How to Install Your Dishwasher

When we moved, we had a lot of work done on the new house - remodeling virtually every room.  We bought all new appliances when we did the kitchen, but we have been very disappointed with our Frigidaire dishwasher.  Although it was supposed to be a quality unit, it didn't work as well as we expected - certainly not as well as the one in our old house.  In addition, it was awkward to load, and the shelf adjustment wasn't handy.  After fighting it for almost 6 months, we decided to cut our losses and get a new one.

The folks at Lowes were very helpful, giving Theresa a good deal on a high-end dishwasher - almost half price.  They delivered it while I was out of town for a couple of days, so I was ready to install it a week ago.

The easiest installation is like mine - when you're replacing an existing dishwasher, you've already got water, a drain line, and power available.  If you didn't have a dishwasher before, you'll need to do some prep work first:

• Determine your desired location.  Most of the time, you'll want to be close to the sink - that makes it easy to hook up your water and sewer lines, as well as making it handy to load dishes.  Often, you'll be able to remove a base cabinet to make room, or you may be able to install the dishwasher at the end of a row of cabinets.  If you don't have room to install a built-in dishwasher, you may want to consider a portable unit, so you can just wheel it in place when you want to use it.  If possible, install the built-in model - you'll like the performance and ease of use.
• Locate the nearest water and sewer lines available, and get connections set up.  In most cases, you can "T" off of your existing water supply line - making sure to add a shut off for the dishwasher.  You drain line will usually go into your disposal, if you have one (don't forget to knock the plug out of the inlet), or into a special inlet on the drain tail piece.  If your dishwasher is going to be more than 6 feet from your drain line, you may need to consult a plumber for installation.

If you don't have a disposal, you'll need this special tail piece with a side inlet - available at any hardware store.

 

• You'll need electrical power to the dishwasher, as well.  You should plan on having a circuit just for the dishwasher - if you don't have one, you'll need to add it (many homes have the dishwasher on a shared circuit, either with kitchen lights or the disposal, and it may work OK, but it's better to do it right and add the circuit).  If you're not comfortable with electrical work, hire an electrician to do it.  If you're pretty handy, a you should be able to handle it.

If, like me, you're just replacing an old dishwasher, you'll already have almost everything you need.  Plan on using a new water supply line (you'll also need a new drain hose, but that probably comes with the dishwasher).  Your power cord, water supply line, and drain hose should be long enough to reach the connections, and have a little slack so you can hook them up before installing the unit.  For most installations, you're ready to go:

• Turn off the power and water to the old dishwasher, and unhook them.  Unhook the drain hose underneath the sink, as well.
• Locate the screws holding the dishwasher into the cabinet (probably in the front of the unit, going into the counter top), and remove them.  Slide the dishwasher out of the way.
• Measure the opening height, and adjust the legs on the bottom of the new dishwasher so that it fits the opening.  You'll be able to adjust a little later, if necessary, but it's a lot easier to get it close now.  If your floor is very uneven, you'll need to fix that before proceeding - a small amount can be corrected with the feet on the bottom of the unit.
• Check your connections to the new dishwasher to make sure you've got everything you need. 
•  Hook up the water supply line, drain line, and electrical power (making absolutely certain that the power is still shut off at the breaker) to the dishwasher.
• Slide the unit partially into place, making sure to route the water and electrical lines as needed. 
• Hook up the water, drain, and electrical connections at the source, if you haven't already done so.
• Finish sliding the dishwasher in place.  Check to make sure it's level and raised up so it fits just under the counter top - adjust the feet on the bottom of the unit as needed.
• Secure the dishwasher to the counter top or cabinets using the included brackets and screws.   Make sure the screws are not too long, or they'll protrude through the counter top!
•  Turn on the water and electrical power, run a cycle, and check for leaks.

So far, our new dishwasher is working fine - it's a big improvement from the old one.  Installing it was pretty easy - the whole thing took about the same amount of time it took me to write this blog post (I'm pretty slow with both working and writing).  Your new dishwasher will come with installation instructions - read them and, if they differ from this post, follow the instructions that came with your machine.  This is an easy do-it-yourself project, well worth tackling yourself.