Just put in a water softener brought from Screwfix 4 years ago
(that's good going for my DIY jobs ! )

Where do you get your salt from?

Needs granular salt apparently

Mark

On Nov 17, 9:10 am, wrote:
Just put in a water softener brought from Screwfix 4 years ago
(that's good going for my DIY jobs ! )

Where do you get your salt from?

Costco.

Needs granular salt apparently
So does my Bosch dishwasher, I think.
I've fed it on the tablets I use in the water softener, with no ill
effects, as yet (5 or 6 years).

Salt is salt. In reality, it uses a brine solution and I can't see how
the shape of the solid salt will affect operation.
Anyone saying otherwise is usually in marketing.

So does my Bosch dishwasher, I think.
I've fed it on the tablets I use in the water softener, with no ill
effects, as yet (5 or 6 years).

I just plumbed my dishwasher into the soft water, so there is no need to
continue feeding the dishwasher at all. The main problem is finding
dishwasher tablets without "salt action". Unfortunately, what "salt action"
actually means is that the tablet is full of environmentally damaging
phosphates. Quite frankly, they should be banned. It is ridiculous that we
are pumping out all these phosphates just because people can't be arsed to
fill their salt container.

Salt is salt. In reality, it uses a brine solution and I can't see how
the shape of the solid salt will affect operation.
Anyone saying otherwise is usually in marketing.

No, there is a genuine reason. It affects the accuracy of brine metering. If
the brine is metered by level, rather than flow, having a consistent size of
solid salt in the tank will ensure that the amount of brine up to the level
is consistent. Whether that accuracy is of much concern is another matter.

Christian.

On 2006-11-17 09:57:25 +0000, "Christian McArdle"
said:

So does my Bosch dishwasher, I think.
I've fed it on the tablets I use in the water softener, with no ill
effects, as yet (5 or 6 years).

I just plumbed my dishwasher into the soft water, so there is no need
to continue feeding the dishwasher at all. The main problem is finding
dishwasher tablets without "salt action". Unfortunately, what "salt
action" actually means is that the tablet is full of environmentally
damaging phosphates. Quite frankly, they should be banned. It is
ridiculous that we are pumping out all these phosphates just because
people can't be arsed to fill their salt container.

Salt is salt. In reality, it uses a brine solution and I can't see how
the shape of the solid salt will affect operation.
Anyone saying otherwise is usually in marketing.

No, there is a genuine reason. It affects the accuracy of brine
metering. If the brine is metered by level, rather than flow, having a
consistent size of solid salt in the tank will ensure that the amount
of brine up to the level is consistent. Whether that accuracy is of
much concern is another matter.

Christian.

It can matter.

Originally, the unit that I have had a brine pick up unit in the salt
tank with a filter. This would operate with granular salt. At some
point the device failed and was replaced with a newer design which did
not have the same filter. Grains would get trapped in it, so it
requires tablet salt now. In both cases, brine metering is by the
level of brine in this tank, which can be adjusted. In both cases, it
makes a saturated solution, so I don't think the brine quantity has
altered.

Accuracy needs to be in a reasonable range. Too little and the resin
bed is not regenerated properly. Too much and salt is wasted. The
adjustment on mine is to start low and to then increase until the
remaining hardness in the water is at the soft water level.

In both cases, brine metering is by the level of brine in this
tank, which can be adjusted. In both cases, it makes a
saturated solution, so I don't think the brine quantity has altered.

The issue is that the undissolved block salt, tablet salt and granular salt
will all displace a different amount of water when sat in the tank. This
displacement might also be more or less variable. Block salt will displace a
pretty much constant amount of water and provides the best level metering.
Granular salt will be quite variable in the amount of water it displaces.

I'm not saying that it matters particularly critically, but there is a
difference.

Christian.

wrote:
Just put in a water softener brought from Screwfix 4 years ago
(that's good going for my DIY jobs ! )

Where do you get your salt from?

Needs granular salt apparently

Mark

Anywhere that sells the right sized stuff.

I pay about 6.50 for a 25kg bag. Tablets in my case.

The local village shop does it, strangely as cheaply as the builders
merchants and the 'country store' place.

On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 09:57:25 UTC, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

I just plumbed my dishwasher into the soft water, so there is no need to
continue feeding the dishwasher at all. The main problem is finding
dishwasher tablets without "salt action".

Any reason not to use conventional dishwasher powder, without the 'salt
action'?

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poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
Avenue Supplies, http://avenuesupplies.co.uk

Any reason not to use conventional dishwasher powder, without the 'salt
action'?

It is messy and you have to dose it. However, I suspect I should move
towards it, as the tablet manufacturers insist on still wrapping the tablets
individually, which is bad.

Christian.

On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 18:15:29 UTC, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

It is messy and you have to dose it. However, I suspect I should move
towards it, as the tablet manufacturers insist on still wrapping the tablets
individually, which is bad.

My thought too. We just use an old washing powder scoop for the job, and
5kg tubs of dishwasher detergent from CPC.

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The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
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On 2006-11-17 10:33:17 +0000, "Christian McArdle"
said:

In both cases, brine metering is by the level of brine in this
tank, which can be adjusted. In both cases, it makes a
saturated solution, so I don't think the brine quantity has altered.

The issue is that the undissolved block salt, tablet salt and granular
salt will all displace a different amount of water when sat in the
tank. This displacement might also be more or less variable. Block salt
will displace a pretty much constant amount of water and provides the
best level metering. Granular salt will be quite variable in the amount
of water it displaces.

I'm not saying that it matters particularly critically, but there is a
difference.

Christian.

OK, I see what you're saying....

On 2006-11-17 18:15:29 +0000, "Christian McArdle"
said:

Any reason not to use conventional dishwasher powder, without the 'salt
action'?

It is messy and you have to dose it. However, I suspect I should move
towards it, as the tablet manufacturers insist on still wrapping the
tablets individually, which is bad.

Christian.

I imagine that that is so that you can easily handle the tablets,
unwrapping them without touching them. The detergent seems to be
quite pokey. I managed to get some on a piece of raw skin and it hurt
quite a bit.

On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 20:17:45 UTC, Andy Hall wrote:

I imagine that that is so that you can easily handle the tablets,
unwrapping them without touching them. The detergent seems to be
quite pokey. I managed to get some on a piece of raw skin and it hurt
quite a bit.

Not sure if I mentioned this before...I know someone who works in a
burns unit, and they get quite a lot of 'dishwasher detergent' cases! It
made me more careful...

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The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
Avenue Supplies, http://avenuesupplies.co.uk