[OJFord]

> get the water running hot before starting the machine

Interesting if this is a US difference - but here (in the UK) at least dishwashers (usually? I suppose I don't want to claim to speak for 100%) only have a cold water inlet; they do their own heating.

[mikepurvis]

We have a Bosch 800 that is capable of heating its own water, but it's still plumbed for hot just because the gas-heated water is cheaper, and the only cold supply under the kitchen sink is unsoftened.

Overall I've been quite happy with my premium-dishwasher experience, though there are a few little things that I don't love, like the fact that the rollers on the middle rack are no longer independently-replaceable. Seems like a huge step backward to have to replace the entire rack for like $200 just because one of those fails.

[nagisa]

This depends on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers make dishwashers that can utilize both hot and cold water and others only work with cold or hot water.

As an example Frigidaire, GE, KitchenAid, Whirlpool will only work with hot water; Samsung, Ikea, Beko will only work with cold water; and Bosch, Miele, Electrolux, LG will work with either.

[OJFord]

Interesting, I don't think it does here other than extreme minority of cases - because it's just not standard plumbing. You typically have a washing machine & dishwasher hookup & waste under the sink; it's pretty standardised and it's on cold.

> As an example Frigidaire, GE, KitchenAid, Whirlpool will only work with hot water

Yeah, afaik without actually looking into it, of those only Whirlpool is distributed here (KitchenAid stuff yes for sure, but not I think dishwashers) and as above I'm pretty sure they must be different models, just like LH/RH driver cars.

Of course you can import whatever you want, but then you should probably expect to deal with some such plumbing (and potentially electrical, at very least changing the plug) oddities.

[throwaway09223]

How do you handle softened water in the UK?

In the US, it's common to have a water softener on the hot water line, intended to soften the inputs for appliances and showers. The cold water line is not softened, to avoid drinking sodium-laced water.

[OJFord]

I wouldn't like to estimate an installation percentage, but it's probably not quite 'standard' to have at all. In the systems I've known, I believe it's been on the cold-water line pre-boiler; in the scullery with the sink there pre-softener so you get one (cold) tap without.

I don't claim authority on the matter though.

[jsjohnst]

They usually are the same in the US too based on my own anecdata of having ~10 different ones over past twenty years.

[ddingus]

Ours is a US model, has a pre-heat water cycle. I think it does have a hot water inlet, but we do not use it.

[dkurth]

I admit that I'm not actually sure. We got this advice from a local appliance shop.