Water hardness
In order to achieve good dishwashing results, the dishwasher needs soft water (water with low mineral
content). Hard water leaves a white coating on dishes and the dishwasher.
Checking water hardness
Water hardness is specified using German degrees of water hardness (°dH), French degrees of
water hardness (°fH), English degrees of water hardness (°eH) or millimoles per litre (mmol/l).
A water supply with a water hardness in excess of 5°dH (9°fH / 6°eH / 0.9 mmol/l) must be softened.
This is done automatically with the aid of the built-in water softener. In order for the water softener
to function properly, its settings must be adjusted to the hardness of the water supply. Once you
have adjusted the water softener settings, add detergent and rinse aid in doses suitable for soft
water.
Contact the local waterworks to check the water hardness in your area.
Make a note of the water hardness:____________
Recommended setting
mmol/l
°eH
°fH
°dH
0
0.0-0.9
0-6
0-9
0-5
1
1.0-1.4
7-10
10-14
6-8
2
1.5-2.0
11-14
15-20
9-11
3
2.1-2.5
15-18
21-25
12-14
4
2.6-3.4
19-24
26-34
15-19
5
3.5-4.3
25-30
35-43
20-24
6
4.4-5.2
31-36
44-52
25-29
7
5.3-7.0
37-49
53-70
30-39
8
7.1-8.8
50-61
71-88
40-49
9
8.9
62
89
50
If the water hardness exceeds 50°dH (89°fH / 62°eH / 8.9 mmol/l), we recommend connecting an
external water softener.
Increased consumption during regeneration
The dishwasher's built-in water softener is regularly regenerated to maintain its function. Regeneration
extends the dishwashing program and increases energy and water consumption. Just how often
the dishwasher's water softener is regenerated depends on the selected setting.
Example: If the Eco program is run with a water hardness of 14°dH (25°fH / 18°eH / 2.5 mmol/l), the
water softener is regenerated at regular intervals (after 7 dishwashing cycles), energy consumption
increases by 0.015 kWh, and water consumption increases by 2.3 litres, while the program time is
extended by 3 minutes. Regeneration takes place during the program’s main wash.
7
Before washing for the first time
