First time use of the Haier dishwasher

Buying a brand new dishwasher is a joyful occasion, making you eager to get started on the mountain of dirty dishes you've accumulated just to get started. But if you want your appliance to last for years, the first time you use it, you should strictly follow the instructions, adhering to all the necessary details. These are the important details we'll discuss today.

Getting ready for the very first wash

First and foremost, it's always worth carefully inspecting household appliances from all sides after unpacking. This will allow you to immediately detect any damage and either return the equipment to the store or arrange for repairs. If the appliance is in perfect condition, you can proceed to checking the complete set, removing the plastic protective clips, installing it, and turning it on.

The machine must stand on a level surface and not wobble, so check this point carefully.

The main thing is not to rush to start the washing machine for the first time, as it must first complete an idle cycle. This test is necessary for several reasons. Firstly, washing without dishes will allow you to clean the inside of the device, which could have become contaminated with dirt, oil, dust and small debris during assembly at the factory. Secondly, the absence of foreign elements in the wash chamber will allow you to evaluate the machine's operation, observe all washing stages in detail, and ensure that water is flowing steadily into the wash chamber, heating up, draining completely, and that there are no leaks or malfunctions. Finally, a dry run will confirm proper installation, as even the slightest deviation from horizontal can cause unnecessary noise and vibration.

Chemicals for the first wash

After installation, you can load the dishwasher, but not with dirty dishes, but with household chemicals. Turning it on is impossible without special detergents, unless you want to damage anything. For a proper test, we'll need:

• detergent;
• rinse aid;
• special salt for dishwashers.

The first is simple—it's standard household cleaning products, which help appliances effectively remove grease and other stains from cutlery. There are three types of cleaning products:

• liquid in the form of gel or balm;
• powder;
• tablets and capsules.

Each type has its own advantages, so different users choose different products. Tablets and capsules are very convenient to use, as each one is designed for exactly one wash cycle. However, they are the most expensive type and are also difficult to use when a half-load cycle is needed.

Powdered detergent is much cheaper than tablets and can be used more economically, adjusting the amount depending on the load of dirty dishes. However, it is more difficult to store. The same applies to liquid gels, which, like powder, must be loaded into a special container located on the dishwasher door.

Rinse aid is essential to ensure that clean dishes are streak-free after a wash cycle, and that glassware shines beautifully. This type of household cleaning product also speeds up the drying process, which is a welcome benefit. Rinse aid should be poured into the dispenser located next to the detergent drawer.

The last component is apparently a special salt that helps the dishwasher's ion exchanger soften hard tap water. Large salt crystals regenerate the resin in the water softener, preventing scale and limescale from forming on key components of the dishwasher. This salt should be poured into a special bin located at the bottom of the wash chamber. Sometimes housewives fill the salt bin with ordinary table salt, which is found in every home, but this is fundamentally wrong. Why can't we do this?

• Special regenerating salt and regular salt have different compositions; the former contains far fewer impurities and microelements that negatively impact household appliances.
• Table salt undergoes fewer stages of purification, which is also detrimental to the dishwasher.
• Special salt is much larger than regular salt, so it dissolves more slowly, which is why it lasts for a long period of time.

Special salt granules aren't as expensive as people think, so don't skimp on the safety and security of your expensive equipment. Apply salt according to the following instructions:

• remove the lower basket from the wash chamber;
• open the salt bunker located at the bottom;
• If this is your first time adding salt, first pour about a liter of water into the reservoir;
• Now pour about a kilogram of salt directly into the water.

Under no circumstances should you leave any salt or brine residue on the bottom of the chamber, as it can damage the bottom. Therefore, it should be removed manually or by running any work cycle.

After that, you can forget about salt for a while, depending on the hardness of your tap water. The Haier smart appliance will automatically notify you when it's time to refill the salt granules by activating a special indicator on the control panel.

After adding salt, be sure to adjust the salt consumption settings. You can determine this yourself using special test strips, which are often included with dishwashers. If you don't have this or any other testing device, you can find the figures on the official website of your local water utility, where employees are required to publish water quality data in a timely manner.

Equipment startup procedure

Only after completing all the above steps can you turn on the appliance. Finally, check that the appliance is level, isn't pinching any hoses or wires, and that the water supply valve to the dishwasher is open. Start the appliance as follows:

• open the door of the washing chamber and check that nothing is obstructing the free movement of the sprayer;
• We wash the unit’s waste filter, for which it must be removed and rinsed under a powerful stream of hot water;
• connect the machine to the power supply and activate it using the power button;
• Select the operating mode. For a test empty cycle, select the longest program with maximum water temperature. The intensive wash mode is most often suitable for the parameters described;
• We close the door to activate the sink.

Another benefit of the test is that if you discover a problem during the inspection, you'll have the opportunity to fix it promptly before returning the dishwasher to full operation. If you discover a serious problem, however, you'll need to call a service center.

If the test is successful, all you need to do is wait a few hours for the machine to dry and cool with the door open, and then you can start filling the baskets with dirty dishes to test your "home assistant" in action.

   

2 reader comments

1. November 26, 2022 at 2:09 PM

   Catherine:

   Good afternoon.
   Should I turn off the rinse aid function if I use rinse aid capsules?

   Answer
2. August 28, 2024 at 11:44 AM

   Hope:

   Why does the PM beep after 1 minute of switching on?

   Answer