How to Install a Built in Dishwasher

Built-in dishwashers add to the functionality of the kitchen.

Dishwashers are a valuable tool in the kitchen. By installing a built-in dishwasher the functionality and appearance of the kitchen can be enhanced. High efficiency dishwashers can save the homeowner in electricity and water bills over the course of the year. Installing a built-in dishwasher can be completed in an afternoon.

Things You'll Need

• Dishwasher
• Teflon tape
• 10 foot coil of ½ inch soft copper tubing
• Two ½ inch Compression Fittings
• Electrical wire nuts
• Cable Clamp
• No. 6 Hose Clamp
• Plumber's strapping
• Flat head screw driver
• Drill with 1 ¼ inch and 2 inch hole saw bit
• Adjustable wrench
• Tube bending springs
• Close-quarter tubing cutter
• Torpedo level
• Wire strippers

Instructions

Setting the Water Supply

1. Measure three inches up from the floor and two inches in from the wall on the cabinet and mark the location with a pencil.

2. 

   Drill hole saw bit

   Drill a hole at the marked location with the drill and the 2-inch hole saw.

3. Uncoil the copper tubing and thread it through the hole from the dishwasher bay and into the cabinet.

4. Insert a tube bending spring inside the copper tube end that is closest to the hot water valve and shape the tube toward the hot water valve and back down to the cabinet floor.

5. Place a compression nut and ferrule on the end of the tubing that is closest to the hot water valve. Tighten the nut over the ferrule and onto the valve by hand first and then use an adjustable wrench to tighten the rest of the way, approximately another quarter turn.

Positioning Water and Power Lines

1. Locate the clear channels on the underside of the dishwasher that run from the front to the back of the dishwasher.

2. Measure how far these channels are from the sides of the dishwasher. Measure the same distance from the sides of the dishwasher bay and mark them on the floor of the bay. Make sure to take note of which channel leads to electrical connections and which to water connections on the dishwasher.

3. Place an outside bending spiral on the copper pipe and shape the pipe to bend out of the hole in the cabinet and along the marked channel for the water line. Repeat this process for the electrical line in the other channel.

4. Secure both the water and electrical lines with tape to ensure they remain in position.

Connecting the Water Supply

1. Place the dishwasher on its back and remove the front cover panel at the bottom.

2. Wrap teflon tape around the water inlet threads and screw a brass elbow onto the inlet.

3. Tighten the elbow with an adjustable wrench.

4. Set the dishwasher upright and slide it to the entrance of the dishwasher bay. Ensure that the water and electrical lines are properly placed in the empty channels under the dishwasher.

5. Slide the drain line of the dishwasher through the hole in the side of the cabinet. Slide the dishwasher in place while a helper continues to pull the drain line through the hole so that it doesn't get caught under the dishwasher.

6. Place a bending spring inside the end of the copper water supply tubing and bend the copper tubing to the elbow that was installed on the water inlet threads.

7. Place a compression nut and ferrule on the pipe end and tighten by hand onto the elbow. Use a wrench to tighten the nut the rest of the way.

Electrical Connnections

1. Slide a cable clamp over the exposed end of the wires and with a screwdriver tighten the clamp on the plastic sheathing holding the wires together.

2. Push the wires and threaded end of the cable clamp through the hole in the side of the dishwasher's junction box.

3. Line up the same wire colors together and fasten them together by twisting wire nuts over the two ends. If the plastic sheath is still covering the wires use a wire stripper to gently cut and remove the protective plastic covering and then twist the exposed wires of the same color sheathing together.

4. Press the attached wires into the junction box and screw the metal cover plate into place.

Drain Line

1. Attach a hose clamp to the drain line and connect to the sink's drain inlet. The drain inlet will either branch off the drain pipe or will be on the side of the garbage disposer.

2. Tighten the clamp on the drain hose with a screwdriver.

3. Place a piece of plumber's strapping around the drain line. Make sure it is long enough to line up two holes of the strapping above the drain line.

4. Position the hose with strapping against the back cabinet wall at an angle higher than the drain inlet.

5. Attach the drain line by driving a screw through the lined up holes in the strapping and into the cabinet wall.

Securing the Dishwasher

1. Adjust the feet on the front of the dishwasher to raise the dishwasher until the mounting brackets touch the underside of the counter.

2. Place a torpedo level against the top of the dishwasher inside the washing compartment.

3. Adjust the feet of the dishwasher until it is level from side to side.

4. Drive screws through the mounting brackets and into the underside of the counter once the dishwasher is level.

5. Place the cover panel back on the front bottom of the dishwasher.

Check for Leaks

1. Turn on the water and power supplies to the dishwasher.

2. Examine water connection points and look for leaks.

3. Test run the dishwasher and watch for leaks during the different cycles.Tighten compression fittings if leaks appear.

References

• This Old House: How to Install a Dishwasher