Although Bosch dishwashers are made in the USA, they are a German design. In Europe, nearly all large appliances include a power switch.

what is the purpose of having to turn it off and on?

So that it runs when you want it to and doesn't when you don't? My TV operates the same way, too. Doesn't yours? It turns on when I turn it on. It jolly well stay on until I turn it off. And then its best that it stay off until I deign to turn it on.

Didn't realize that it was that profound a mode but what would be the alternative?

mindstorm--I'm not sure you got the point. Most DW in the US go on only when you press the "wash" button. Otherwise they're in some sort of standby. On a Bosch, you press "wash" to get it going, but when it's done, there's a separate "off" switch, even though to get it going again you'd have to press "wash" again.

I have one and I'm not sure what energy it saves--perhaps a small amount for the LED that tells you it's done. On the other hand, with the hidden controls, it's good to have it have an off switch, since I can see someone accidentally pushing a button and starting it.

Perhaps I should have elaborated a bit more in my post above. I'm not sure if there's some requirement in European electrical codes that mandate an on-off switch, I never really thought about it, but Europeans expect there to be a power switch. Nearly everyone switches off their appliances when they're not in use. Many people even turn off the gas valve when they're not using their stove or cooker.

It's kind of like the parking brake in your car. Many Americans never set it, they just put the car in Park, and get out. Germans are horrified by this, and wouldn't dream of getting out of the car without setting the brake.

That being said, most modern appliances have electronic circuit boards which conceivably could consume some small amount of electricity, if in the absence of a power switch, the door on a dishwasher were latched shut. I don't think that's the primary reason for the power switch, but having one definitely prevents the circuit board being energized if the door is latched.

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, Bosch dishwashers are built on a German design, so they include a power switch, because that's the way they do things in Germany.

BTW, most Germans drive manuals, where you need the parking brake. Most americans drive autos, where the transmission can hold the car in place sufficiently on flat surfaces.

heimert...in manual transmissions...that's what they make 1st gear for (on an incline) and reverse (on a decline). I drove sticks for years and a parking brake would freeze up before it ever got used. I never had a roll off on even the steepest of inclines. To be fair though, I sometimes would turn the wheels toward the curb/roadside on really steep inclines for added safety. To the point of the on/off button, our Bosch turns itself off when done. Hitting the on swith is nothing more than hitting start on our last DW.

Let's not forget that DW can also stand for dear wife.

Thank you heimert & wa8b for your kind and thoughtful answers. It's just something that's not familiar to me and now I know. :)

mindstorm, thank you for your very *smart* reply.

Pam

Ah, I get it now. I have the Bosch, too. I suppose it never really struck me as different that I needed to turn it on before selecting from the multitude of options that I might be able to pick from before I actually commence running, and then turn it off when it is done.

I also have a German car, with a manual transmission, and I do use the parking brake when I park the car.

So, is there a correspondence map being built by someone re: car driving habits and dishwasher power-button perceptions? ;-)

I recommend reading the owners manual to see if there's anything more to it than Germans liking an An und Aus switch. On my Miele, for example, there is an automatic water shutoff system in case the valve fails. This system does NOT work if the dishwasher is in the off position.

Mindstorm - "So that it runs when you want it to and doesn't when you don't? My TV operates the same way, too. Doesn't yours?" Yes, mine does, but over the past several months my parents have complained about their TV turning on inexplicably in the middle of the night. Power is controled via cable box. Any thoughts?

I guess I'll stop turning off our Miele dishwasher, then. Still, I wonder how much juice it consumes while in 'ready mode' with that little light blinking occasionally.

Regarding the phantom cable box, perhaps a neighbor whose remote operates on the same frequency? For a while, the remote in our master bedroom turned on the TV in the family room below. It wouldn't have been so bad if it also had been capable of turning it OFF.

Chipshot - My Miele is from the 20th century; no idea if the newer ones work the same way. Interesting thought about the neighbors, although the next closest house is probably at least 300 ft away so that would be one heck of a remote! Who knows...