Synopsis: Installing a new dishwasher should be easy. But factors ranging from improperly sized openings to inaccessible electrical or plumbing hook-ups can make this a frustrating and time-consuming problem. The author explains the process A to Z.
Installing a dishwasher is a snap. Well, it can be if you’ve got the right tools, the cabinet space is big enough, the supply and waste lines are readily accessible, and you do things in the right order. While this article focuses on how I install a new dishwasher in a new kitchen, there are a couple of conditions that can bedevil the person faced with taking out an old one. Let’s look at these first.
Extracting a defunct dishwasher
Before removing any dishwasher, be sure to turn off the water and power prior to disconnecting the water supply and electrical hookups under the machine. In addition, the machine will probably be screwed to the underside of the counter, and perhaps the floor, through metal flanges attached to its chassis.
Some dishwasher installations go back 30 years, and there are still quite a few surviving appliances of this vintage. Two major obstacles commonly prevent their removal. The first obstacle can be a new floor. If somebody put down a layer of underlayment in front of the dishwasher, it’s trapped, and either the floor goes or the countertop goes.
The second obstacle is a water supply that emerges from the floor under the dishwasher. The pipe stub prevents the machine from being slid out from beneath the counter. You can tell if yours falls into this category by looking under the kitchen sink. If there is not a rigid copper pipe running from the dishwasher to the hot-water supply for the sink faucet, you’ve probably got a pipe stub under the dishwasher. To make absolutely certain, remove the panel at the bottom front of the appliance. Use a nut driver or a 4-in. crescent wrench for hexhead screws; for the nearly inaccessible Phillips head screws you’ll need an offset screwdriver. Panel off, use a flashlight to spot the supply stub. If you’ve got one, you’ll have to sever it with a reciprocating saw or a mini hack saw. If the water heater is above the level of the dishwasher, drain it first.
Dishwasher removed, use an Ace EX-7 pipe nipple back-out (available at Ace Hardware Stores) to take out the remainder of the pipe stub, and cap the line with a plug. To prevent leaks, wrap the plug’s threads with Teflon tape. As you look at its threaded end, wrap it clockwise with four layers of tape. Now cram the square end of the plug (along with some well-chewed bubble gum) into a 12-point 11/16-in. ratchet wrench socket. The gum will keep the plug from falling out as you feel around for the old fitting.
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