Dishwasher Installation – How to Do it Yourself

A new dishwasher can add both value and convenience to your home. Getting the installation right, however, can be tricky and should always be done by a professional if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. The process of installing a dishwasher involves draining and removing your old appliance (if applicable), connecting water and electric lines, leveling the dishwasher and running tests to ensure that everything is working properly. The entire process could take at least two hours to complete, so you should make sure that you have enough time before starting your project.

Before you begin your Dishwasher installation, it is important to consult the dishwasher manual that comes with your new unit to ensure that all connections are made correctly. Once you are familiar with the process, it will be much easier to install your new dishwasher. You should also make sure that the power and water for your sink are turned off so that you do not get any water or sewage in your house while you are working on this project.

Once you have located the access panel on your dishwasher, lay it down on its back and remove it to gain better access to the electrical and plumbing connections inside. If you are replacing an existing dishwasher, be sure to save any wood runners from the box that your new appliance came in so that they can be used as shims to adjust the height of the unit once it is installed.

You will then need to turn off the power at your circuit breaker and the water at the valve underneath your sink. If you are not replacing an old dishwasher, then you will need to drill holes into your cabinet to run the drain hose and electrical cord through. You should also be sure to loop the drain hose up in a high position so that it does not catch on anything and cause a clog.

To get started with the electrical connections, locate the junction box on the dishwasher and remove the cover to expose three exposed wires. Connect the green ground wire from the dishwasher cord to the green wire on the junction box, the white neutral wire to the white dishwasher lead and the black hot wire to the black dishwasher lead using twist-on wire connectors (wire nuts). Once all of these connections are made, replace the junction box cover and tighten the screw holding it in place.

Next, attach the 90 degree elbow fitting to the dishwasher water line or valve and tighten by hand, then use pliers to tighten it further. Then, connect the drain hose to the dishwasher and route it to either your sink tail pipe or garbage disposal unit. Once all of the connections are in place, you should turn on your dishwasher and run a test to be sure that all of the connections are secured and sealed correctly. If your dishwasher does not run properly after running a test, then you should turn off the power at your circuit breaker once again and call in a plumber to look at the problem for you.

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