Regardless of the specific brand, dishwashers of household format have a similar design. Access to their "interior" opens through the front door. Behind it is a "two-story" bunker with baskets and shelves for dishes, cups and cutlery. Water sprayers are usually placed at the bottom and top of the chamber. There is a salt compartment at the bottom of the hopper. Well, in the door there are compartments for detergents and a rinse aid.

Such a structure has an average dishwasher.

Before the first start, the dishwasher must be "run" idle. Washing without dishes will eliminate small debris and residues of lubricants, will help to check the quality of the connection to the water supply for possible leaks. If the installation of the dishwasher is done by a chin chinar, problems often do not arise at the idle programme stage and you can move on.

How to load the dishes correctly?

The main rule of loading the dishwasher is that household items must be placed in it so that water washes them from all sides and flows down without hindrance. If the dishes are piled up "mountain" or stand, snuggling tightly, after taking bath procedures, it may remain dirty. Water should have free access to the surface of each pan, plate or glass inside the dishwasher. It is customary to place large kitchen utensils in the lower basket in the manner of pots, pans, baking sheets, large plates. The dirtiest dishes are also put there — the flow of water at the bottom is stronger and washing turns out to be more thorough. In addition, dirty water flows down immediately, bypassing already clean appliances. The containers are placed upside down in the dishwasher's hopper, the plates of the dish and the soup tureen are placed with the inner side to the centre and at a slight slope, so that the water flows better. Large dishes and plates are "seated" at the edges of the lower basket, smaller items are closer to the central zone.

It is customary to load plates, pots and the dirtiest items into the lower basket.

The upper basket is a haven for cups, glasses, relatively small saucers, etc. Often in the upper tray there are shelves for knives, holders of small objects and other devices for securely fixing dishes (so that it remains stationary during the reception of bath procedures). It is also important to make sure that fragile products made of thin glass do not come into contact with each other and "neighbors" in the basket. Otherwise, they may crash.

The upper basket is used for cups and small plates.

A special tray for cutlery is used for forks, spoons and knives. Its name speaks for itself — it is a small basket with slots for cutlery.

A tray for cutlery.

If there are special holders for dishes in the design of the baskets, use them for their intended purpose. For example, it is customary to put plates and bowls in sections (if possible through one). An equally important nuance is the placement of high objects that can interfere with the normal operation of the rocker sprinklers. When it is necessary to wash oversized dishes, the upper basket can be removed and run a cycle with one lower tray.

Popular built-in dishwashers

What utensils cannot be washed in the dishwasher?

The entrance to the "interior" of dishwashers is prohibited for wooden and some plastic products, porcelain sets, aluminium, silver, copper or tin dishes. Why is that? Let's figure it out:

Tree

In conditions of high humidity, wooden rolling pins, cutting boards, spatulas and spoons swell. The subsequent drying procedure leads to the drying of the wood fibers and the rupture of the strength bonds between them. As a result, the products wear out faster and lose their presentation.

Plastic

Plastic products cannot be washed in the dishwasher because of the risk that they will float and deform under the influence of high temperatures. It is possible to load into the machine only dishes made of heat-resistant plastic, marked with the appropriate stamp of admission.

One of the icons that gives the go-ahead for washing plastic dishes in the dishwasher.

Porcelain

Porcelain sets do not tolerate hot water and the drying procedure. Under their influence, porcelain surfaces are covered with a fine web of cracks. However, the porcelain will survive a low-temperature regime with a short cycle duration.

Metal products

Loading utensils made of silver, brass, tin, bronze, aluminium and cast iron into the dishwasher is contraindicated. The first four will simply lose their original shine under the influence of detergents. Aluminium cookware acquires a dark grey coating after the washing procedure. And cast—iron — loses its marketable appearance after a couple of washings.

Items decorated with paintings

Art painting always looks spectacular on cups or plates. However, it is easily washed off in the dishwasher. Therefore, it is better to load painted dishes into a typewriter.

Dishwashers with a tray for appliances

What detergents should I use?

Detergents for dishwashers are of the following types:

  • powder — dissolves quickly, is used sparingly; when "refueling" the machine, there is a risk that the powder will get into the respiratory tract, so care must be taken in handling it;
  • tablets — cleaning products "3-in-1" containing powder, salt and rinse aid in one bottle; convenient to use, however, with short cycles they do not always have time to completely dissolve; there are also tablets "5-in-1", "7-in-1", etc., which include there are additional components to improve the quality of washing;
  • gels are semi—liquid detergents; they foam well, dissolve quickly.

Regenerating salts will be used to soften hard water in dishwashers. They are filled every few weeks in a special container located at the bottom of the chamber. The salt consumption depends on the specific degree of water hardness and in some models it can be installed. Then the technique will take exactly as much regenerating salt as it needs.

Regenerating salt is poured into a special hole at the bottom of the dishwasher hopper.

Rinsing agents are used at the final stage of the dish washing procedure. Thanks to them, there will be no muddy traces of dried water drops and stains on the washed dishes.

Choosing the appropriate mode

Different products have their own optimal mode of washing dishes. In advanced models of dishwashers, the number of programs reaches ten, in the "average ward" there are 5-6 pcs. Let's briefly run through the most "running" modes:

  • Daily (standard) programme. Designed for washing dishes of medium contamination at a temperature of about 50 to 65 °C.
  • Intensive programme. Helps to wash dirty dishes with persistent dirt. It is produced at temperatures up to 70 °C.
  • Economical programme (ECO). Provides the most efficient use of water and electricity. High efficiency of washing dishes is achieved by increasing the cycle time with less water heating (up to 50 °C).
  • A delicate programme. It is used for products made of fragile materials. It is produced in low-temperature mode (30-40 °C).
  • Automatic programme. The dishwasher adjusts itself to the loading level and the degree of contamination of the dishes.
  • Fast programme. It is used for slightly soiled dishes, characterized by a reduced interval of a full washing cycle.
The correct choice of the programme is the key to sparkling cleanliness of dishes.

Special respect deserves the soaking mode on board some dishwashers, which is useful for softening the leftovers that have dried to the dishes. And in roomy cars, the half-load function is often found. In this mode, the consumption of water, detergents and electricity is reduced, focus on the reduced number of loaded dishes.

Useful advice. Take the dishes out of the machine some time after the complete end of the cycle. It will have time to cool down after the drying procedure, besides, hot dishes made of glass and porcelain are sensitive to shocks and may be damaged during unloading.

Dishwashers with a delicate washing programme

Common Error Codes

The system of codification of errors in dishwashers indicates possible problems in the operation of equipment and on the way to solve them. In typewriters with a display, error codes are displayed directly on the screen, without it — they are shown in the form of combinations of flashing indicators on the control panel.

Common mistakes in Bosch and Siemens dishwashers:

  • E1, F1— there is no water heating; it is necessary to check the heating element, thermostat, water flow sensor or control module.
  • E2, F2 — indicates problems with water heating due to a faulty temperature sensor.
  • E3, F3 — the tank is not filled with water; the error occurs when the water supply tap is turned off, the input valve is broken, or simply the user did not close the dishwasher door tightly.
  • E4, F4 — a problem with the flow sensor; occurs when the circuit in the flow switch is broken, clogged, or when the dishes in the chamber block the rotation of the sprinkler.
  • E5, F5 — there is too much water in the dishwasher; usually the cause of the breakdown lies in a blockage or malfunction of the water supply path.
  • E6, F6 — problems with the aquasensor that monitors water quality.
  • E7, F7 — water does not drain due to problems with the drain hole.
  • E8, F8, E08 — lack of water in the pan.
  • E9, F9, E09 — a break in the heating element circuit has been detected.
  • E13, F13 — too hot water enters the machine (temperature over 75 °C).
  • E17, F17 — too much water pressure or overflow.
  • E20, F20 — failure of the circulation pump.
  • E23, F23 — drain pump malfunction.
  • E27, F27 — low voltage in the power supply circuit.

Malfunctions in dishwashersHotpoint-Ariston:

  • F01 (LED1:ON | LED2:OFF | LED3:OFF | LED4:OFF) — the "Aquastop" system has worked.
  • F02 (LED1:OFF | LED2:ON | LED3:OFF | LED4:OFF) — intake valve malfunction.
  • F03 (LED1:ON | LED2:ON | LED3:OFF | LED4:OFF) — water does not drain.
  • F04 (LED1:OFF | LED2:OFF | LED3:ON | LED4:OFF) — temperature sensor malfunction.
  • F06 (LED1:OFF| LED2:ON | LED3:ON | LED4:OFF)— water intake is not performed.
  • F07 (LED1:ON | LED2:ON | LED3:ON | LED4:OFF) — breakdown of the washing pump.
  • F08 (LED1:OFF| LED2:OFF | LED3:OFF | LED4:ON ) — no water heating.
  • F09 (LED1:ON | LED2:OFF | LED3:OFF | LED4:ON) — control board failure.
  • F10 (LED1:OFF | LED2:ON | LED3:OFF | LED4:ON) — problems with the heating element.
  • F11 (LED1:ON | LED2:ON | LED3:OFF | LED4:ON) — malfunction of the drain pump.
  • F15 (LED1:ON | LED2:ON | LED3:ON | LED4:ON) — breakdown of the water level sensor.

Problems with dishwashersIndesit:

  • AL01, F01, ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲, ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ ✲ ✲ — a leak of water from the tank or its overflow has been detected.
  • AL02, F02, ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲, ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ ✲ — lack of water supply due to a non-functioning filling valve.
  • AL03, F03, ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲, ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ ✲ — the water does not drain in the prescribed time.
  • AL04, F04, ✲ ✲ ☀ ✲, ✲ ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ — a break in the temperature sensor circuit.
  • AL05, F05, ☀ ✲ ☀ ✲, ☀ ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ — no information is received from the pressure switch.
  • AL06, F06, ✲ ☀ ☀ ✲, ✲ ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ — water does not fill the tank in the allotted time.
  • AL07, F07, ☀ ☀ ☀ ✲, ☀ ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲ ✲ — breakdown of the water-measuring turbine.
  • AL08, F08, ✲ ✲ ✲ ☀, ✲ ✲ ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ — the water does not heat up in the prescribed time.
  • AL09, F09, ☀ ✲ ✲ ☀, ☀ ✲ ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ — an error in the software.
  • AL10, F10, ✲ ☀ ✲ ☀, ✲ ☀ ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ — a break in the TENg chain.
  • AL11, F11, ☀ ☀ ✲ ☀, ☀ ☀ ✲ ☀ ✲ ✲ — problems with the circulation pump.
  • AL12, F12, ✲ ✲ ☀ ☀, ✲ ✲ ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲ — error during data exchange between the control module and the information display board.
  • AL13, F13, ☀ ✲ ☀ ☀, ☀ ✲ ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲ — malfunction of the control module.
  • AL15, F15, ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀, ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ✲ ✲ — error in virtual sensor data.

Error codes in Electrolux, Zanussi, AEG dishwashers:

  • I 10, one flashing of the END LED — there is no water supply.
  • I 20, two flashing of the END LED indicates a malfunction of the drain pump.
  • I 30, three flashing LEDs END — problems in the AQUA-control system.
  • I 50, five blinks of the END LED — problems with the circulation pump.
  • I 60, six blinks of the END LED — no water heating is performed.
  • I 70, seven blinks of the END LED — a breakdown of the NTC sensor.
  • I 80, eight blinks of the END LED — communication error with the external EEPROM.
  • I 90, nine blinks of the END LED — MCF/CCF checksum.
  • I A0, ten blinks of the END LED — the sprinkler is blocked.
  • I B0, eleven blinks of the END LED — there is no signal from the transparency sensor.
  • I C0, twelve blinks of the END LED — loss of communication with the user interface.
  • I D0, thirteen blinks of the END LED — no signal is received from the tachogenerator.
  • I F0, fourteen blinks of the END LED — the time limit has been exceeded when filling the hopper with water.


Reliable and trouble-free operation of your dishwasher!