Dishwasher Salt Alternatives

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CrashAndBurn

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#245293 28-Jan-2019 09:46

For the first time in 2 years, the dishwasher in my apartment is blinking for salt? I checked the model and apparently I have to fill it up with dishwasher salt. But when I tried to search online, it seems its not commonly available in NZ. Are there any alternatives? Do I really need to given that am assuming water in the city is not hard? Also the fact that the powder/tablet i use already comes with rinse aid?

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#2168743 28-Jan-2019 09:56

It's just normal salt. There's no such thing as "dishwasher" salt. i.e. if there is, it's a great marketing achievement.

CrashAndBurn

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#2168750 28-Jan-2019 10:09

olivernz: It's just normal salt. There's no such thing as "dishwasher" salt. i.e. if there is, it's a great marketing achievement.

I checked online and most suggest that normal table salt cannot be used as alternative. So am guessing any salt that is coarser should be fine?

ech3lon

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#2168752 28-Jan-2019 10:19

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher_salt

Dishwasher salt is a particular grade of granulated, crystalline sodium chloride intended for regenerating the water softener circuit of household or industrial dishwashers. Analogous to water softener salt, dishwasher salt regenerates ion exchange resins, expelling the therein trapped calcium and magnesium ions that characterize hard water. Dishwater salt granules are larger than those of table salt. The granule size ensures that the salt dissolves slowly, and that fine particles do not block the softener unit.

In some countries, especially those in Europe, dishwashers include a built-in water softener that removes calcium and magnesium ions from the water. Dishwasher salt, which is coarse-grained sodium chloride (table salt), is used to regenerate the resin in the built-in ion-exchange system. The coarse grains prevent it from clogging the softener unit. Unlike certain types of salt used for culinary purposes, it does not contain added anticaking agents or magnesium salts. The presence of magnesium salts will defeat the purpose of removing magnesium from the water softener. Anticaking agents may lead to clogging or may contain magnesium. Table salt may contain added iodine in the form of sodium iodide or potassium iodide.

Learned something new today...

I wonder if rocksalt sold in supermarket is a good candidate.

olivernz

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#2168755 28-Jan-2019 10:27

Same here, learnt something. Our dishwasher is from Europe so has separate salt and softener compartments.

wellygary

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#2168756 28-Jan-2019 10:30

Table salts will not soften water

Most parts of NZ don't have "hard water", so that why it not common to find "water softener"... you can find it on line

http://www.wisecicada.co.nz/sonett-regenerating-salt-2kg

or at a pinch you could probably use pool water softener too..

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/poolstar-pool-spa-granular-water-softener-1kg-white/p/108889

uncledave

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#2168760 28-Jan-2019 10:43

What brand is the dishwasher- some have an option of turning the "salt" or water hardness option off.

Geektastic

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#2168787 28-Jan-2019 11:19

I would imagine that the better tablets like Finish Quantum etc probably contain the salt necessary already?

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uncledave

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#2168791 28-Jan-2019 11:23

The water softener is built in to the machines for countries which have "hard water".

New Zealand does not have "hard water" - at least as far as dishwashers are concerned.

snnet

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#2168832 28-Jan-2019 11:35

I purchased a Miele dishwasher a while back and had the same issue. There is a way to stop it blinking for salt. I called several stores, most knew nothing of dishwasher salt (no apparently you cannot use table salt according to the manual!)

Finally got hold of Kitchen Things and got told that I wouldn't need salt in NZ and that I could turn the warning light off.

PolicyGuy

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#2168842 28-Jan-2019 11:53

uncledave:
The water softener is built in to the machines for countries which have "hard water".

New Zealand does not have "hard water" - at least as far as dishwashers are concerned.

most of NZ does not have hard water, however there are a few places that do, Whanganui being one of them.
Whole house water softeners are becoming quite popular here, your water-using appliances last a lot longer.

So you could buy water softener salt. The problem here would be that water softener salt tends to come in 20kg or 25kg sacks, which may be a lifetime supply for your dishwasher! :)

Bung

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#2168844 28-Jan-2019 12:03

Geektastic:
I would imagine that the better tablets like Finish Quantum etc probably contain the salt necessary already?

The salt isn't used every wash cycle. It is used to regenerate the water softner in the dishwasher as required. Dishwashing tablets if they have a softening agent operate independently per wash.

Unless your glassware is going cloudy you're looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

Edit: we have a Bosch machine with a salt container. There is no mention of this in the Australia/NZ manual. I don't even know if the other parts needed for water softening are present in the dishwasher.

tdgeek

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#2168853 28-Jan-2019 12:17

Interesting stuff. Worthwhile reading the ingredients on dishwash power/tablets

antoniosk

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#2168854 28-Jan-2019 12:20

snnet:

I purchased a Miele dishwasher a while back and had the same issue. There is a way to stop it blinking for salt. I called several stores, most knew nothing of dishwasher salt (no apparently you cannot use table salt according to the manual!)

Finally got hold of Kitchen Things and got told that I wouldn't need salt in NZ and that I could turn the warning light off.

Yep - ours has never blinked demanding salt, and you dont need it in NZ.

In the UK however... dont you dare not use it... watch how fast your dishwasher stops working, as we found out in a £150 lesson.

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Antoniosk

CrashAndBurn

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#2168923 28-Jan-2019 13:38

uncledave:

What brand is the dishwasher- some have an option of turning the "salt" or water hardness option off.

It is an Indesit BI 45 A. Which unfortunately I could not find a manual online to turn it off.

fearandloathing

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#2168946 28-Jan-2019 14:01

What about this https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/poolstar-pool-spa-granular-water-softener-1kg-white/p/108889

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