Abstract: In an electrically energized commercial dishwasher machine having at least one washing section followed by a rinse section and having a conveyor for conveying dishes through the various sections in sequence, a timing element is set to cause the machine to automatically shut off after running for a predetermined time period slightly longer than the time required for the conveyor to convey dishes through all the various sections of the machine. The timing element is reset to cause the machine to continue to run for a new such predetermined time period whenever a signal from a sensor indicates the presence of dishes in the rinse section.