Salt refill light (two arrows in an S)
The dishwasher salt container is (nearly) empty. The salt regenerates the built-in water softener, which stops limescale forming on the dishes and inside the machine.
What to do when it lights up
Refill the salt container in the base of the tub (under the lower basket) with coarse dishwasher salt — never table salt — and then run a programme straight away so any spilled salt water is rinsed out before it can corrode the tub. Bosch says to add the salt just before a programme starts; AEG says to add 1 litre of water only the very first time. Hotpoint distinguishes the two states: lit means almost empty, blinking means empty. Miele notes the message can stay on for a while after refilling until the salt solution is strong enough.
What it does not mean
It does not mean the detergent is empty: the salt only feeds the water softener, and your tablet or powder goes in the separate detergent dispenser in the door. And a salt light that never comes on is not always a fault: Beko says that with the water hardness set to level r1 it stays off even with an empty container.
Makes differ, check your dishwasher’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly what a light means and which programmes an option works with.
- What it looks like
- Two arrows joined into an S, one pointing each way — on AEG and Bosch panels it sits beside the starburst for rinse aid. Miele writes “Add salt” on the display instead.
- Names makers use
- Special salt refill indicator (Bosch); Salt indicator (AEG, Beko); SALT REFILL indicator light (Hotpoint, Whirlpool); Salt warning light (Smeg); Add salt (Miele display message)
Where makers differ
Bosch lets you switch the salt light off when you use combined tablets with a salt substitute, but only up to a water hardness of 26 °E; AEG says multi-tabs containing salt are not effective enough to soften hard water. Miele switches the message off by itself when the hardness is set below 0.9 mmol/l (5 °dH). Hotpoint adds a separate DESCALE light when limescale has already built up.
Often confused with
The rinse aid dispenser in the door is (nearly) empty. Rinse aid is released in the final hot rinse so water runs off the dishes and they dry without spots or streaks.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines dishwasher panel icons, so this meaning is taken from the manuals of 5 different maker groups (Bosch, Hotpoint, AEG, Beko, Miele), each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Bosch: Bosch — User manual, dishwasher SMV4HVX32E (PDF) — Control panel item 3 “Special salt refill indicator”; “If the special salt refill indicator lights up, add special salt to the dispenser for special salt just before the programme starts.” The indicator can be switched off with combined detergents up to 26 °E. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Hotpoint: Hotpoint — Dishwasher Daily Reference Guide, 15 place settings with 3D Zone Wash and ActiveDry (PDF, 05/2023) — Control panel item 5 “Salt reservoir empty indicator light”; troubleshooting: salt indicator lit = “Salt reservoir is almost empty”, blinking = “Salt reservoir is empty … Using the appliance without salt may cause damage.” Checked 2026-09-26.
- AEG: AEG — User manual, dishwasher FSK52917Z (PDF, Electrolux media library) — Indicator table: “Salt indicator. It is on when the salt container needs refilling.” Fill with 1 kg of rough dishwasher salt; put 1 litre of water in only the first time. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Beko: Beko — Dishwasher instruction manual, GB booklet with child lock, half load and combi tablet (PDF) — “You need to refill … whenever the salt warning indicator light lights. If the water hardness level is stored as (r1), salt indicator will never come on even if the salt container is empty.” Checked 2026-09-26.
- Miele: Miele — Operating instructions, dishwashers with touch display, M.-Nr. 11 831 681 (PDF) — “Add salt” message; after filling “the salt refill indicator may still appear … if the salt concentration has not yet reached the correct level”; it is switched off for water hardness below 0.9 mmol/l (5 °dH). Checked 2026-09-26.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.