How To Properly Install a Dishwasher?

Installing a dishwasher yourself may seem like a straightforward process to complete, but people often run into the issue of not draining dishwasher and sometimes even leaking. The improperly installed dishwasher may cause those problems. Don’t worry, don’t get scared. You just have to follow those basic guidelines to make sure that your dishwasher will be installed appropriately.

Preparing for installation

Make sure the area where the dishwasher will be going is clear. If there is an old dishwasher, remove it with all hoses that it comes with. At this point, you should have 1 or 2 openings in your cabinet for the water supply hose and the drain hose. Usually, those holes will be in a sidewall on the side where your sink is located. You need to make sure that you have a power source such as a plug-in on the wall or a wire that splits into black, white, and green (line, neutral, and ground).

Connecting power

Before you put the dishwasher into the opening, lay it flat on its side, it’s best to lay something under the dishwasher like a towel or blanket so you don’t scratch your floors by accident. Once the dishwasher is on its side, you will be able to access the water supply connection as well as the electrical box. Make sure that your power supply line is not live before working with it. If you are confused, you may need the dishwasher’s manual.

Connecting water supply

Most dishwashers will not come with an installation kit, so you will need to purchase it yourself. You can get a whole kit for 20 -60$ in any hardware store, just ask for a dishwasher installation kit. Connect the water supply connector to an intake valve of the dishwasher, tight it hard with a wrench but do not apply tremendous pressure, or you might crack the plastic valve. Once the connector is on, connect it to the water supply hose and fit water and drain hoses through the opening of the cabinet.

Connecting everything else

Once hoses are fed through, you may lift the unit and push it into its opening, but before doing that, make sure that the unit’s height is almost the same as the opening of the cabinet. It’s best to measure the height of the opening with a measuring tape and extend the legs of the dishwasher identically to the height of the opening. Leave a couple of centimeters, so the dishwasher can fit easily into the space. Once the unit is in, you may connect the water supply hose and drain hose to its connectors.

Making sure everything is correct

Once the unit is connected, you may adjust the dishwasher level using a level tool to identify the perfect level of the unit. Just apply level to the front door of the dishwasher vertically and horizontally and make sure the unit sits as straight as possible. If you fail to do so, the dishwasher might leak. After the unit is leveled, you may secure it with screws/brackets provided with the dishwasher documentations.

Last but not least, make sure to attach the drain hose above sink level. Any hose part has to go like a rollercoaster up (above sink level) and down to the drainpipe connection. This will ensure that your drain system creates pressure and will ensure that your unit drains and does the job well and doesn’t cause any drain clogs in the future. An easy tip is to use zip ties to secure your drain hose to another pipe available underneath your sink.

Author: Jacob Dillard