dishwasher air gap

 

I have a thick cast iron sink and do not want to drill a new hole, but
I need to do something with my dishwasher "air gap" ( I am using the
fourth hole for my water purifier) I am thinking of removing the air
gap and draining the dishwasher straight into the garbage disposal. Is
this a good or bad idea.  I presently have the air gap tide up as high
as I can under the sink, but on occasion it does leak.

Dennis

 

dennisofnewport@yahoo.com wrote:

    Not recommended, not to Code, etc, etc.

    Yes, drain direct to disposal, but make the
    loop of hose go up as high as possible under
     the counter.  Clamp hose in place.

Jim

 



Sold dishwashers in Northern Illinois and also the Phoenix, AZ. area.  The
only community that I've known to require air gap devices was Tempe, AZ.
Just be sure to loop the dishwasher drain hose up as high as possible under
the sink cabinet before coming down and  connecting to the  disposal.  You
don't want the loop to be lower than the highest possible water level in the
sink to prevent sink water running into the dishwasher in addition to down
the drain.

Tom G

 



I believe there are accessory faucets available with an integrated
dishwasher air gap, e.g. <http://www.waterinc.com/water_gap.htm> .

Cheers, Wayne
  

 

dennisofnewport@yahoo.com wrote:

Several things to consider:

1. Check if the air gap is required by code in your city.
   They are in CA, for example. Not in many other states.

2. Even if required by code, there may be exceptions for
   dishwashers built with a suitable backflow prevention
   device. It may be a pain getting an inspector to sign
   off however.

3. If the sink/dishwasher are installed on an outside
   wall, there are some through-the-wall air gaps
   available, sometimes called a "Johnson Tee". It's
   a neat solution although finding parts and installing
   them may prove a pain. I might have gone this route
   but for the fact my sink backs onto an inside wall.

4. An improperly installed air gap (like your current
   setup) is probably worse than no air gap at all,
   especially if your dishwasher has a backflow device.
   If the air gap is leaking, cleaning it may help --
   they tend to leak when partially blocked.

5. Otherwise, just loop the hose as high as you possibly
   can under the cabinet and dispose of the air gap
   entirely. Again, that's safer if your dishwasher
   has the backflow prevention.

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