Installing a dishwasher (I'm in the UK)

[dchivers]

Hi, hope someone can help -

I need to install a dishwasher into a currently used cupboard space. There's plenty of room, and it's just next to the sink. I'm pretty proficient at DIY, but this is something I've never done.

I'm not sure how to go about tackling the plumbing, so I have a few questions (we haven't yet bought the dishwasher).

- Does a uk dishwasher need both a hot and cold feed?

- Should I plug it into a _fused_ socket?

- What sort of drainage pipe comes out of the back, and ...

- ...therefore how do I hook it up to the main waste pipe?

- How reliable are the 15mm copper connectors you can get that self-tap into a pipe when you screw them on? (so I don't have to cut the pipe)

- Any other helpful tips?

A lot of questions, I know, but hopefully some kind soul can help me?!

Thanks in advance.

[doozer]

Not normally. When we were looking for a dishwasher last year we didn't see any that took a hot feed.

All the ones we looked at drained like a washing machine with a flexible grey pipe that hooks over a waste pipe with a u bend at the bottom. You can also get a push fit adaptor that allows it to be plumbed in via a push fit connector (I would just hand the tube over though it's simpler.

see above

It's a really easy job. Make sure you do the cold feed connector up pretty tight. Ours leaked very slightly until I give it some muscle. Don't push the dishwasher into place until you have checked all the connections are sound. The last thing you want is to have to pull it out in a hurry to switch off the water :-)

[Lurch]

On 13 Mar 2005 05:38:28 -0800, [e-mail] (Geek@Andrews) strung together this:

Generally not, 99.99% of dishwashers have cold fil only.

What fused socket? You should plug it into a standard 13A socket outlet with the aid of the supplied 13A plug.

Er, an appliance drain hose.

Via an appliance waste of some sort, either a seperatre stack with trap or a spigot on the side of the existing trap under the sink.

Depends what you mean by reliable, it'll probably be OK. I wouldn't use one though.

Yes, get a plumber. I've seen loads of crap installlations by people who have half an idea what they're doing, you have less than that and frankly, I'm worried.

[Marcus Fox]

That's odd, the Candy one that we have has a red pipe attached, indicating it should be connected to the hot water supply.

Marcus

[Lurch]

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 18:11:32 GMT, "Marcus Fox" strung together this:

You mean just a red pipe on it's own? Did you buy it new? Did the pipe come with it?

If it only has one pipe then it's cold fill only. It can't do a cold rinse if it only has a hot feed to it.

[Old Bill]

I haven't seen a DW with a hot feed for several years. Maybe the Candy is a ancient one

[dchivers]

Thanks for your posts guys, you've given me the info I need.

Lurch - thanks for the concern, but I'm going to give it a go anyway - I plumbed in the kitchen when it went in, I've just never done a dishwasher. Incidentally, when I said 'fused' switch, what I meant was one with a built in fuse as an extra bit of safety.

Once again, thanks for your time.

[brugnospamsia]

IMHO a 13 amp fused switched spur would offer additional protection only if for some reason someone replaced the fuse in the plug with a nail ;-)

[Pete C]

Hi,

I've used a 'self cutting tap' without any problems, they're only suitable for copper pipe though. Don't forget the rubber washer that goes between the hose end and tap.

For the drainage you can get a 'plumbing out kit' which fits on a waste pipe and cuts a hole in it an also comes with an elbow, non return valve and a couple of hose tails.

Before starting, it's worth checking the drain hose end fits one of the hose tails of the plumbing out kit OK.

Both the above can be had from any plumbers merchant, or somewhere like Toolstation (part nos 48347 and 51805) which has free delivery if you don't mind washing up for a few days :)

Probably all dishwashers have only one cold fill, I doubt that connecting it to a hot supply would be of much benefit as they tend not to use much water these days. Also the inlet hose and valve may not be designed for very hot water that could be at mains pressure.

cheers, Pete.

[jim_in_sussex]

...

or a common arrangement when the d/w is below a work top is a fused spur switch above the worktop to an unswitched 13A socket below & behind the d/w. Better & neater arrangement if you can contemplate altering the wiring.

that's a standpipe

or a spigot on the side of the existing trap under the sink. Look in B&Q etc for a Marley sink outlet with this adapter. Marley also make a double version for a d/w & a wash m/c.

regret no experience ...but the recommended connection is off the 15mm uprising cold under the sink via a ball valve tap with a lever on top: you only turn it

90deg to go from fully on to fully off. NB you are supposed to use the version which includes a non-return valve to prevent back siphoning & contamination of the water supply. Wickes have good offerings on these

put the valve below the sink in an accessible place.

it isn't very hard at all once you've sorted out what you need to do. Look around the sheds to assess what parts you need then buy them & do it.

Much plumbing is now push fit or slide-fit & glue. Once you've got the hang of plumbing yuo'll never need to call a pumber again.

good luck

[Lurch]

On 13 Mar 2005 13:15:09 -0800, jim_in [e-mail] (jim_in_sussex) strung together this:

Still no fused socket though.

I know.

You're mixing quotes and replies, you didn't write all of that and neither did I.

Er, right then.

Clown.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No.

It has a fuse in its plug

Like a washing machine

ame as a washing mashine. Eitheer a u bend thingie or into a sink u-vbend.

Wouldn't trust em an inch.

Don't buy a idshawaher. They don't wash, and break down.

[Marcus Fox]

Bought brand new around four months ago. It's a Candy CD112. Came with a red pipe attached, which was the only one. Manual said it was OK to connect to hot water supply. If I was supposed to connect it to the cold water supply, shouldn't it have come with a blue pipe?

Marcus

[Lurch]

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 00:22:06 GMT, "Marcus Fox" strung together this:

Doesn't matter what colour pipe it comes with. I deliver dishwashers with black, grey, blue, grey\blue etc....

The colour of the hose has no bearing on the matter, it is whatever the manufacturers intend it to be connected to. The manual may say that it is OK to connect it to the hot, but I would imagine it would be preferred to be connected to the cold. Can't say as I've ever come across a hot fill only. Read your instruction book again, doesn't sound right to me.

[Bob Eager]

Possibly. But google back and you'll see people giving good reasons for using a cold feed anyway.

[Harvey Van Sickle]

-snip-

You must have been very unlucky.

Our existing machine (a Zanussi) cleans exceedingly well -- way, way better than I manage, as the water gets a lot hotter than I can stand -

- and has gone 10 years without breaking down.

The only things I've needed to change were a couple of upper-basket wheels which gave out.

[doozer]

Our dishwasher (hotpoint) broke down about 3 months after we got it when the main tube heater failed. The guy was round 3 days later to fix it ever so apologetic that it took so long for him to get to us. I was amazed he turned up in under a month. Apparently they normally try and get to you the next day! (It was a bank holiday so I forgave him ;-)). Anyway to cut a long story short I got a full lesson in how to repair dishwashers. Apparently the biggest cause of failures on modern dishwashers is pips from oranges / grapefruit's etc etc.

At the bottom of the dishwasher is the water out take with a crude crud filter. If you look it has a sort of snorkel bit sticking up with fairly large holes in it about 1 cm from the base. Apparently what happens is pips float on the waste water and can get through the rough filter where they then jam the pump.

I don't know how true that is but it seems fairly reasonable to me and it doesn't take long to clean pips off before putting stuff in.

[Harvey Van Sickle]

-snip-

Useful to know; we clean the crud from that filter regularly, but I'd never thought of pips and stuff getting through into the pump itself.

[chris French]

In message , Pete C writes

I'd avoid them unless I really had no choice.

At least one person has reported a problem here where the little bit of copper pipe cut out, became dislodged and blocked a tap further downstream.

[chris French]

In message , Lurch writes

You seem to be in pedantic mood here Lurch....?

Re. Jim's comment. The above worktop switch doesn't need to be fused, the plug is fused. an 20A plate switch is fine.