Installing a Dishwasher? Common Mistakes

A lot of homeowners love the thought of doing projects by themselves without hiring a professional. DIY excitement can sometimes get the best of us. When it comes to installing appliances in your home, such as a dishwasher, there are many mistakes that can be made. You must follow the directions EXACTLY to ensure the new appliance will run properly. It may seem fairly easy to install a dishwasher yourself, but with little or no experience, you might have a costly disaster on your hands. A badly installed unit can lead to flooding, water pooling or a breakout of bacteria and mold. We at Arch Plumbing always encourage people to hire a plumbing professional to do these types of installations.

A dishwasher is a nice convent appliance to have. Instead of spending hours soaking and washing dishes, you can install a dishwasher to do it for you. But installing a dishwasher is no easy task, especially if you’ve never done it before. You can expect to run into some problems and make some mistakes along the way. This can lead to severe plumbing issues down the road if you are not careful. Here are some of the most common mistakes when installing a dishwasher yourself:

Measuring

Some homeowners do not take the time to measure the area that the dishwasher is going into carefully. Buying the wrong size dishwasher means that, not only is it too late, but you will have to return the unit and replace it with the correct size.  This mistake leads to greater stress, a longer time frame and more dishes for your hands to wash!

You must also make sure the drain lines are measured correctly so that the dishwasher will function properly. The wrong size supply and discharge can lead to dirty dishes, so make sure you get this right as well.

Drain Tubing

If you run the drain tubing or supply line incorrectly, you run the risk of having your sink drain back-up. If you’ve ever had to call a plumbing professional for that, you know how gross it is. This happens when the drain hose in the dishwasher isn’t properly connected to an air gap device. Or, if the dishwasher does not have an air gap device, the hose might not be able to bend high enough to reach above the water level in the sink.

Screws

When installing a dishwasher, you want to make sure you use the right size screws. Typically, there are two screws that secure the metal tabs to the underside of your countertop. These screws are the only thing holding your unit in place. Be sure to avoid using screws that are too long and install them slowly and carefully when driving them.

Installing a dishwasher improperly can lead to serious plumbing problems. It is vital that you read the instructions carefully and follow instructions. If you are not fully prepared to install it yourself, give Arch Pluming a call. We are here to help!

Arch Plumbing is located in St.Charles, Missouri and has been in the service business since 2008 providing quality plumbing services.