How To Troubleshoot A Rinse Low Light That Is Flashing On A Frigidaire Dishwasher

Of all the warning lights that can flash on a dishwasher, the Rinse Low light is the easiest to troubleshoot, and it doesn't matter whether the manufacturer is Frigidaire, Samsung, GE or any other. You can make it go off by adding rinse aid to the reservoir inside the cleaning compartment or in the door. You can still use the dishwasher when the rinsing agent is low and the light is flashing, but the dishes may not come out as sparkling clean as they do when the rinsing agent reservoir is full.

A rinsing agent promotes faster drying, which helps reduce bacterial and fungal contamination. The environment inside a dishwasher is hot and humid, which is perfect for microorganisms. If the dishes stay wet after the rinse cycle has completed, they may not be as clean as they look when you remove them.

A rinsing agent causes water to fall off the dishes in sheets rather than droplets, and this has the added benefit of reducing water spots, which can be a particularly difficult problem if you have hard water. When water droplets remain on the dishes, calcium and other minerals have time to bond to their surfaces and discolor them. By reducing the surface tension of the water, a rinsing agent makes these droplets evaporate faster so the minerals don't have a chance to settle.

You can see for yourself how a rinsing agent works by filling your sink with warm water and dipping in a glass and noting how the water beads up on the side of the glass when you remove it from the water. Those beads of water take a long time to evaporate, primarily owing to surface tension, which keeps water molecules bound to the droplet.

Now, pour an ounce of rinsing agent in the water and dip another glass. You'll see the water dripping off of it in sheets rather than forming droplets. Put it next to the first glass and note how much more quickly the water evaporates and how much faster, in comparison, it dries.

When the Rinse Low light on your Frigidaire dishwasher illuminates, or your Samsung dishwasher says low rinse, all you have to do is add rinsing agent to the reservoir. The rinse reservoir is typically right next to the detergent dispenser, and in a Frigidaire dishwasher, they're both usually below the washing compartment just inside the door.

To add rinsing agent, rotate the dispenser cap one-quarter turn to the left to remove it, and pour in the rinsing agent until the level touches the fill line. The dispenser automatically adds the agent to the rinse cycle, and it holds enough for up to 140 washes, so you shouldn't have to worry about refilling it for a while. The procedure for other dishwasher brands, such as Samsung and GE, is similar, although the dispenser may be in a different location.

Most dishwashers accept only liquid rinse aid products, such as Cascade platinum rinse aid or Ecover natural rinse aid. You should check your owner's manual because not all dishwashers have a rinse agent dispenser, and for these, you can use a detergent that includes rinse aid, such as Samsung dishwasher tablets.