Where do I put salt in my Electrolux dishwasher?

Service center specialists and home appliance manufacturers always warn against using dishwashers without adding salt first. While the dishwasher may work for a while, such rough handling will eventually damage the ion exchanger, which softens hard tap water. Replacing this element is very expensive, so it's best to keep the dishwasher stocked with salt at all times. So how much salt is needed, and how do you add it to your dishwasher?

Location of the salt container

The salt reservoir in the Electrolux dishwasher is located in the same place as in all other “home helpers” – at the bottom of the washing chamber. To find it, you need to pull out the lower basket and pay attention to the plastic unscrewing cover located closer to the edge of the wall of the device.

Do not confuse the salt compartment with the waste filter, the cover of which is usually much larger and located closer to the center of the chamber.

This is the reservoir where you should add salt each time the dishwasher notifies you with a special indicator on the control panel. This is a crucial ion-exchange unit that allows your Electrolux dishwasher to soften even the most difficult hard tap water, so remember its location carefully.

Add salt carefully

For user convenience, every dishwasher comes with a special funnel. Its large diameter makes it easy to pour salt into the hopper without spilling salt granules all over the wash chamber.

If you are going to put salt in the dishwasher for the first time, be sure to fill the salt container with clean water to the brim.

Don't worry about water spilling out of the compartment while adding salt. Excess water from the hopper will drain into the water supply, and any remaining liquid in the washing chamber can be quickly wiped away with a dry cloth.

The same should be done with salt granules if you accidentally spill them on the bottom of the chamber. Do not leave salt in the washing chamber, as large granules can damage the bottom of the washing chamber of the Electrolux dishwasher.

How much product is needed?

The amount of salt granules isn't as complicated as it first appears to new dishwasher owners. Experts recommend adding salt to the hopper until it's completely full. Dishwasher salt reservoirs vary in size, but the average load is about one kilogram.

Housewives note that a kilogram of salt typically lasts for several months, even with heavy daily use of their Electrolux dishwasher. There's no need to constantly refill the salt reservoir, as the dishwasher will automatically alert you when the salt container is empty. A special low-salt indicator on the dishwasher's control panel will light up.

It's impossible to know exactly when the salt will run out, but you can roughly estimate it if you know the hardness of your tap water. This information can be obtained as follows:

• Contact the utility company that services your water supply;
• Find accurate data on the official website of the city water utility, which should be updated once a month;
• check the map of water hardness by region of Russia;
• You can check the water hardness yourself using smart electronic devices or regular test strips.

Water in the south, central European part of the Russian Federation, and southern Western Siberia is generally much harder than in the European part of the country and Eastern Siberia. Therefore, residents of the former regions can keep the water hardness level on their Electrolux dishwasher at a high setting, while those in the latter regions can keep it at a low setting.

If you have a more modern dishwasher, it can automatically analyze the quality of your tap water and select the salt flow rate. Older models require manual adjustment of the salt granule flow rate.

Electrolux dishwashers offer eight water hardness settings. Level 0 is used for the softest water, while level 7 is for the hardest water. By default, appliances are typically set to medium hardness, but adjusting the setting only takes a few minutes, so you can easily adjust the settings quarterly, when tap water hardness typically fluctuates.

   

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