Dishwasher & Water Softener experts?

[Draug]

I have a Miele dishwasher that has a built in water softener. Being that we use well water, the water softener really helps the dishes clean. My issue is that the manual calls "Dishwasher Softening Salt", and it costs about $10 for a tiny box which only lasts a few weeks.

Is this salt any different than regular water softener salt? The dishwasher salt is finely ground to about the size of a pea, whereas regular salt is larger. Is the chemical composition any different?

Could I buy a 5kg bag of water softener salt and grind it up? I think that $5 bag would last a full year.

[Swayze11]

You gotta get the good one.

[Icon]

Probably shouldn't grind it:

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...dishwashersalt

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Icon

Probably shouldn't grind it:

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edi...dishwashersalt

"Grind" was the wrong choice of word. I really mean crush the large pellets into smaller ones.

[Ironhorse]

We have a Miele, and we don't go through nearly that much salt. One box lasts a few months! Hooked up to S. Calgary tapwater though, and not a well. Perhaps it's adaptive?

[Draug]

Yes, it is adaptive. You set it based on the hardness of your water. There was a little test strip that came with the dishwasher.

[Stillman16]

If the large pellets fit, I'd try putting them in whole (the pellets get dissolved-> to create brine-> to regenerate the ion exchange resin in the dishwasher).

From the link posted above, and my understanding of the process, I'd say it should work fine (the salt should be the same, it is basically table salt without iodine).

If you have a friend that uses the larger pellets for a home softening unit, maybe they'd give you a few pellets to try it out.......

[DownhillGoat]

Does the washer regen and cycle when it's not washing? Or does it do it all on the fly?

Another alternative would be install a home softener upstream, using much less of the expensive salt.

[Draug]

It recycles on the fly. I don't think it recycles everyload, but instead does it during a cycle when it is determined that it has to recycle.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Draug

It recycles on the fly.

If that's the case I'm thinking regular softener salt won't work so well.

Look at it this way, is it worth that savings of twenty bucks a month to take a chance with a $1500 dishwasher?

[Shazam]

My wife doesn't need salt??

[amorak]

Originally Posted by Shazam

My wife doesn't need salt??

Really?

You're missing out.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

If that's the case I'm thinking regular softener salt won't work so well.

Look at it this way, is it worth that savings of twenty bucks a month to take a chance with a $1500 dishwasher?

Why do you think regular softener salt wont work well if it recycles on the fly, every load or every so many loads?

Of course saving $20 isnt worth risking $1500. But, if I can spend $5 a year and achieve the same results with the same risk, I clearly want to do that.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Draug

Why do you think regular softener salt wont work well if it recycles on the fly, every load or every so many loads

Looking at a regen cycle on a home softener, it takes hours. If the washer does it on the fly it obviously takes less time than the home one, so I would assume there's something different in the dishwasher salt to allow for increased solubility and decreased regen time. Alternatively, the resin could be slightly different, in which case the salt may still be different in the dishwasher version.

[Bill Bumface]

^Smaller granules mean more surface area, so faster disolving vs the big pieces.

[redforever]

I have a Miele dishwasher, I maybe use 2 boxes a year of the softener salts recommended for these dishwashers.

I live in the country too, use well water, BUT, we have a water softener. Even without a water softener, a box of salts every few weeks seems excessive.

Anyhow, I would recommend a water softener for your house as well, not just to solve your dishwasher problem. You can see how much cleaner the dishes get with soft water? Imagine your clothes being washed in soft water and you bathing in soft water. You would use a lot less cleaning supplies and soaps in general.

If you do get one, keep in mind that softening water from country wells is not the same as softening city water. Don't get a fully automatic one, it will gum up. And don't get one that regenerates every so many days. If you are on vacation, it will keep on softening and you don't need it to do that.

We have one that regenerates for however many gallons of water you set it for. So determine about how many gallons of softened water you would use between regenerations and then just program the softener. Then if you are on vacation, it won't regenerate unnecessarily since you aren't using water. And it won't be affected by more or less members in your family either because it is actually programmed for gallons used.

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by amorak

Really?

You're missing out.

Best awnser was from Tommy

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by amorak

Really?

You're missing out.

LOL, I eat pineapple to improve the taste.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by redforever

I have a Miele dishwasher, I maybe use 2 boxes a year of the softener salts recommended for these dishwashers.

I live in the country too, use well water, BUT, we have a water softener. Even without a water softener, a box of salts every few weeks seems excessive.

Anyhow, I would recommend a water softener for your house as well, not just to solve your dishwasher problem. You can see how much cleaner the dishes get with soft water? Imagine your clothes being washed in soft water and you bathing in soft water. You would use a lot less cleaning supplies and soaps in general.

If you do get one, keep in mind that softening water from country wells is not the same as softening city water.

I should also note that on most days we run two complete loads through the dishwasher. We fill it right up too ... three meals a day with little kids goes through more dishes than I ever thought possible.

I was under the impression that the Brine discharge from a water softener was not good for a septic system. Has it caused any problems for you? My septic field is out in the trees and I fear the effluent with water softener discharge would kill the trees. I thought I could get away with it in the dishwasher because the volume is much lower than all the water in the house being softened.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Draug

I should also note that on most days we run two complete loads through the dishwasher. We fill it right up too ... three meals a day with little kids goes through more dishes than I ever thought possible.

I was under the impression that the Brine discharge from a water softener was not good for a septic system. Has it caused any problems for you? My septic field is out in the trees and I fear the effluent with water softener discharge would kill the trees. I thought I could get away with it in the dishwasher because the volume is much lower than all the water in the house being softened.

No problems whatsoever. And we have lived in the country with our own well and water softener since 1980. We use the softener salt that looks like pills though, tablet form. The guy who installed our water softener said to use it rather than the cheaper crushed stuff.

I don't know how hard your water is, I think ours is between 14 and 17 grains per million? I think that is average for the Calgary area.

I use my dishwasher at least once a day, sometimes twice a day, and the amount of salt you are going through still seems very high to me.