Replacing a Dishwasher
By: Amanda Campbell
Updated: March 3, 2011
Most of the time, replacing an old dishwasher is an easy install. If
you’re handy around the house and don’t want to pay someone to put in
your new dishwasher, you may want to consider doing it yourself.
MATERIALS
-ratchet
-level
-wrench
-screw driver
-teflon tape
-wire nuts
-90 degree elbow
-nut driver
INSTALLATION
The first thing you want to do before installing the dishwasher is shut off the power at the circuit breaker and shut off the water under the sink.
Next, you need to remove the drain hose from under the sink. The drain hose runs from the dishwasher to the disposal and that’s how the water is drained from the dishwasher. Use a ratchett to disconnect this and pull it away form the disposal.
Once the drain hosed is detached, remove the access panel which is this bottom front piece of the dishwasher. It’s held on by four screws. Use a screw driver to remove the panel. The toe panel is right behind the access panel and once the access panel is out you can pull out the toe panel.
Now you can disconnect the water feed. The water feed is a copper pipe that’s at the bottom left near the front of your dishwasher. Use a wrench to loosen the fitting. You have to pull at it several times because it’s a tight fit down there. Once it’s loose you can loosen it the rest of the way with your fingers then you can pull it right out.
Then, remove the screws at the top of your dishwasher that connects the dishwasher to the counter top.
You may also want to tape a piece of cardboard to the floor so you don’t scratch the floor when you pull the dishwasher out.
Once the dishwasher is out, lay it on its side so you can remove the electrical wires. Once again, make sure you’ve turned off the electrical power. Some dishwasher electrical wires plug right into the wall. Others are hardwired. If yours is hardwired, you will have to remove the wires. To do this, take a screw driver to take off the cover panel. Then take wire nuts off of wires. There’s also a ground wire which is this copper wire. To remove that you’ll loosen it with a screw driver and it should come right off. Use your fingers to take the romex connnector apart so the wires will pull right out.
Before you put in your new dishwasher check for leaks. Look where your dishwasher was and look for water on the floor or rust stains and do the same thing under the sink. If you do have a leak, fix it before you install your dishwasher.
You’ll basically put the new dishwasher in... the same way you took the old one out. First, put it on its side so you can get everything hooked up. Remove the access panel which is as simple as taking off four screws. Then the toe panel. Don’t be surprised if you have a lot more wires in your new dishwasher. Chances are it will have a lot more features than the old one. Those wires allow all those features to work. You don’t have to do anything with these wires, they’re already hooked up. But you do have to hook up the electrical wires that make the dishwasher run.
Use a nutdriver to remove the cover plate. Slip the black and white wires through the top hole. Then take the wires coming from the wall, even the existing romex connector, and feed these wires through the bottom hole of the cover plate. (The romex holds all the wires in place while they’re inside the metal box.)
The wires go together the same way they were disconnected. Black to black.. and secure them together with a wire nut. Then take the two white wires and use a wire nut to twist those wires together. Make sure wires are nice and secure.
Now, take the copper wire, which is the ground wire, and fit it over the green screw. You want to hold it down and then tighten it with a screw driver to hold it in place.
Once you’ve put the cover panel back on, you’ll need to put a 90 degree elbow on the back of the dishwasher so you can make your hot water connection. The elbow will go at the bottom of the dishwasher, where you unhooked the water line.
Put teflon tape around each end of the elbow to make sure there’s a nice tight connection. You must put the tape on counter clock wise because you’re threading the water line in clockwise and this is important so the tape won’t get bunched up while your putting it on.
If you’re water line doesn’t match up with the connector on the water line, the instructions manuel for your dishwasher should tell you what size you need.
Then you need to connect the water line to the 90 degree elbow. Once you have it secured with your fingers use a wrench to secure it the rest of the way.
Now it’s time to connect the drain hose. All you have to do is thread it through the cabinets attach it to the disposal secure it with a clamp and tighten the clamp down with a screw driver or ratchet.
Once the new dishwasher is in place make sure it’s straight. Then, open the door and put a level on the dishwasher door to see if it’s level. If yours isn’t, adjust the feet by raising them or lowering them to make it level.
The last step is to screw the dishwasher to the counter top.
Now that the dishwasher is installed, turn the water and electric back on and run a test cycle. You always need to do that right after you install it, that way if there’s a problem you can fix it while your tools are out. You also want to check the floor for leaks. You can do this by simply watching for water to seep out of the dishwasher.
A typical dishwasher replacement install should take two hours or less. The dishwasher we installed was made by Maytag. By doing a project like this yourself, you can save up to 200 dollars in installation fees.
MATERIALS
-ratchet
-level
-wrench
-screw driver
-teflon tape
-wire nuts
-90 degree elbow
-nut driver
INSTALLATION
The first thing you want to do before installing the dishwasher is shut off the power at the circuit breaker and shut off the water under the sink.
Next, you need to remove the drain hose from under the sink. The drain hose runs from the dishwasher to the disposal and that’s how the water is drained from the dishwasher. Use a ratchett to disconnect this and pull it away form the disposal.
Once the drain hosed is detached, remove the access panel which is this bottom front piece of the dishwasher. It’s held on by four screws. Use a screw driver to remove the panel. The toe panel is right behind the access panel and once the access panel is out you can pull out the toe panel.
Now you can disconnect the water feed. The water feed is a copper pipe that’s at the bottom left near the front of your dishwasher. Use a wrench to loosen the fitting. You have to pull at it several times because it’s a tight fit down there. Once it’s loose you can loosen it the rest of the way with your fingers then you can pull it right out.
Then, remove the screws at the top of your dishwasher that connects the dishwasher to the counter top.
You may also want to tape a piece of cardboard to the floor so you don’t scratch the floor when you pull the dishwasher out.
Once the dishwasher is out, lay it on its side so you can remove the electrical wires. Once again, make sure you’ve turned off the electrical power. Some dishwasher electrical wires plug right into the wall. Others are hardwired. If yours is hardwired, you will have to remove the wires. To do this, take a screw driver to take off the cover panel. Then take wire nuts off of wires. There’s also a ground wire which is this copper wire. To remove that you’ll loosen it with a screw driver and it should come right off. Use your fingers to take the romex connnector apart so the wires will pull right out.
Before you put in your new dishwasher check for leaks. Look where your dishwasher was and look for water on the floor or rust stains and do the same thing under the sink. If you do have a leak, fix it before you install your dishwasher.
You’ll basically put the new dishwasher in... the same way you took the old one out. First, put it on its side so you can get everything hooked up. Remove the access panel which is as simple as taking off four screws. Then the toe panel. Don’t be surprised if you have a lot more wires in your new dishwasher. Chances are it will have a lot more features than the old one. Those wires allow all those features to work. You don’t have to do anything with these wires, they’re already hooked up. But you do have to hook up the electrical wires that make the dishwasher run.
Use a nutdriver to remove the cover plate. Slip the black and white wires through the top hole. Then take the wires coming from the wall, even the existing romex connector, and feed these wires through the bottom hole of the cover plate. (The romex holds all the wires in place while they’re inside the metal box.)
The wires go together the same way they were disconnected. Black to black.. and secure them together with a wire nut. Then take the two white wires and use a wire nut to twist those wires together. Make sure wires are nice and secure.
Now, take the copper wire, which is the ground wire, and fit it over the green screw. You want to hold it down and then tighten it with a screw driver to hold it in place.
Once you’ve put the cover panel back on, you’ll need to put a 90 degree elbow on the back of the dishwasher so you can make your hot water connection. The elbow will go at the bottom of the dishwasher, where you unhooked the water line.
Put teflon tape around each end of the elbow to make sure there’s a nice tight connection. You must put the tape on counter clock wise because you’re threading the water line in clockwise and this is important so the tape won’t get bunched up while your putting it on.
If you’re water line doesn’t match up with the connector on the water line, the instructions manuel for your dishwasher should tell you what size you need.
Then you need to connect the water line to the 90 degree elbow. Once you have it secured with your fingers use a wrench to secure it the rest of the way.
Now it’s time to connect the drain hose. All you have to do is thread it through the cabinets attach it to the disposal secure it with a clamp and tighten the clamp down with a screw driver or ratchet.
Once the new dishwasher is in place make sure it’s straight. Then, open the door and put a level on the dishwasher door to see if it’s level. If yours isn’t, adjust the feet by raising them or lowering them to make it level.
The last step is to screw the dishwasher to the counter top.
Now that the dishwasher is installed, turn the water and electric back on and run a test cycle. You always need to do that right after you install it, that way if there’s a problem you can fix it while your tools are out. You also want to check the floor for leaks. You can do this by simply watching for water to seep out of the dishwasher.
A typical dishwasher replacement install should take two hours or less. The dishwasher we installed was made by Maytag. By doing a project like this yourself, you can save up to 200 dollars in installation fees.
