Dishwasher Installation

• Freestanding: A finished machine with its own top, which slides into a gap or stands at the end of a run. The simplest to fit and replace.
• Integrated: Hidden behind a door that matches the kitchen, with the controls on the top edge of the door. It sits in a housing under the worktop.
• Semi-integrated: Like an integrated machine, but with the control panel left on show above the door.

Most dishwashers come in a full-size width or a slimline width, typically 60 cm or 45 cm, so a new machine must match the gap or the unit has to change.

An integrated dishwasher is fitted to the kitchen as well as the plumbing:

1. 1

   Check the housing: the height under the worktop, the depth and the width. The machine's feet adjust for height within a set range.

2. 2

   Fit the door: the kitchen door is fixed to the dishwasher door using the paper template supplied, so it lines up with the doors either side. The door springs are then adjusted for the weight of the new door, so it neither drops open nor springs shut.

3. 3

   Prepare the plinth: the plinth may need trimming so the door can open fully.

4. 4

   Connect and slide in: the supply, waste and power are connected, and the machine is slid into place without trapping the hoses.

5. 5

   Level and fix: the machine is levelled, then fixed to the underside of the worktop with the brackets supplied, or to the side units under a stone worktop. A vapour strip protects the underside of the worktop from steam.

6. 6

   Test: a run with the machine empty, checking every joint for leaks and that it drains properly.

• Water supply: Most dishwashers are connected to the cold supply through an appliance valve, so they can be isolated for repairs. Some manufacturers allow a hot fill, up to a stated temperature; we follow the instructions for your model.
• Waste and high loop: The waste hose must rise to a high point under the worktop, as the manufacturer specifies, before dropping to the sink waste spigot or a standpipe. This high loop, together with a non-return valve, stops dirty sink water flowing back into the machine.
• Hose length: Dishwashers are designed to pump through a limited hose length. If the drain is further away, the waste pipe has to be extended rather than the hose.

If the sink drains slowly when the dishwasher pumps out, the shared waste may be partly blocked, which our drain unblocking and cleaning service can clear.

It needs a socket of its own, but not normally a dedicated circuit. Plug it into a single socket, never an extension lead or adaptor, as a dishwasher draws a high current while it heats water. The socket is best placed in an adjacent cupboard, so the plug can be reached without pulling out the machine. Alternatively, a switched fused spur above the worktop lets you turn it off without opening a cupboard.

Where a new socket or spur is needed, it is installed and certified through one of the routes the building regulations allow, through our domestic electrical installation service.

Yes. Adding a dishwasher to an existing kitchen usually means:

• Making a space: A base unit next to or near the sink is removed and the gap prepared for the machine. Next to the sink is best, as it keeps the supply and waste short.
• A new supply: A tee from the cold pipe with an appliance valve, through our pipework installation and repair service.
• A new waste: A sink waste with a spigot for the dishwasher, or a separate standpipe.
• Power: A socket in the adjacent cupboard or a fused spur.

If your kitchen layout is changing anyway, the dishwasher position is best planned as part of a kitchen renovation.