Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2016 April 13

= April 13 =

Unblocking a dishwasher
My dishwasher has recently begun to give sub-optimal results, so I thought it was time to see about unblocking it. I found this helpful video on YouTube, followed its instructions to the letter and immediately began to see an improvement in the dishwasher's performance. However, there is one aspect that still bothers me. The video doesn't say anything about the round screw top tank thing visible to the bottom left at 0'25" of the video. When I unscrew the top and remove it, there is water right up to the rim.  Is this something that I should be concerned about, and if so how should I remove the water from this tank? --Viennese Waltz 08:06, 13 April 2016 (UTC)
 * It's the container for the Dishwasher salt, which is used to soften Hard water. You pour the salt in until it reaches the top. It's normal to contain water up to the rim. Don't forget the old adage, 'When all else fails, read the instruction book'. :-).  Widneymanor (talk) 09:13, 13 April 2016 (UTC)


 * Great, thanks. Unfortunately the manual is long gone. --Viennese Waltz 09:31, 13 April 2016 (UTC)


 * The manufacturer maintains a website for downloading manuals. Some seems to available in German only, but that won´t be a problem in your case.  --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 10:22, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

You've never put salt in your dishwasher? Are there places in the world where the water is so soft it doesn't need salt? --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 11:59, 15 April 2016 (UTC)


 * Lots of them. I grew up in Cornwall, and the water there is delightfully soft - you don't need salt in the dishwasher, you don't get that nasty film on tea, or the scum in the bathtub. Anywhere where you drink rainwater rather than groundwater is likely to have soft water. DuncanHill (talk) 16:15, 15 April 2016 (UTC)


 * I live in central southern England and the water is as hard as hell. I've never put salt in our dishwasher and have always had perfect results. I've always understood, well more accurately, since I've been responsible for managing a dishwasher, that modern tablets don't require salt to be added. Apologies for the original research. Richard Avery (talk) 16:27, 15 April 2016 (UTC)


 * Here in the US, I think soft water is the norm. The only people I know of who need water softeners have well water.  And they use whole house water softeners, so still no need to soften it at the dishwasher. StuRat (talk) 17:12, 15 April 2016 (UTC)


 * Most water in NZ is soft . Some (most?) dishwasher still come with salt compartments but because it's so rarely used, the sales staff often don't know what it's for or simply know it's not needed in NZ and I think some even come with specific instructions saying so. Buying dishwasher salt in retails stores in much of NZ can also be difficult. See also  . Nil Einne (talk) 14:24, 17 April 2016 (UTC)


 * Either you buy cheap, basic dishwasher tablets, dishwasher salt, and rinse aid or you simply buy all-in-one dishwasher tablets and none of the other stuff.--Ykraps (talk) 15:08, 17 April 2016 (UTC)