating coil in the bottom which heats the water above what the WH does. The energy savings comes when the water heater tempature is lowered because it doesn't need to be set high enough to sterilize the dishes. That is what the heating coil in the bottom does. A seperate 20A circuit is needed because of the heating coil. The WH temp only needs to be hot enough for taking a shower.
I have been wiring houses for 35 years. The builders mostly use the non energy savers because they are cheap. Hence we install #14/2. If it is a custom home, we install #12/2 figuring on an energy saver D/W.I have never seen a DW that does not have a heating coil. Most people never have their water heater set high enough for a DW(140 degrees). In fact that would be a very dangerous temperature and is well above the 125 recommendations.
it does not matter one bit whether a dishwasher is energy star rated or not, or whether they are cheap pieces of crap. they still draw the same amount of amperage as any high end energy saver with all the bells and whistles.I have been wiring houses for 35 years. The builders mostly use the non energy savers because they are cheap. Hence we install #14/2. If it is a custom home, we install #12/2 figuring on an energy saver D/W.
dishwashers do not get energy star ratings because they have a heating element in them . Dishwashers as far back as 1960 have heating elements in them, they get their energy star rating from the water usage, less hot water means less energy is consumed .The next question you are wondering is how a 20A DW can save money over a 15A. The energy saver has an electric heating coil in the bottom which heats the water above what the WH does.
I'm sorry, but where did I say anything about energy star ratings? I stated "energy saver" And the "energy saver" that I am referring to did not have heating coils. Try re-reading my post.it does not matter one bit whether a dishwasher is energy star rated or not, or whether they are cheap pieces of crap. they still draw the same amount of amperage as any high end energy saver with all the bells and whistles.
Oh, and the units without the heating elements draw less current which was why we could run #14/2 to them. Remember, no coil = less current.:no:it does not matter one bit whether a dishwasher is energy star rated or not, or whether they are cheap pieces of crap. they still draw the same amount of amperage as any high end energy saver with all the bells and whistles.
I am sorry but all DW's have a heating coil. It heats the water if under temp and it also used for the drying cycle.Oh, and the units without the heating elements draw less current which was why we could run #14/2 to them. Remember, no coil = less current.:no:
I also have never seen a dishwasher without a heating coil to help dry. Every dw on the market for consumers has a heating coil in it.I have been wiring houses for 35 years. The builders mostly use the non energy savers because they are cheap. Hence we install #14/2. If it is a custom home, we install #12/2 figuring on an energy saver D/W.
You might want to invest in one of those circuit breaker finders. You can get a decent one for less than 50 bucks. My panel is poorly labeled and having one of those has proved indispensable.This involved turning a breaker off, going upstairs and holding a pen tester to the wire, When the tester didn't chirp, I knew I had the right one.
Not going back 35 years. Am I the only electrician who remembers this. If you look at my first post I ask how old the house is. I suspect that the house was constructed mid 70's to early 80's. If that is the case then quite possibly the first DW was a "builders grade" which means it didn't have the heating coil. The EC ran 14/2 to the DW. Back then only the "energy saver" DW's had the pre-heat coil and required a seperate 20A circuit. They are no longer called "energy savers" but instead are "energy star" and all have pre-heaters and some require seperate 20A circuits. None of this means anything. I was trying to explain why I thought the original circuit was 15A. Bottom line read the installation instructions to find out the electrical requirements.I am sorry but all DW's have a heating coil. It heats the water if under temp and it also used for the drying cycle.