A dishwasher includes a heat recovery apparatus to recover thermal energy of the wastewater and/or exhaust air and to transfer the thermal energy to at least one treatment liquid to be sprayed and/or to a drying air. A primary circulation system has a heat pump assembly and a secondary circulation system. A heat exchanger unit of the heat pump assembly enables at least a portion of the thermal energy transferred to refrigerant of the primary circulation system to be transferred to a carrier medium in the secondary circulation system. A heat exchanger unit of the secondary circulation system enables at least a portion of the thermal energy transferred to the carrier medium to be transferred as utility heat to the treatment liquid and/or to the drying air.

The present invention relates to a method of handling process water in a household appliance (1) and to a household appliance, for example a dish washer. The household appliance comprises a wash tub (3) for performing wash program cycles and a tank (5) for storing process water to be re-used in a following program cycle, the method comprising the steps of: determining (101) the type of detergent used in the household appliance with a sensor unit (7), measuring (102) the amount of detergent in the process water with the sensor unit, comparing (105) at least one sensor unit output value with a predetermined threshold value to define the quality of the process water, and storing (106) at least a part of the process water from a rinse cycle in the tank (5) when the sensor unit output value complies with the predetermined threshold value related to the quality of the process water.

A drying system includes a tub defining a wet chamber, a water storage chamber, an inlet defined in the tub and providing fluid communication into the wet chamber and a heat pipe heat exchanger. The heat pipe heat exchanger includes a condenser section and an evaporator section. The condenser section is in operative communication with the inlet upstream of the wet chamber and the evaporator section is in operative communication with the water storage chamber.

A dishwashing appliance includes a first water storage tank, a second water storage tank, and a heat pipe heat exchanger comprising a condenser section and an evaporator section. The evaporator section is in operative communication with the first water storage tank and the condenser section is in operative communication with the second water storage tank.

A dishwasher, in which a reservoir provided with an electrolyzer is connected to a water collector via a flow path change valve, and wash water in the reservoir is electrolyzed by the electrolyzer during non-operation of the wash water, to generate sterilizing water and to circulate the sterilizing water into the dishwasher, thereby achieving an enhancement in sterilizability of the dishwasher. A method for controlling a dishwasher makes it possible to suppress propagation of microorganisms left in the dishwasher and to remove organic substances, using a sterilizing agent or high-temperature water. It is also possible to reduce generation of offensive odor caused by decomposition of bacteria, through a reduction in the amount of bacteria in the dishwasher. Since sterilization of the dishwasher is automatically carried out, enhanced user convenience is provided.

A dishwashing appliance includes a tub defining a wash chamber. The dishwashing appliance also includes a fluid circulation system configured to deliver fluid to the wash chamber. The fluid circulation system includes a heating element in operative communication with at least one component of the fluid circulation system. The dishwashing appliance also includes a heat pipe heat exchanger having a condenser section and an evaporator section. The condenser section is in operative communication with the wash chamber and the evaporator section is in operative communication with the heating element of the fluid circulation system.

A dishwasher is provided, which has a washing container; an air-guiding channel to generate an air flow; and a sorption drying system to dry items to be washed, wherein the sorption drying system has a sorption container with reversibly dehydratable sorption material. The sorption container is connected to the washing container by the air-guiding channel. In the sorption container, a through-flow cross-sectional area for the reversibly dehydratable sorption material of substantially between 80 cm.sup.2 and 800 cm.sup.2 is provided.

A dishwasher is provided, which has a washing container; an air-guiding channel to generate an air flow; and a sorption drying system to dry items to be washed, wherein the sorption drying system has a sorption container with reversibly dehydratable sorption material. The sorption container is connected to the washing container by the air-guiding channel and the reversibly dehydratable sorption material is one of a granular solid and a granulate with an average fill density of at least 500 kg/m.sup.3.

A dishwasher is provided that has a washing container an air-guiding channel to generate an air flow; a sorption drying system to dry items to be washed, wherein the sorption drying system has a sorption container with reversibly dehydratable sorption material, and wherein the sorption container is connected to the washing container by the air-guiding channel. A heater is assigned to the sorption material for desorption of the sorption material, and a ratio of the heat output of the heater and the air volume flow of the air flow which flows through the sorption material is between 100 W sec/l and 1250 W sec/l.

A dishwasher is provided including a washing chamber with a sump and a hydraulic arrangement. The hydraulic arrangement may include the sump, a circulation pump, one or more spray arrangements, and a washing liquid storage tank. The circulation pump may include an inlet and a first outlet, the inlet being connected to the sump and the first outlet being connected to the one or more spray arrangements, wherein the circulation pump may be arranged to pump washing liquid from the sump to the one or more spray arrangements via the first outlet. The circulation pump may include a second outlet connected to the washing liquid storage tank wherein the circulation pump may be further arranged to pump washing liquid from the sump to the washing liquid storage tank via the second outlet.