Dishwasher salt light tempremental

[Jethro_uk]

Our (just over 2 year old) Hotpoint dishwashers salt light came on a few days ago. Sure enough it took about 1Kg of salt tablets. Usually the light doesn't go off immediately, so I didn't worry too much.

Noticed a couple of days later it was still on. Vaguely wondered about Googling it, but got distracted. Then it went off for a couple of days. Then last night it came on. I dropped a couple of tablets into the tank, but it's still on.

Anyone any suggestions as to checks/operations I can carry out. FWIW we live in Brum, so have quite soft water.

[Jethro_uk]

e2a: dishwashing still appears OK

[Davey]

I will defer to others here, as I don't use the built-in softener, but I thought that it required pourable salt rather than tablets. I would have thought that tablets would be more difficult for it turn into brine. Just an idea.

[Andrew Gabriel]

In most machines, it will take a wash cycle to make the light go out, after adding salt.

I suppose it might not go out if someone has turned the water hardness setting to zero, and no brine gets cycled through the softener resin.

[Huge]

Exactly my first thought.

[Andrew Gabriel]

They just dissolve. Reduced surface area means it might take longer to form a saturated solution, but I would have thought they'd work, unless perhaps the machine is in constant use.

Having said that, I always use the large granuals.

[Huge]

Oh, they work, since I've used them when we're run out of granules, but they're bound to take longer to form a saturated solution.

[Uncle Peter]

I tried salt in mine once in my soft water area (Scotland), and a kg of salt was used in a couple of loads, the salt was costing more than the rest, so I just don't use salt now. I think salt is just for those Londoners with the revolting water that scales up everything.

[Roger Mills]

I've owned several dishwashers over the years, and they've all been unreliable in respect of indicating when salt is needed - either saying it needs salt when the salt container is full, or not telling me when it's empty.

I've taken to ignoring the indicators, and filling it up when I think it needs it.

If you're in a soft water area, it's not very critical anyway.

[Jethro_uk]

Embarrassing confession ... it turns out that it was the rinse-aid light ;). Both SWMBO and I appear to have developed some kind of pattern- blindness, as she thought it was the salt light too ...

We'll laugh about it when we're old.

Thanks for all the replies :)

[Davey]

That sort of thing is all too easy to do. Been there, done that. Already old(ish), so have more of an excuse.

[Onetap]

I use tablets, they work fine.

The salt is usually in the water for several hours, often 24+ hours. I doubt very much that the brine would contain less salt than if you used granules.

Such bollocks is generally put about by the suppliers of salt. The only effect I've noticed is that it leaves a deposit in their bank accounts.

[bert]

In message , Davey writes

I can never remember which light is which and the symbols are meaningless. So if one light comes on I just fill up both.

[meow2222]

Mine's reliable, but then limescale deposits are the indicator, there is no light.

PS I've found that putting vinegar into the prerinse cleans/descales without disturbing the dish washing. It must be added after about 2 minutes though, as the machine cycle begins by pumping out, filling and pumping out.

NT