I am swapping out our old Dishwasher (which was in the house when we bought it) for a new one. I found that the existing drain tube goes directly down to the basement and joins with the plumbing there, however, the installation instructions say it is important that the drain tube be terminated 20" above the floor that the dishwater sits on (as in under the kitchen sink), but they dont explain why. Is this something I need to worry about?, and is there a way to install the drain properly and still use the existing drain that goes down to the basement? i.e. can I run the drain tube 20" up before going down to the basement or is there something else to this I dont understand?- Thanks- Brad
I'll let some professional plumber give you the technical and practical answer, but my instinct tells me that the 20" rise is to prevent a siphoning of all the water in the washer. I was once told (by the serviceman) that a certain amount of water has to remain in the washer pump housing, so that seals don't dry out. The connection to the sink drain at 20" above the floor provides a means of venting. Once the water has finished pumping into the sink drain, air from the sink drain enters the DW drain hose and prevents siphoning out the DW drain hose and pump. If you put a loop in the DW hose, the long drop to the basement might siphon the water from the looped DW hose and the pump housing, or maybe it might not, or it could be hit or miss each time the DW drains. Now, I'll let the professionals weigh in.
Hi Brad, Many manufacturers and some plumbing codes require an "air gap" fitting. For sanitary reasons, the dishwasher should drain through one of these fittings which provides a 1" air separation between the end of the drain hose and the rim of the drain it's going in to to prevent back syphonage into the DW if the house drain backs up.
I did the same chore a few months ago (replaced the DW). I think the reason for routing the drain hose up, then down to a drain connection is to provide a "trap" function, which keeps some water in the hose. This prevents some sewer gases from entering the DW and eventually the kitchen.
Applying this logic to your situation, it would seem that even if you loop the drain hose up to the 20" level, then down to the basement you may have a problem. The reason is this. Imagine the DW is pumping drain water out. The hose is full of water all the way to the basement drain. Now the DW tub empties, then the flex hose empties and the only water left is in the vertical pipe leading to the basement. As that water falls down the pipe it creates a vacuum above it that draws all of the remain water out of the hose. Any sewer odors / gases may then gently waft up through the hose, to your nose (excuse the prose). This problem is avoided in most home plumbing systems by use of a vent pipe that prevents the vacuum from forming.
Have I explained this clearly or should I give it another shot?
A lot of good advice has already been posted on this, but let me add just a bit more.
Older DW's used a drain valve that stayed closed during wash, then opened electrically to the drain the wash water out. That meant you could just run the drain hose straight down through the floor with no problems. Newer machines no longer use this valve, but now depend on a drain 'high loop' to keep the water in the tank during wash - and to prevent greywater from siphoning over into the DW.
As Dana said, be sure to check on your local codes (ask your local plumber or plumbing & heating supplier, they'll know), bc in some areas an air gap is required.
Here in my area, air gaps aren't req'd by code, but I will say that a 20" loop will NOT be enough to prevent greywater migration from your sink. You'll want to tie the drain hose up as high as possible. I always cable tie a loop of it to one of the sink mounting straps, to get it right up in under the countertop.
Another reason for a loop in new high-end models is for soil-sensing. Some of the new machines, Whirlpool TT's, for example, are actually sensing the water's *weight* during wash, a heavier solution telling the computer the amt of soil in the water. The loop on these is usually attached securely to the DW's side so it's difficult for installers to remove, and you'll see labels warning against messing with it. Removing it to get more length - a pretty common mistake - will cause these machines to misbehave.
That's probably more information than you ever wanted to know , but I hope some of it's of help.
God bless,
Dave Harnish Dave's Repair Service New Albany, PA
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the best way to perform this installation would be to use a vacuum breaker fitting at the 20" level as per directions. Then you can go down through the floor. To meet code this will probably require the use of an indirect, air break, trap. I've installed commercial dishwashers this way with no questions.
You have explained it well but the drain does enter the plumbing before the trap, I'm not worried about the gases, just wondering why the manufacture recommends the 20" height or I could risk damage to the machine
SO you are saying the mfc wants some water to be left in the drain after each use?, they did mention insrakking an air gap if the height was below 20", I guess this would prevent siphoning
"When the dishwasher has completed its cycle, there will be a small amount of water left in the sump area under the filters. This water is left behind to keep the gasket wet and prevent it from drying out and becoming cracked." Although this is on a Bosch site, it may apply to other brands. My dishwasher was a Kenmore when the serviceman told me that the water left behind was necessary.
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