Salt light stays on all the time -salt is full

It is normal that after adding the salt it takes time to dissolve, which means that the salt lamp will be extinguished after several complete washing cycles.

Dado

well,if you fill it with salt and the salt light wont go out,and your dishes came out white,PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE DISHWASHER! the salt light is a warning light ,not to fill it but to delime it! wow,

could we get a model # please.
usually on left side of door.

The top light is apparently to indicate that the salt (!) has run out.

The bottom light is apparently to indicate that rinse aid has run out.

For the record, that seems to be a Zanussi DE-6854 dishwasher, and I found the manual here: (link)


"Special salt can be added in one of two ways: 1) If you are using dishwasher detergent that already contains salt, the detergent including the salt is placed in the detergent compartment. - In this case the water softener must manually be set to 1 and electronically to 1 to ensure that the special salt is taken from the detergent container only. 2) If you are using dishwasher detergent and salt separately, the special salt is to be put into the salt container. - In this case the water softener must manually be set to 1 or 2 and electronically between 1 and 5 (depending on the water hardness in your area) to ensure that the special salt is taken from the salt container only. Only use salt specifically designed for use in dishwashers. All other types of salt not specifically designed for use in a dishwasher, especially table salt, will damage the water softener. Only fill with salt just before starting one of the washing programmes. This will prevent any grains of salt or salty water, which may have been spilt, remaining on the bottom of the machine for any period of time, which may cause corrosion." (Page 6)

"Only use branded rinse aid for dishwashers. Never fill the rinse aid dispenser with any other substances (e.g. dishwasher cleaning agent, liquid detergent). This would damage the appliance." (Page 7)

The manual also explains how to turn the Rinse Aid light off permanently if you do not wish to use rinse aid.



Good luck!

The top light is apparently to indicate that the salt (!) has run out.

The bottom light is apparently to indicate that rinse aid has run out.

For the record, that seems to be a Zanussi DE-6854 dishwasher, and I found the manual here: (link)


"Special salt can be added in one of two ways: 1) If you are using dishwasher detergent that already contains salt, the detergent including the salt is placed in the detergent compartment. - In this case the water softener must manually be set to 1 and electronically to 1 to ensure that the special salt is taken from the detergent container only. 2) If you are using dishwasher detergent and salt separately, the special salt is to be put into the salt container. - In this case the water softener must manually be set to 1 or 2 and electronically between 1 and 5 (depending on the water hardness in your area) to ensure that the special salt is taken from the salt container only. Only use salt specifically designed for use in
dishwashers. All other types of salt not specifically designed for use in a dishwasher, especially table salt, will damage the water
softener. Only fill with salt just before starting one of the washing
programmes. This will prevent any grains of salt or salty water, which
may have been spilt, remaining on the bottom of the machine for any period of time, which may cause corrosion." (Page 6)

"Only use branded rinse aid for dishwashers. Never fill the rinse
aid dispenser with any other substances (e.g. dishwasher
cleaning agent, liquid detergent). This would damage the
appliance." (Page 7)

The manual also explains how to turn the Rinse Aid light off permanently if you do not wish to use rinse aid.



Good luck!

the salt dispenser is always full of water, this is normal and you have no need to drain it. Just ensure you fill the dispenser with salt when the "Low Salt Light" is illuminated

Inside the machine in base there is a large screw cap.
Undo that put DISHWASHER salt in not cooking salt.
Make sure the salt well is full of water in it before you put in the salt. Fill salt to top.

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Please dont forget to vote this answer was helpful

Many thanks

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Hi vayvego,

I'm Harvey the Master Plumber.

You want to know why: Salt residue remains on the dishes. The water softener is going throught salt like crazy. You fill the salt and make sure that the light is off before you start the cylce. Within the first 20-45 mins the salt light comes on again and the dishes will not wash properly. You have come to the conclusion that the salt is being distributed to quicky but cannot figure out why the light keeps coming on. The switch inside the cap for the salt is set a the min.

I hope I understand you. This is how it's suposed to work. The salt in a water softener is only used for backwashig the filter. It should be set to backwash once or twice a week when nobody is useing the water, useually 2am or 3am. The only time you can get salt at the fixture is if you're backwashing when you use the water. If you're backwashing all the time either the controls aren't set right or the unit is defective, in which case it is unlikely you can fix it. In that case you might consider utilizing our Repair Directory to find a repairman. If it's still under warranty, it's time to make a phone call.

Feel free contact me again!
Please give me a rating here at fixya.com before you sign off
Thank you,
Harvey your Master Plumber

Check the instructions which are freely available from www.miele.co.uk or the relevant site for your country. Browse to the current models and you should find the PDF for your model. For non-current models, instructions are under the link "Customer Support".

In general, the instructions are as follows:
If the water in your area is very soft and constantly lower than 0.7 mmol/l (4 °d) you do not need to add dishwasher salt. The water softener must, however, still be programmed to correspond to the water hardness level in your area. (The salt indicator light will still come on, but should be ignored).

Important: Before filling the salt reservoir with dishwasher salt for the first time, you must fill it with approx. 2 litres of water to enable the salt to dissolve. Once the dishwasher has been used, there is always sufficient water in the reservoir.

Inadvertently filling the salt reservoir with powder or liquid dishwasher detergent always leads to serious damage to the water softener. Make sure you have picked up the correct packet of dishwasher salt before filling the salt reservoir!

Only use special coarse grained dishwasher salt for reactivation. Do not use other salts such as cooking salt, agricultural grade or gritting salt. These may contain insoluble additives which can impair the functioning of the water softener.

To refill:
* Remove the lower basket and unscrew the salt reservoir cap.
* Fill the reservoir with approx. 2 litres of water (first use).
* Place the funnel provided over the salt reservoir and carefully fill with salt until the reservoir is full. The salt reservoir holds approx. 2 kg of salt depending on the brand used.

As the salt reservoir is filled, displaced water will overflow.
* Clean any excess salt from around the reservoir opening and then screw the cap on again firmly.
* Run the "Pre-wash" programme immediately to remove any traces of salt water from the cabinet.

For the Miele, the salt reservoir is usually under the bottom basket, the cap is usually grey in colour. [Only the latest models have the refill cap in the door itself].

You should be able to find dishwasher salt just about anywhere, I've even found it in Malaysia, sold at good ol' Tesco!! Brands of salt include Calgonit (Finish) & Somat.