We're looking at two Bosch dishwashers - one claims a noise level of 50 db, and the other a noise level of 53 db - the features and functionality are pretty much the same - there's about a $100 price difference.
Bosch has other, more expensive dishwashers in the mid-40 db range - they are beyond my price point, but with a noise level that goes that low, maybe the difference from 53 db to 50 db will be enough to justify the extra $100.
Is there an perceptable noise difference that I'll notice when the 50 db machine is running versus the 53db machine?
Yes. Depends on how sensitive your ears are. Sound measurements are not a linear function. Read up on the topic in any standard physics textbook. If you were a music major, buy the pricier machine. Otherwise, you may be annoyed or not, so why not get the most cost effective machine and just close the kitchen door when it's running?
I'd rather use that $100 for a bunch of teaks to make dirty dishes. You won't hear much of a difference at all.
In addition, think about how the machine will be used. Most are in the kitchen where you start the DW after dinner and then go to a different part of the house while it runs. Unless you are putting yours in the bedroom and run it at night, who cares about the slight noise difference?
I think there is more than decibels to an annoying sound. The one with lower decibels might have a different pitch or pattern making it more annoying than the 'noisier' one.
That said- I doubt Bosch makes a really annoying one as that is one of the key features folks will comment on to their friends.
In a kitchen 3 db makes a bit of difference, look up a db rating sheet of comparisons to get an idea of sound levels, if noise is any issue get the better one, it may still be loud for you.
Yes, there is a perceptible difference. 1dB is about the limit of perceptibility. 3dB is twice the energy, but the ears are logarithmic so it won't sound twice as loud.
Our kitchen is pretty well open to the living room so sound level is important. We went with the Electrolux at 45dBA and haven't been sorry.
Not everyone has a kitchen door. I can almost turn around and see the dishwasher from where I sit on the sofa in the living room. The builder of my little 1948 ranch gave me a pretty open plan for the time period. My next dishwasher will be the quietest one I can find.
dbs. Decibels are technically a 'Logarithmic ratio' of two things, power, sound, noise etc. See example below.
So what does that mean? Well it means that every +3 decibels is twice the amount.
But it is also based on the characteristics of the human ear; which is just able to detect any doubling (or halving) of a sound level.
In other words if you turn up the TV volume a perceptible amount your are probably increasing it by several levels, each of 3db. maybe say,
12 or 15 db. A slight increase of say 3db most likely barely, or not, noticeable!
The other thing is that there are different references of decibels (All based on Bels, so named after Alexander Graham who invented the telephone).
The dbs mentioned by the OP are probaly referenced to dbA. Which someone more knowledgeable will probably describe as a sound reference level ............... seem to recall that a car with a sound level in the 70dbA range (with windows closed, driving traffic etc.) is considered fairly normal? If my recollection and that ratio is correct that's about seven times louder than a 50 db, dishwasher. Much simpler would be to ask someone who has similar model!
A dish washer, if one does have to run it at the same time as sitting/ listening/watching TV nearby with a sound level in the 50db range sounds OK? What the heck that one is +3db louder. Wouldn't spend extra!
We run ours, a used one that somebody gave us and we fixed for a few dollars ourselves some years ago, although it's noise does not seem to interfere with the TV some 25 feet away in a 'family' room open to the kitchen; or after we go to bed, if noise is a factor.
Why decibels????? Well the reason is that decibels can be added together whereas ratios such as half or a quarter of something can be tricky to calculate.
Example: The difference between a 200 watt sound amplifier bulb and a
100 watt amplifier is 2 to 1 (Or double the power if you like). So one might think that one is 'Twice as loud as the other'! Well ..............
Logarithmically that's 200/100 =3D 2 and the logarithm of 2 =3D 0.3 Bels. That's =3D to 3 decibels (three tenths of a Bel). And three decibels is the just detectable level of change that human ear can notice.
To get a really noticable change in sound level an 800 watt amplifier, that's a +3, +3, +3 =3D +9 db. or 100 to 800 watts.
Anyway; with apologies for all the technical stuff, you won't hardly notice the difference between 53 dbs and 50 dbs.
We had a Bosch installed about 5 years ago. They said it was going to be quiet, but I had no idea just how quiet. We can eat dinner a few feet away from it and not know it's running until it empties water into the drain under the sink. We were eating dinner one night and I heard a gurgling sound in the sink and asked my wife, "What's that?" She replied that she was running the diskwasher. Noises normally drive me crazy, so this thing is amazing. I don't know what the noise spec was. It's model number is SHX46A05UC/14 if anyone can look it up.
The tech stuff is interesting. One thing not mentioned though, is the pitch. The loudness is only of factor in determining if a noise is going to annoy you. High pitched squealing type noises can drive you nuts no matter how quite as apposed to a low toned louder rumble.
Yes, there is a detectable difference. "Quiet" has a price, you're unlikely to find a quiet dishwasher under $800. You can fix fibererglass insulation or batting around the unit to help even more. I can barely hear mine until the drain start to gurgle.
replying to TNSTAAFL, nick wrote: My dad always said 'Buy the best and you will always be happy with it'. This is an item you are going to be using for 10 years plus. Spend the extra and get something you will love. Skip going to four movies over the next year to pay the difference. You won't miss the movie, but you sure will enjoy the quieter dishwasher for the nine years afterwards.
3dB difference is equivalent to one half of the sound level. You'll hear it, but it'll not be dramatically lower. It also depends on where its located (near people having quiet conversations, TV etc). I opted for
50dB and haven't regretted it.
I can't speak to db except to note that the db scale is logarithmic - i.e. 50 vs 51 is a lot bigger than it sounds.
Our old dishwasher, which lasted a looooong time, made enough noise to wake the dead. You couldn't watch TV in the kitchen without earphones when it was running.
OTOH, the Bosch Ascetia that replaces it is so quiet that, at first, I used to get creeped out: if I listened close enough there was *some* kind of water-like noise coming from *somewhere*.... and it turned out that the wife had turned on the dishwasher when I was not looking.
This thing is *quiet*.... and I'm kind of neurotic about noise.
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