How To Install A Dishwasher

Installing A Dishwasher Yourself

Just like other home appliances, a dishwasher helps to make chores less time-consuming and free of hassle. Most modern kitchens have a dishwasher or a cabinet space for dishwasher installation built into them. An older kitchen with no dishwasher or cabinet space for one might require a little reconstruction to accommodate dishwasher installation.

Installing a dishwasher requires basic knowledge of plumbing and electrical wiring. This article contains the steps involved in dishwasher installation, dishwasher installation tips, things to consider when installing a dishwasher in a kitchen that previously had no dishwasher in it, and tips for maintaining a dishwasher.

Step One: Gather the Necessary Supplies

Gather all the required items and keep them near the installation site for easy reach. The materials and tools you will require include the following:

• A screwdriver


 
• • A hose clamp


 
• • Duct tape (optional)


 
• • A brass fitting


 
• • Teflon tape


 
• • A pair of pliers


 
• • An adjustable wrench


 
• • A drill


 
• • Braided steel water line


 
• • A pair of rubber hand gloves (optional)


 
• • Wire nuts


 

Take Safety Measures

First, turn off the power socket and unplug the power cord if it is a plug-in dishwasher. Then, proceed to turn off the circuit breaker. Next, turn off the hot water shut-off valve under the kitchen sink and run the tap to ensure the water supply is shut off. Protect your kitchen floor close to the installation area with an old rug or a piece of drop cloth.

Remove the Old Dishwasher

This step only applies if your kitchen has an old dishwasher that you want to replace. Remove the cabinet door to gain complete access to the old dishwasher. Next, remove the cover of the access panel located at the bottom front side of the dishwasher. Locate the junction box inside the access panel.

Now, unscrew the terminal screws holding the wires in place at the junction box. Then, remove and tuck the wires out of the way with duct tape. Locate the dishwasher water inlet tube, undo the brass fitting and disconnect the water supply pipe from it. Put the disconnected end of the water supply line pipe into a bucket or bowl to collect any water remaining in it.

Reach down beneath the sink to undo the drain hose. Loosen, then clamp and disconnect the drain hose of the dishwasher from the tailpiece of the sink. Next, put the disconnected end of the drain hose into a bucket to collect the water and debris.

With all the connections out of place, remove the screws holding the dishwasher in place with a screwdriver, gently pull the dishwasher out from the cabinet and set it aside. You can use a piece of cloth or towel to clean up the mess made or any water spillage on the floor. Also, clean the cabinet where the old dishwasher was before installing a new one.

Skip this step if you are having a dishwasher installed for the first time in your kitchen.

Install the New Dishwasher

Carry your new dishwasher unit close to the area of installation. Unpack it and go through the user manual. Lay the dishwasher on its back so the bottom is exposed and accessible.

Connect the Water Supply

Wrap Teflon tape on the tip of the water inlet pipe located at the bottom of the dishwasher. Screw on the 90 degrees brass fitting to the taped inlet pipe and tighten it with an adjustable wrench. Most dishwasher units do not include a brass fitting, but they are available at hardware stores.

Once you have the fitting, connect the new water supply line to the elbow of the brass fitting. Pass the other end of the waterline through one of the cabinet holes and place it on the floor beneath the kitchen sink.

Attach the Drain Line

Locate the dishwasher drain standout pipe, connect the drain line to the dishwasher, and secure the connection with a hose clamp. Pass the other end of the drain line through the cabinet hole and place it towards the sink drain tailpiece.

Slide the Dishwasher into Place

Attach the adjustable legs to the front of the dishwasher. Carefully slide the dishwasher under the countertop into the cabinet. Stop halfway and ensure everything is in a good position before sliding it in completely. Finish hooking up the water line by connecting the other end to the dual shut-off valve located under the kitchen sink.

Proceed to connect the drain hose through an air gap to your garbage disposer, if you have any, or to the drain tailpiece of your sink. If you do not have an air gap, make a high loop with the drain hose before connecting it to the garbage disposal or the sink drain tailpiece.

Hook-up the Electrical Wires

Remove the cover of the access panel and unscrew the cover plate of the junction box. Connect the wire from the circuit breaker to the wire at the junction box. Next, connect the white wire to the white wire at the junction box, the black to the black, and the green wire to the ground wire.

Use wire nuts to secure the connection tightly in the junction box. Screw back the cover plate of the junction box and close the access panel. Skip this step if your new dishwasher has a power cord wired to it at the manufacturing factory.

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How to Install a Dishwasher: A Step-by-Step Guide

Pick the right dishwasher

Since a dishwasher is an investment, you'll want to make sure you're putting your money into something that will give you sparkling-clean dishes for years to come.

• Noise level


 
• Cycle options, like express cleaning or rinse-only


 
• Efficiency (fortunately, virtually any dishwasher will save water over hand washing)


 
• Finish


 

Don't rush this decision. Do your homework and pick the dishwasher that's right for you.

Get your old dishwasher out (if applicable)

Safety (and mess-avoidance) first: Turn off electricity to the dishwasher at your circuit breaker and turn off the water supply using the valve under the sink.

At the bottom of your dishwasher, you should see a front access panel. Take this off using a screwdriver.

Disconnect the wiring connections and the water supply. The latter will probably have water in it, so have a bowl and some rags handy. Disconnect the drain hose, too.

Now, detach the dishwasher from any anchor points. These are usually located on the underside of your counter and the adjacent cabinets.

Finally, reach under the bottom of the dishwasher. It has four leveling legs that keep it flush with the top of the counter. Using pliers, adjust those to lower the dishwasher so you'll be able to pull it out.

Before you give it a tug, put some cardboard (the box from your new dishwasher will work) or an old blanket down so you don't scratch up your floor.

Hook up water, power and the drain hose

If you didn't have an old dishwasher to remove and skipped that step, now's the time to turn off the electricity (at your circuit breaker) and water (at the valve under your kitchen sink). You might also need to drill holes in the cabinet between where the dishwasher will go and the area under your sink. This will let you run the power cord, water supply and drain hose through.

Position your dishwasher near the gap where it will be installed and take off the front access panel. Depending on where the connections are, you may want to carefully lay it on its back for easier access.

Electrical

Identify the wire connection housing. It likely has a cover you'll need to remove. Your dishwasher comes with a power cord -- thread the end you don't plug into an outlet into there. Connect the wires to the respective wires of the same color (e.g., green to green, white to white, black to black). Replace the wire housing cover. Thread the cord under your sink and plug it in.

Water supply

Your dishwasher probably came with a small, 90-degree fitting that connects to the back of the unit, letting the water supply line extend parallel to the back of the dishwasher. Attach that first. Then, connect the water supply line that your dishwasher came with from the valve under your sink, through the hole in your cabinet, to that piece on the back of your dishwasher.

Read the manufacturer's instructions. Many dishwasher water supply connections are compression fittings, but you might need joint compound to get a leak-free fit. Add joint compound, if needed, and tighten the water supply line to the dishwasher and to the water connection under your sink by hand. Then, grab a wrench and give them a quarter-turn for a tight fit. Don't over-tighten or you could strip the threads.

Get the dishwasher in place

Now, if you put the dishwasher on its back, carefully tip it so it's right side up. Slowly and carefully push it into the space under your counter.

You may want to have a second person pull the power cord, water supply and drain hose through the hole in your cabinet as you do this to ensure any slack doesn't get caught under the dishwasher. You can feed any excess back behind the dishwasher once it's in place.

Test it out

Before you do all the fiddly work of getting your dishwasher perfectly positioned and anchored, run a full cycle. Don't forget to turn the water and power back on first.

If the dishwasher turns on, great -- you at least got the electrical connections right. If it doesn't, you may want to call a local electrician to come help you out.

As it runs (and afterward), check for leaks. Tighten any connections as needed, working in small increments to avoid over-tightening.

Level and anchor it

Once you're sure the dishwasher is working like it's supposed to, grab some pliers. Use those to adjust the legs under the dishwasher so that it's flush with your countertop. Grab your level to confirm it's flat or you could run into problems with drainage.

Finally, grab the brackets it came with and use those to anchor the dishwasher to the underside of your cabinet and the adjacent cabinets.

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