Running the tap
Was thinking about if that still made sense with the new DW you have.
I'd actually think so in terms of saving time.
IIRC the sensor cycles on WP machines (as KA is made by WP) can do several prewashes, but none of them are longer then 10 min (or was it 15 min?).
Given that your pipes are somewhat insulated, the water in them should still be well above 120F after those 15 minutes, at least if your water heater is set to 140F or above.
Not sure if I mix things up saying this, but I think that WP sensor cycles opt more towards more prewashes if the incomming water is cool in an attempt to purge the pipes and thus save time.
With shorter runs that works well, but at 40ft, even 3 fills won't work out as a once-over purge.
Thus, if you do not purge the lines, it might run more prewashes then needed by soil.
Though I think the biggest culprit for your long cycle times will be the final rinse.
The main wash is at least 30 or 45 min, and there aren't enough quick water changes after the main wash to purge the lines.
Thus, heating the final rinse to beyond 130F will take a considerable amount of time.
And I don't think you want to wait around to make a manual purge at the end of the mainwash.
Now, what would be interesting to see is if the DW could perform well without purging the hot water.
A quick calculation for a 1" pipe at 40ft leads my to believe you are purging at least 5 gallons before each run.
That basicly means purging + cycle use about the same as just the cycle on your old one.
Not having to "waste" that water would be a huge saveing one would suppose.
Further, for the holidays, it might be a good idea to time out the 1h wash cycle.
That cycle shouldn't rely on the sensors, thus, should be the most predictible cycle.
The cycle however does include timeframes for heating the water.
Thus, if you know when in the cycle the main wash is about to end, you could set a simple kitchen timer when starting the cycle and purge the lines before the final rinse.
If you are in the kitchen anyways doing other things, that could be an efficent way to cut 10 or so minutes of that cycle without compromising results.
Also, the 60min cycle does include a short drying stage IIRC. If you unload the DW right away anyway, you could save another few minutes. Just cancel the cycle and open the door once the drying stage has started. Pull out the lower rack completly and let it sit 2-3 minutes. In combination with rinse aid, that should be enough to flash-dry most items to a satisfactory degree.
So, the most time efficent flow of operations while ensuring sufficent results and acceptable usage would be:
1. Prerinse the most dirty dishes. This purges the hot water line and gives that water a use. Though prerinsing on the full cycles can harm results and the machine, it should enhance the results on the 1h wash. As there is less soil for the detergent to work on, the wash solution will be more agressive. And with that short main wash, that should give good cleaning even on heavier soils. Because the main wash is short, the agressive solution has less time to attack racks\seals\parts in general.
2. Load, set cycle, start, set kitchentimer for pre final rinse purging. When the timer rings, purge the water.
3. As you hear the pump stoping for the drying stage, execute cancel and drain. Open door, pull out lower rack, let cool for a few minutes.
That should give load turn-around times of 60-70min. I think that is managable for holiday buisness.
Few questions out of sheer curiosity:
1) Any idea on how much water you have to purge from the hot line before water gets warm?
2) Did you notice how many prewashes the machine tends to run on an average load?
3) How is your cycle distribution? Do you mainly run the sensor cycle, or do you use all the cycles frequently etc.?
Glad to hear you are at least generally happy with the machine!
