Installing A Dishwasher

Thanks to everyone who commented and gave me good advice on posting pictures. The DO set us up with a Photobucket account so that should last us a bit. This is my first try at posting like this so we'll see how it goes.

I don't need a dishwasher, I married one. Badda Bump!!

Just kidding. When we bought this house it was with the knowledge that it was short a few things, a dishwasher being among them. Other more critical stuff has been taking up my time but I swore that I'd get Lu's new dishwasher installed before Christmas. I have kept that promise.

On Saturday Lu and I went down to the local appliance store to purchase a new machine. The one we both liked was almost half off so we said screw it and plunked down the cash. Delivery was supposed to be Wednesday but we got the call that it was in Monday night. My prep wasn't quite finished but I figured I could just get it all done in one huge orgy of installation effort. So I picked it up today and she's a real beaut. Of course the kitchen was going to need some major surgery.

The cabinets are L shaped with this being the little end, next to the stove. Here it is with drawers removed, just prior to the destruction. Let's see. Got all my tools? Hammer? Check. Knife? Check. Yep, we're ready to rock now.

I wanted to take the cabinet out in one piece but these are custom built and share bottoms and some sides so it was hammer and pry bar time. I even tried to get the laminate off just to make my life easier but no joy.

Powertools. Imagine that said in a low voice with a little drool leaking from the side of my mouth. Mmmm, Sawzall.

Top gone. The bottom required a pilot hole before I could hack it out.

And presto, just like that I've done a cabinetectomy. With no anesthetic even.

Installation was pretty straightforward. I set the washer up with water line, power cord and drain line. I decided that until I totally rip out the kitchen I'd just run the power up behind the washer to an outlet on the counter top behind the microwave. Then I drilled a couple of one inch holes through the cabinet wall next to the washer location. The white plastic pipe is drain and the steel braided line is cold water.

A couple more in the cabinet wall next to the under sink area. The lines run under a Lazy Susan and through another cabinet in positions that will keep them out of the way and less liable to damage. My advice is to use braided steel water lines in these applications. A holed drain line is one thing, a damaged high pressure water line is something else.

I ran the drain line through the wall. That wall is the common wall between the kitchen and the new laundry room. It was easy to then plug it into the existing drain for the washing machine. If you noticed that the drain line suddenly went from white to clear your eyes are not betraying you. I had to lengthen the drain line to reach. I then added a T fitting to the cold water line to the faucet on the right there and plugged the dish washer line into that. Remember your Teflon tape when doing copper or steel high pressure water lines.

And here is the finished product. Well kinda finished. Because these cabinets are shorter that normal the dish washer top is even with the existing counter. I bought a small slab of granite to cover it while we wait for the kitchen remodel in a year or two. I still have some fitting to do and a shell to build but I'll post an updated picture of it in a few days.

Lu likes black appliances so sometime in the near future she'll get a black stove to match. All the rest of the appliances are or will be black.

Remember, this is a totally new installation. This house has never had a dishwasher before. Everything had to be done from scratch. Still, I am not completely dissatisfied and since Lu is ecstatic I'd call it a it a successful job.  It works and everything. You're never supposed to buy your wife an appliance as a special gift but I think I can be forgiven in this circumstance.

Hey, we're now back in at least the late 20th century. Give me another year and maybe we can join you all here in the 21st.

Merry Christmas Lu!

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