Patent ID: 8202373

Claim:
A wash machine for cleaning articles, wherein operation of the wash machine is controlled by a control module operable to initiate various phases of a cleaning process administered by the wash machine, the wash machine comprising: a chamber into which articles are placed for cleaning; a dispense module that dispenses a wash agent into the chamber during a wash phase, dispenses a rinse agent into the chamber during an auxiliary rinse phase, and dispenses water from a source external to the wash machine into the chamber during a final rinse phase, the wash phase occurring in the cleaning process prior to the auxiliary rinse phase, and the final rinse phase occurring after the auxiliary rinse phase; a rinse sump that collects a rinse agent dispensed into the chamber during the auxiliary rinse phase; a wash sump that collects the wash agent dispensed into the chamber during the wash phase, wherein the rinse sump comprises a first overflow drain into the wash sump and wherein the wash sump comprises a second overflow drain through which fluids in the wash sump are communicated to a sewage facility; a control module; and a sump diverter configured to direct fluid in the chamber to one of a wash sump or a rinse sump under control of the control module, the control module configured to control the sump diverter to direct the wash agent dispensed during the wash phase to the wash sump, to control the sump diverter to direct the rinse agent to the wash sump for a predetermined period of time after initiation of the auxiliary rinse phase, to control the sump diverter to direct the rinse agent to the rinse sump after the predetermined period of time and for a remaining duration of the auxiliary rinse phase, and to control the sump diverter to direct the water dispensed during the final rinse phase to the rinse sump, wherein the rinse agent overflows from the rinse sump into the wash sump via the first overflow drain and wherein the rinse agents and the wash agent overflow from the wash sump via the second overflow drain.