Where are the connection points to a dishwasher? |For what it's worth

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Monday

Where are the connection points to a dishwasher?

Plumbing is becoming my worst nightmare.  The plumber we were using either retired or has too much to do to call me back. Actually he never calls back, just shows up at my door a day or so after I leave a message and fixed the latest problem. This time he didn't call or come by so I found a handyman that is a whiz at plumbing to replace the crumbling pipes under the bathroom sink and to install a new kitchen faucet. I was thrilled to get all that done for a very reasonable price. Then the ancient dishwasher stopped working. That lead to pulling it out and discovering a disaster in plumbing and electrical issues hidden behind it.

vintage kitchen faucet


Honestly, did the people who put this house together think there would never be a need to update or repair? When I couldn't get the dishwasher to budge I asked my big strong son to help. Call me suspicious but I wanted to know about the plumbing and electric hidden behind the dishwasher before the new dishwasher is delivered. He had to give it a good hard yank to find out - it was hard plumbed through the floor directly to the machine. How did they even do that? We quickly turned off the water [after plumber hours on a Friday night]. Yep. I left a message for a new plumber. I just about fainted to find the dang machine electric hardwired and hard plumbed. So did my son and hubs. Thoughts of a new plumber and electrician is escalating the cost of this dishwasher. Son bought parts and used needle nose pliers to pull the broken pipe back through the floor enough to cap it off until Monday so we could have water.
wiring and plumbing to dishwasher

With the power already turned off to the machine he disconnected the wiring from the wall to the machine and the wire from the machine to the disposal - I KNOW! WHY?

Monday morning the new plumber called and actually arrived promptly at the promised time. I already like him. He scoffed at the old set up like we did but told me it would be a quick easy fix. He installed a connector to the hot water line going to the sink in less than thirty minutes. The old line remains capped off like the relic we knew it was. Relief flooded through me to have that problem solved.
wiring for dishwasher


Son came shortly after he got off work with the parts to install a power box for the dishwasher and disposal to plug into. He saved me a small savings account in electrician fees. Thanks son! Can I say thick steaks are in your very near future?

The store called within minutes as if there had been an inaudible cue to schedule delivery of the dishwasher on Wednesday.  All is right with the world again.  Soon I won't be hand washing the dishes anymore and the new dishwasher is energy efficient with cool fold down racks that make fitting dishes inside a cinch.

The dishwasher arrived via a contracted delivery service from the store.  I was all like- "Sqee!" with excitement then they brought it inside and then I was like "Wha????  You don't install?  But I paid the extra fee."  Seems someone forgot to mention a delivery 90 miles from the store doesn't come with someone who knows or is willing to install it.

So the next saga began.  Like I have said before, it's a never ending story at the fixer upper. We read the instructions and it looked simple enough.  First thing was to attach the new power cord to the machine.  But where? 

Do you ever get so frustrated you want to scream into the phone at the manufacturer help service?  Yeah, me to.  I explained the instructions told me HOW to connect the water and power cord, but did not explain WHERE.  We searched underneath, on the back and both sides before going to the Internet.  Even the video showed a closeup of HOW to connect, but did not show where the connections are.  A call to the help number revealed they must not know either because I was told to call an electrician.  

  • Really?  You can't tell me where the connection points are?  
  • No.  
  • Can I please talk to someone else?  
  • They don't know either.
  • Grrr.
Thank goodness the store help desk really was willing to help.  An installer walked us through it. Have you ever seen those jokes circulating on Facebook about the person who calls a computer technician for help because she can't get the computer on and it turns out her power is out?  I felt like her.  No where in the book does it say to remove the panel under the door front.  

From there on out it was smooth sailing and I feel sane again.  Rant over.