As we mentioned earlier this week, before catching a flight yesterday we finally replaced our old bisque dishwasher, and the new stainless steel model is already a hit (we like it, but Clara absolutely loves it). Here’s how the installation went.
We’d planned to wait until our new floors were installed so we wouldn’t risk trapping the dishwasher behind the future cork, but that turned out to be an unnecessary delay. We settled on sliding a few cork planks under the new appliance so it would sit at the correct height once the floors go in. Also, the unopened dishwasher box was becoming a tempting side table in the office, so it was time to move it in.
Neither of us had installed a dishwasher before, so the combination of plumbing, electrical work, and tight spaces felt intimidating. After watching a few helpful online videos we felt more prepared, so during Clara’s nap we took a deep breath and got started.
The first step was turning off the hot water supply and the circuit breaker for the dishwasher. This alone took a while because our breaker boxes weren’t labeled accurately, so there was a bit of trial and error and several trips to the basement to confirm the right switch.
With power and water shut off, I removed the access panel at the base of the old dishwasher. Fair warning: you’ll see some less-than-pristine floor photos — lots of DIY has been going on in this area.
Behind the panel was a small jumble of connections. Using a wrench I unscrewed the water supply, keeping a rag handy to catch leftover water. The cramped space made this take longer than expected.
I hadn’t detached the drain hose from the disposal initially, since I’d already disconnected it under the dishwasher to access the wrench. At that point I was trying to do as little as necessary in case we needed to back out and regroup.
All plumbing was disconnected, so next came the electrical. The dishwasher wiring sat inside a small metal junction box that I removed with a screwdriver, then unscrewed the wire nuts to separate the wires.
After finishing the electrical disconnect, I lowered the adjustable feet so the dishwasher wouldn’t be jammed tightly against the countertop. We left the dinged baseboard alone for now since we’ll touch it up when the new cork floors and quarter-round go in.
The dishwasher was secured to the cabinets rather than the underside of the counter, so I popped off a small plastic plug and unscrewed the fasteners. A little shimmy got the old bisque unit out of its spot — I slid it onto cardboard to protect the floor and make it easier to move.
That left an empty cavity ready for the new dishwasher.
Since the new cork floors aren’t installed yet, I cut rough pieces of cork and slid them into the cavity so the new dishwasher would sit flush with the future floor. If it sat behind the cork boards it could make future removal or repairs difficult.
We brought in the new energy-efficient stainless steel dishwasher, which we’d bought during an appliance sale. After reading the confusing instructions, we realized we needed a 90-degree elbow from the old unit to route the water supply into the new one — an odd omission from the box but thankfully available on hand.
Working on the dishwasher while it was pulled out made everything much easier, including better lighting for photos. With the elbow attached, I reconnected the water supply; fortunately the line was long enough to do this with the dishwasher pulled forward, which made wrenching simpler.
Next I disconnected the old drain hose from the disposal and attached the new one. I could have reused the old hose on the new dishwasher, but I preferred having any potential leaks visible under the sink instead of hidden at the back of the appliance.
On the electrical side, I discovered we needed a strain relief, so I made a quick hardware store run. The strain relief secures the cable where it enters the dishwasher’s electrical box, preventing stress on the wire connections. Once installed, I reattached the wires with wire nuts and closed the cover, then went downstairs to flip the breaker back on and test everything.
Power on — success.
I turned the water back on and checked every connection for leaks. There was a small leak at the 90-degree elbow, so I detached the hot water supply, tightened and rotated the elbow, and rechecked — no more leaks. Then I secured the dishwasher to the underside of the countertop and called it done.
About three hours after we started, the new dishwasher was installed. The stainless finish balances nicely with the sink and faucet and improves the look of that side of the kitchen. The protective finish resists fingerprints, which is helpful in a household where little hands are often involved.
Functionally it’s similar to our old machine, but we appreciate the front-facing countdown timer and the “clean” indicator — no more shouting across the house to ask if dishes are done.
We added a new black-and-white chevron dish towel for a pop of pattern, and Clara approved of the change — she even practiced smiling for the camera while we wrapped up.
Overall the install wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d feared. It took longer than we hoped and included an unplanned trip for a strain relief, plus one small leak that needed tightening, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Has anyone else tackled a dishwasher swap? Did you run into any surprises or quick fixes?
Psst—check Young House Life to see what we did with the box the dishwasher came in.