Salt light will not go out - Danby DDW1899WP Portable Dishwasher

well,if you fill it with salt and the salt light wont go out,and your dishes came out white,PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE DISHWASHER! the salt light is a warning light ,not to fill it but to delime it! wow,

might be a sensor failure id try giving it a high dose of salt water direct to the intake of system (not the entire pool)
see if light temp goes out , then ya know sensor thinks you dont have enough salt in pool

The top light is apparently to indicate that the salt (!) has run out.

The bottom light is apparently to indicate that rinse aid has run out.

For the record, that seems to be a Zanussi DE-6854 dishwasher, and I found the manual here: (link)


"Special salt can be added in one of two ways: 1) If you are using dishwasher detergent that already contains salt, the detergent including the salt is placed in the detergent compartment. - In this case the water softener must manually be set to 1 and electronically to 1 to ensure that the special salt is taken from the detergent container only. 2) If you are using dishwasher detergent and salt separately, the special salt is to be put into the salt container. - In this case the water softener must manually be set to 1 or 2 and electronically between 1 and 5 (depending on the water hardness in your area) to ensure that the special salt is taken from the salt container only. Only use salt specifically designed for use in
dishwashers. All other types of salt not specifically designed for use in a dishwasher, especially table salt, will damage the water
softener. Only fill with salt just before starting one of the washing
programmes. This will prevent any grains of salt or salty water, which
may have been spilt, remaining on the bottom of the machine for any period of time, which may cause corrosion." (Page 6)

"Only use branded rinse aid for dishwashers. Never fill the rinse
aid dispenser with any other substances (e.g. dishwasher
cleaning agent, liquid detergent). This would damage the
appliance." (Page 7)

The manual also explains how to turn the Rinse Aid light off permanently if you do not wish to use rinse aid.



Good luck!

Hi

Have a look at the solution I posted 4 years ago :-
http://www.fixya.com/support/t3232766-salt_light_stop_flashing_even_though_its
It looks as though the system has lost the link to my reply, so here it is :-
My salt light won't stop flashing even though its full of salt. Its a Hotpoint FDW60. Ive tried turning off and an ...
I think I have the answer.

On Yahoo Answers Blue Rizla Girl put up the idea that the sensor is some form of hydrometer. (i.e. floats in salty water sinks if not salty enough)

Based on this thought I postulated that the sensor is some form of hydrometer float in a tube with perhaps an optical sensor.

If this is correct why is it not working?

Is it because the float is stuck at the bottom of the tube, perhaps by some food debris? If so how can we fix it?

This is what I did on my Hotpoint FWD60:-

I took the salt filler cap off. There was no salt in the reservoir as it has been a problem for months, and I was only refilling it when dishes were not coming clean.

I poured 2 litres of hot water into the salt reservoir.

I then put the empty machine on the intensive 65 degree wash, half load and with the reservoir cap still OFF.

When finished I filled up with salt and HEY PRESTO the salt light is OFF!!!!

Just hope it stays that way until the reservoir really needs refilling.

While I was down on my hands and knees I took the opportunity to clean the filters in the sump. They do get full of bits!

I also flushed the sump by dashing a couple of cups of hot water into it and then bailing it out with a small yoghurt pot. I repeated this until the water in the yoghurt pot and the sump no longer had any signs of bits in them. (Dashing = vigorously pour)

I was amazed at how many bits I got out, especially considering I had given the machine a good clean in the past 6 weeks.

I even got part of a paper label!

So there we have it, try it out and report back.

AcmeUK

A low salt level warning is indicated on your VX Chlorinator if the salt level drops. If Low Salt is indicated, check again in 24 hours and then if it is still indicated, add two 25kg bags of salt to the shallow end of your pool. Run the filtration system for approx. 6 hours to help mix the salt in the pool. It can take up to a day for the salt to fully dissolve.
If the low salt light is still on, then you should get your pool water tested. If the Salinity is above 4000ppm then you may need to have your Chlorinator checked.
Warning: Some people recommend that you put salt directly in the skimmer box. This is a very bad practice as it allows very high concentrations of salt to be passed through your filtration and other pool equipment.
Hope this helps.

HOW MUCH SALT DO I NEED TO ADD?

Your machine may have a float indicator or a warning light to tell you when salt needs adding to the water softener. Often float indicators are difficult to see, and there is no accurate guide as to how much salt you need to add. Quite simply, just add granular salt to the reservoir until it won't take any more!

The softener will use the salt to replenish itself each time you wash. As an approximate guide, you should do a full top up about once a month. If your machine doesn't have a warning light, a good way to remember to check and / or top up is to do it on a regular day of the month (e.g. the first Saturday or the 15th)

CAN I USE ORDINARY TABLE SALT?

No. Table, cooking, rock and sea salts may contain additives that can actually increase water hardness. Also, the fine consistency of some of these salts mean they are likely to clog when wet. Always use granular dishwasher salt because it is very pure and is the right consistency for use in your machine.

Granular salt is the ONLY type of salt that should be used to regenerate the softener. Be aware that some varieties of 'dishwasher salt' use Dead Sea salt. This variety may contain minute insoluble organic matter that may adversely affect the resin within your softener over time. If you are in doubt about the origins of the salt, ask the retailer or manufacturer.

All salt generators need at least 4-5000 parts per million for up to 30 days for the generators to re-generate salt. it takes chlorine to combined with the generator and salt to regenerate salt. Salt generators do not make salt from water that is not chlorinated first.
Try This and you will re gererate chlorine.

The Pool Tech

Hi vayvego,

I'm Harvey the Master Plumber.

You want to know why: Salt residue remains on the dishes. The water softener is going throught salt like crazy. You fill the salt and make sure that the light is off before you start the cylce. Within the first 20-45 mins the salt light comes on again and the dishes will not wash properly. You have come to the conclusion that the salt is being distributed to quicky but cannot figure out why the light keeps coming on. The switch inside the cap for the salt is set a the min.

I hope I understand you. This is how it's suposed to work. The salt in a water softener is only used for backwashig the filter. It should be set to backwash once or twice a week when nobody is useing the water, useually 2am or 3am. The only time you can get salt at the fixture is if you're backwashing when you use the water. If you're backwashing all the time either the controls aren't set right or the unit is defective, in which case it is unlikely you can fix it. In that case you might consider utilizing our Repair Directory to find a repairman. If it's still under warranty, it's time to make a phone call.

Feel free contact me again!
Please give me a rating here at fixya.com before you sign off
Thank you,
Harvey your Master Plumber

try stirring the water in the salt container. however, as long as you renew the salt now and again, it doesn't matter

the salt light is done by a reed switch operated by a float in the salty water. float may be stuck - give softener (where you put in the salt) a tap and also stir the water inside the softener. i assume you have put in enough salt. its not a serious fault