Though connecting electrical wiring may appear daunting, this task can be accomplished successfully with precision and care. Color coding and instructions from your dishwasher manufacturer make this project manageable for DIY homeowners.
Before beginning, take care to remove all packaging materials and save a large piece of cardboard for use during installation. Lay the dishwasher on its back while opening its front access panel.
Turn Off the Water
Before you begin work on your dishwasher, ensure it is powered down at the circuit breaker and water supply shut-off valve is closed beneath your sink – this step should ensure safety and avoid potential mess, since only licensed tradespeople can work with electricity or plumbing pipes.
Once completed, line the floor beneath the dishwasher with towels and empty any standing water using a cup or soup ladle. Remove the front access panel using a screwdriver from underneath it – this exposes wiring and water supply connections which could contain some standing water – before opening up the dishwasher to access.
Disconnect the Drain Hose
The dishwasher drain hose usually connects directly to either the sink pipe or an undersink U-bend, with some models also connecting directly to a garbage disposal or air gap under the sink. Please follow your product manual’s instructions for disconnecting this hose from its current location and routing it directly into your dishwasher.
Flip your house circuit breaker switch off using a wrench, to shut down electricity to your dishwasher. Locate and remove both front access panels and toe panels; take note of which wire connection housing covers need to be unmasked in order to access them, before connecting green wire from appliance cord to green grounding screw, white wire to white dishwasher lead and black wire to black dishwasher lead as necessary.
Unplug the Dishwasher
Make sure that the dishwasher is unplugged and turned off before taking any steps towards its removal, in order to avoid electric shock or water damage during removal.
Unswitch the electricity by finding and flipping off the circuit breaker. Additionally, cut off your water supply by finding and switching off the valve underneath your sink.
Locate the drain hose connecting your sink or garbage disposal through an air gap, loosen the clamp and disconnect from both sources, placing its end into a bucket or shallow pan for collection of any excess liquid that might leak out of either source.
Disconnect the Electrical Connections
Some dishwashers can be hardwired into an electrical circuit while others plug directly into an outlet below the sink using an appliance cord and plug socket. Either way, before turning off power to your dishwasher it is essential that the breaker serving it be turned off first.
Before opening your dishwasher’s front access panel and removing its front access panel, first make sure that its water supply line has been cut off using a shutoff valve under your sink and with a voltage tester you have verified that building wiring has been de-energized before locating and uncovering its wire connection housing and cover. Visualize three wire connections: green from appliance cord grounding screw; white cord neutral wire to dishwasher neutral wire and black incoming house wiring from dishwasher.
Remove the Access Panel
No matter if it’s your first dishwasher installation or replacing an older model, following these simple steps to ensure its proper installation will make everything run more smoothly.
Before beginning, make sure your dishwasher is switched off at its circuit breaker and its water source from under your sink. Place a towel or piece of cardboard on the floor as a protective barrier from scratches and spills while you work, and remove its access panel to make electrical and plumbing connections more accessible. Now it is time to begin!
Install the Dishwasher
Once your dishwasher is installed, connect its electricity and water supplies, but wait to make final connections until you can run a test cycle (for specific model-specific instructions please consult your owner’s manual).
Carefully turn the dishwasher onto its back so the electrical wiring and plumbing connections can be more easily accessible. Remove the front access panel to access the junction box – usually a square metal box with three exposed wires or rectangular terminal connectors – as indicated by color coding in its cover and connect each wire accordingly; taking your time may lead to accurate measurements, while hastening this step could result in incorrect measurements leading to failed installation.