The most important thing to remember with dishwasher installation is to shut off the electricity at your home’s circuit breaker before starting. You’ll also need to turn off the water supply line at the shutoff valve.
The electrical connection is located behind an access panel on the front bottom of the appliance. Remove the cover, and feed the power cord into a terminal box, connecting wires as directed (black to black, white to white, and green to ground).
Preparation
Installing a dishwasher requires multiple steps that must be carried out carefully in order to be successful, including unplugging an existing unit (if applicable), connecting water lines and electrical wires, leveling the appliance and conducting tests to make sure everything is functioning as it should be. At least two people should assist you during this task and adhere to product manual instructions carefully.
Prior to installing your dishwasher, make sure that the electricity has been switched off at the circuit breaker and water shutoff has been enabled at the valve beneath your sink. Also be sure to drain and store away your old unit.
Locate and carefully unplug the dishwasher from its front side before carefully extracting its access panel, taking care not to damage any wiring or components. If necessary, place some cardboard or an old blanket underneath the appliance so as to avoid scratching up its flooring surface underneath.
Electrical Connections
Dependent upon the model of dishwasher you own, electrical and water supply hookups may be hidden behind an access panel on the front bottom of the appliance. To connect these supplies safely, carefully lay it on its back before taking steps to open this panel and make connections.
Alternatively, if the dishwasher will be powered through a power cord instead of direct wiring, locate and inspect its cord for signs of strain relief (replaceable manually) as well as UL-listed metallic wire connected to green grounding wires. Locate a terminal box, remove its cover, feed the power cord through it, connect black and white wires together using wire nuts as well as grounding wires between them using wire nuts.
To prevent water line kinks, connect and attach a 90-degree elbow fitting to the dishwasher’s inlet valve port. Verify whether your inlet valve has male or female threads before installing a compatible fitting to match with manufacturer instructions.
Plumbing Connections
Your dishwasher may either use nonmetallic (NM) circuit cable for hardwiring or standard appliance cords that plug directly into an electrical outlet; either way, it is always wise to disconnect both electricity and water before proceeding with any work on either system.
Locate and turn off the water supply line, which should be a pipe under the sink or part of an integrated countertop, before connecting a fill hose to it and attaching a hose fitting. Make sure it reaches your dishwasher without being compressed or kinked by routing it toward its rear end.
Connecting a dishwasher to the water supply requires attaching a brass fitting known as a dishwasher 90, which acts like an extended version of those found in sink faucets and toilets. Most connection kits also contain braided steel supply lines for connectivity.
Installation
Turn off both electricity (at the circuit breaker) and water (at the valve under your sink). Carefully tipping over the dishwasher onto its back may require taking off its kickplate. Remove its front access panel before positioning near its new home, routing power cords, water supply lines, and drain hoses through holes in its cabinet (or through existing one if replacing an existing dishwasher).
Locate your dishwasher’s inlet port at the base of its appliance. Most inlets are threaded; otherwise, install a 90-degree elbow fitting at one end of your water line before connecting it to its inlet port. Afterward, thread it on securely before sealing the threads with Teflon tape for maximum leakproof performance.
Connect the drain hose to the inlet port, secure with a clamp, then feed both power cord and drain hose through holes in your cabinet and push your dishwasher into place. Use a level to check that the appliance is flat against your cabinets before adjusting its front leveling legs as necessary.