Project details
Skill
1 out of 5EasyOnly basic plumbing skills required
Cost
About $450 and up
Estimated Time
2 to 3 hours
In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey hooks up a new dishwasher.
Steps for Installing a New Dishwasher
- Shut off the water to the kitchen sink.
- Use a wrench to remove the existing shut-off valve on the hot-water supply line under the sink.
- Install a new three-way shut-off valve onto the existing hot-water supply line.
- Reconnect the hot-water supply line to the new shut-off valve.
- Connect a stainless steel braided water-supply hose to the shut-off valve.
- Remove the existing tailpiece attached to the sink’s basket strainer and replace it with a dishwasher tailpiece. Tighten the threaded connections with pliers.
- Tip over the dishwasher and lay it on its back on top of a canvas tarp.
- Wrap Teflon tape around the male threads of a brass adapter elbow.
- Thread the elbow into the water-inlet port on the front of the dishwasher. Carefully tighten the elbow with an adjustable wrench.
- Make the electrical connection to the dishwasher with a polarized appliance plug. Secure the wires with twist-on wire connectors.
- Extend the stainless steel braided water-supply hose from the sink cabinet out to the dishwasher. Tape the hose down to the floor with electrical tape. 12. Carefully slide the dishwasher into place.
- Connect the water-supply line to the dishwasher.
- Use a drill/driver to screw the dishwasher’s mounting tabs to the underside of the countertop.
- Adjust the leveling legs with a wrench until the dishwasher is perfectly level. Replace the dishwasher’s front panel.
- From inside the sink cabinet, connect the discharge hose from dishwasher to the dishwasher tailpiece.
- Turn on the water, plug in the dishwasher’s power cord and test your work.
Tools:
Tools & Materials
- Adjustable wrench
- Open-ended wrench
- Pliers
- Drill/driver
- Drop cloths