Why is the salt light on in my dishwasher?

When the salt indicator lights up in a dishwasher of any brand, this alarms many users. The best thing to do is get the instructions and read about the purpose of this indicator and when it lights up and when it blinks. If this cannot be done due to lack of instructions at hand, read our article. From it you will learn everything you need.

How does he work?

In the vast majority of dishwashers, the salt indicator can be in three states: resting, blinking, burning. This indicator is connected to a salt sensor, which is located in the ion exchanger tank. As soon as the sensor is triggered, the indicator begins to activate according to the specified program. Let's take a closer look at the indicator states.

1. Peace. The indicator is not lit or blinking, this means that everything is in order, the user does not need to do anything.
2. Flashing. The indicator warns the user that there is little salt left in the tank and that it needs to be added, otherwise it will soon run out.
3. Combustion. If this indicator is constantly lit, it means that the salt in the tank has run out; it warns that further use of the dishwasher will “kill” the ion exchanger. You need to add salt immediately.

Salt in the dishwasher is needed so that the resin in the ion exchanger can regenerate, and the device itself can perform its function.

If you ignore the sensor light and do not pour salt into the dishwasher, then nothing will happen at once. We think that nothing special will happen even after 7-10 washes, but in the future the ion exchanger will be left without resin, which will be washed out over time.The machine will quickly become overgrown with limescale and fail. The main task of the salt indicator is to warn the user in time that the salt has run out, and then let him think for himself whether he feels sorry for his “home assistant” or not.

Reservoir clogged

Did you add salt and the light is still on? You may be dealing with a clog or a short-term system failure. Let's check the second by restarting the dishwasher. First, turn off the machine using the button, and then unplug the power cord from the socket. We keep the machine de-energized for 15 seconds, and then turn it on and look at the indicator. If it lights up again, it's not an electronic issue.

Even when the user uses the highest quality PMM salt, the reservoir may become clogged. What can we say about cases when they add regular dishwasher salt, without any preliminary preparation. At this point, clogging is inevitable. The indicator reacts by burning when the ion exchanger and its salt reservoir are clogged. Let's clean the tank.

1. First, for safety reasons, turn off the machine and turn off the water.
2. Open the dishwasher and remove the lower basket for dishes.
3. Unscrew the cap of the salt container.
4. Use a bulb or large syringe to pump out the water from the tank.
5. Pour clean water into the tank, use a wooden stick to mix it with the remaining contents and pump it out again.
6. Pour some water into the tank again, add salt and try to start the dishwasher.

In most cases, such simple cleaning helps and the indicator stops lighting. If the problem persists, it may be the salt sensor itself that needs to be replaced.

Salt sensor failure

Why does the salt sensor not go off even after the tank has been cleaned? It may be that the sensor itself is broken or clogged.You need to remove the side wall of the PMM housing (right or left depending on the model of the machine), remove the salt sensor and check it with a multimeter. You can see what this sensor looks like in the picture accompanying the item in this publication.

A simple test will show whether this sensor works or not. If the sensor itself is working properly, you can try cleaning it and at the same time check the wiring that powers it. A faulty sensor must be replaced.

So, all of the above measures are designed to solve the problem of a burning sensor. If after all the above manipulations the problem remains unresolved, you should contact a specialist. Perhaps the problem is a burnt out bus or a broken firmware of the control board, which you shouldn’t get into yourself, so as not to aggravate the breakdown. A qualified technician will diagnose and then repair. Fortunately, such serious breakdowns happen infrequently, the main thing is not to leave everything as is. There is no need to ignore the lit indicator, otherwise everything can result in more serious malfunctions.

5 reader comments

1. 05/07/2020 at 17:45

   Michael:

   Thank you very much for your review. Cleaning helped! The truth remains a mystery as to what could have caused the blockage.

   Answer
2. 01/20/2021 at 03:24

   Alexei:

   I tried cleaning it and unplugging it - it helped... some kind of magic. why did it help? Because of which? But the fact is clear.

   Answer
3. 06/19/2021 at 09:22

   Inna:

   Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Helped at the stage of “draining the water with a pear” ☺️

   Answer
4. 04/02/2022 at 05:16

   Vusi:

   Hello.The washing machine is new Bosch, filled with salt and water, everything is as it should be. But the salt indicator is constantly on and does not blink. What could be the problem?

   Answer
5. 06/07/2022 at 14:28

   Alexei:

   ATP, I did everything as written, but until I stirred it with a sushi stick, the salt was burning. I thought it was all, I got the money, it worked out.

   Answer