Dishwashers are time and labor saving appliances in the kitchen. Before beginning to operate yours, be sure to switch off both power (at your circuit breaker) and water supply (via its shutoff valve under the sink).
Place a bath towel or cardboard piece in front of your dishwasher as protection from splashes that might occur during installation.
Electrical
Install a dual-outlet shutoff valve if your dishwasher does not come equipped with one, as well as turn off the water supply valve under the sink. Before beginning, be careful to carefully tip back your machine so its rear leveling legs are exposed; adjust them until their top surface is flush with the bottom cabinet opening; screw in anchor brackets to secure its stability before proceeding further.
Electrical and plumbing connections for a dishwasher are typically concealed behind a front access panel located at its base. Carefully lay the machine on its back to remove this panel, and look inside for power cord connection fittings as well as drain fittings that support air gaps. From there, begin making preliminary electrical connections – green grounding wire from appliance cord to green grounding screw, white neutral wire to white dishwasher lead and black hot wire from appliance cord (typically made using twist-on wire connectors or wire nuts).
Use a wrench to tighten the locking nut on the air gap to the kitchen sink, connecting flexible kitchen sink supply tube to dual outlet valve and drain hose to larger outlet of air gap. After activating water and electricity supplies, turn on dishwasher before testing by running cycle.
Plumbing
Many dishwasher installations require altering existing plumbing, and it’s best to do that before pushing the appliance into its cabinet opening. First, tip the unit onto its back and remove its kickplate to make electrical and water connections easier to access. If there’s a junction box with three colored wires that resemble terminal connectors, unscrew its cover and pull it off to facilitate modification.
If your sink contains a garbage disposal, disconnect its drain pipe or unplug its plug before installing a new dishwasher drainpipe from its supply tube inlet on the rear to either a garbage disposal tail piece (if present) or (in its absence) to a sink trap; additionally route a new drain hose from your dishwasher up through its inlet onto a wall or trap (as per local regulations).
If there’s no dual-outlet valve installed, shut off your house water and install one. Connect its nipple to the sink’s supply tube before tightening by hand or wrench until tight. Connect its other end, the one for your dishwasher’s flexible water line using pipe thread tape – make sure it connects securely before tightening by hand or wrench until snug. Finally, secure an air gap using two hose clamps by connecting its short drain hose from your dishwasher’s small outlet to its inlet on said gap as well.
Installation
Dependent upon whether or not you’re replacing an existing dishwasher or installing it in a different location, start by switching off both electricity (at your circuit breaker) and water (at the valve under your kitchen sink). Remove cabinet door between sink area and where dishwasher will go for access to behind cabinet space; drill any required holes now in order to save yourself having to tear out benchtop later on.
Decide where the dishwasher will drain – either to your garbage disposal or directly into the kitchen sink – then install a new drain hose according to the product manual. Finally, secure its supply line to your kitchen faucet using Teflon tape to create a leak-free connection. Lastly, if using a dual outlet valve for seamless connectivity of both hot and cold water lines to the inlet of the dishwasher.
Prior to placing the dishwasher into its cabinet, place cardboard or an old blanket on the floor as protection for benchtops or flooring surfaces. Check and adjust cabinet opening height if necessary; once the dishwasher has been placed inside use a level to make sure its height remains even across both edges and along its front edge.