As we mentioned on Monday, before we hopped on a plane yesterday, we tackled our bisque colored dishwasher. And let’s just say the stainless one is a crowd pleaser (we like it, but Clara loves it). We’ll get to that in a moment.
We had been telling ourselves that it would be better to do this once the new floors went in (so we didn’t accidentally trap it behind the new cork boards or something). But then we realized that was a dumb excuse because we could just slide it on top of a few cork planks so it would be the same height as the rest of the floor once it goes in. Plus if the new dishwasher box stayed in the office any longer we’d risk it becoming a permanent side table substitute in there. It does have a large surface area after all (so things tend to pile up on top of it)…
We have never installed a dishwasher. It freaked me out a little bit because it was plumbing + electrical + tight space. Not to mention that I didn’t want to ruin a $380 appliance in the process. But after watching a few videos on YouTube, I was feeling a bit more confident about it (this one and this one were particularly reassuring). So when Clara went down for a nap on Sunday we gave ourselves a little pep talk and dove in.
First up, we turned off the hot water supply and electricity to the dishwasher. Embarrassingly enough, this step alone took us a good 15 minutes because our breaker boxes (we have two) weren’t labelled correctly and it took us lots of trial and error (and trips to the basement while on our cell phones to communicate) to make sure I wasn’t going to electrocute myself.
With the water and power off, I unscrewed the access panel along the base of the old dishwasher. Prepare yourself for some less than clean floor photos. Sorry. (There’s been a lot of DIY action going on in here, so the old vinyl floors aren’t exactly pristine).
Here’s the view behind the panel. Looks like a party, right?
Using a wrench I unscrewed the water supply, keeping a rag handy to catch some leftover H20. This too took longer than expected because of the cramped space.
With the water supply off, my next step would’ve been detaching the drain hose from the disposal under the sink. I didn’t do this (yet) because I had already detached it under the dishwasher just because it was in the way of my wrench. And at this point I was trying to undo as little as possible just in case I needed to retreat (i.e. give up).
All of the plumbing was disconnected, so next up was electrical. The wiring is all encased in a little metal box that was removed pretty quickly with a little screwdriver action.
From there I just unscrewed the wire nuts and, just like that, I was done with the electrical parts of the old dishwasher.
Now I just had to focus on getting the dishwasher out of its home. First up, lowering the little adjustable feet so that it wasn’t so tight against the bottom of the countertop. Don’t mind the dinged up baseboard – we’re waiting to caulk/putty/touch that up until we install the new cork floors and add new quarter-round. Then it’ll all get gussied up.
Next I had to remove where it was screwed in. In most cases I think dishwashers are actually screwed into the underside of the counter. But ours was screwed into the cabinets on either side (maybe because we used to have granite counters?). I just popped off a little plastic plug and unscrewed away.
A shimmy and a shake later, and our bisque buddy was no longer clashing with our cabinets and counters. Oh, and even though these aren’t the new floors, I still pulled it out on a piece of cardboard for added protection and easier sliding around.
So we were left with an empty hole full of new dishwashery potential.
Before the new dishwasher could go in, though, I wanted to make sure to prepare for the new floor. So I roughly cut some pieces of our new cork and slid them in there so that the new dishwasher would sit at the height of the new floor, not the old one. Because if it sat behind the new floor boards it could make getting it out for repair or replacement very difficult (or impossible) down the line.
With the floor boards ready, out came the new energy efficient dishwasher (which we bought among a bunch of other on-sale appliances back in October).
It was at this point after reading the (very confusing) directions for the new dishwasher, that we realized that we needed to swipe a piece from the old one – a 90-degree elbow – to help route the water supply line into the dishwasher.
I’m not sure why these just don’t come in the box (I would’ve been super annoyed if I had had to go to the store just to buy one), but whatever. At least it gave me the opportunity to learn it’s WAY easier to work on a dishwasher when it’s pulled out and accessible on all sides. See – even the lighting for photos is better!
With the elbow attached, I could reattach the water supply line. Lucky for me, it was long enough to do this with the dishwasher still pulled out. Sure made maneuvering the wrench easier!
Here’s the point where I had to disconnect the old drain hose from the disposal and reattach the new one. Theoretically I could’ve just attached the old hose to the back of the dishwasher. But if one of my new connections were to leak, I wanted it to be the one under the sink (where I can see it) and not the one hidden in the back of my dishwasher.
Plumbing attached? Check. On to the electrical. I learned through this that I was missing a strain reliever on my wire, so I did have to run out to the store to grab one. It basically holds the wire in place at the dishwasher’s electrical box, removing any strain on the actual wire connections (since we don’t want those pulling apart!).
I attached the strain reliever, screwed the wire nuts back on to attach the wall wire to the dishwasher wire, and reattached the box cover. Then I held my breath as I went back down to the basement to turn the power back on and make sure my electrical work actually, well, worked.
Houston, we have liftoff.
I also turned the water back on and watched all my plumbing connections to make sure I didn’t have any leaks. Good thing I checked. I did have a small one around that 90-degree elbow. I had to detach the hot water supply, give the elbow another 360-degree spin and reattach everything. Then – after another leak check – I was good to attach this baby to the underside of our counters. Whew.
And just like that my friends (and by “just like that” I mean “three hours later”) – we had a new dishwasher! As Sherry mentioned in her post on Monday, it’s really nice to have something stainless on that side of the kitchen because it makes for some nice balance (the old fridge was almost right next to the old dishwasher, but our new arrangement makes for a better work triangle and looks better too).
And speaking of washing things, Clara got a hold of a paper towel while we were snapping these pics and went on a “wiping” spree. I don’t think she managed to wash any dishes but, well, you’ll see how much ground she covered…
Balance has finally been brought to our appliance triangle, and our dishwasher no longer looks dingy next to our white cabinets. Good stuff.
And the installation process wasn’t nearly as bad as I had prepped myself for. Sure, it did take a bit longer than I had hoped (though it did include one unplanned trip to get that strain reliever), but what project doesn’t?
Here’s the view from the office. You can’t really tell in this picture, but it’s also nice in person how the stainless finish plays off of the sink, faucet, and our new mercury glass pendant light.
And it’s worth mentioning that this has the same protective finish that keeps fingerprints off of it (more on that here). It’s very helpful in our household, since a certain someone’s cleaning techniques still leave a bit to be desired.
Functionally the dishwasher is pretty much the same as our old one. But I do love the added timer countdown on the front of the machine and the note that actually says “clean” when they’re clean (no more calling to each other across the house to ask if they’re dirty or not).
Oh, and you may have also noticed in these pictures that we’re sporting a new dish towel. It’s from Target, and we thought it was a fun addition. Clara agrees.
Who doesn’t love a little black and white chevron? Especially with soft penny tiles in the background to set it off.
Again, Clara’s on board with the decision. Can you tell someone recently learned to smile for the camera on command? “Can you show me your teeth?” has become a very handy phrase around here lately.
Has anyone else ever tackled a dishwasher installation? Did you have smooth sailing? Was there that obligatory unplanned trip to the hardware store? Did it take longer than you thought? Was there a tiny but correctable leak? Did you just learn how to smile on command?
Psst- To see what we did with the box that the dishwasher came in, check out Young House Life today.
carley says
Looks awesome! good idea with the flooring!
How cute is Clara! We’ve been thinking of replacing appliances, but first want to add cabinetry to our kitchen on the eat in side. Our dining room opens to our kitchen, so we never use the eat in part. Our current dishwasher is the kind with the matching faux cabinet on the front..UGLY. Does the protective finish work as well as they say?? I have a 2 year old and a 7 week old so that would be the way we’d go!
Enjoy the trip!!
YoungHouseLove says
So far we love it! It’s on our fridge and stove too and it’s amazing how fingerprint-free it is!
xo,
s
Erica says
My usually very handy husband replaced our dishwasher about 9 months ago, and it was not smooth sailing. It took him 5 hours to install it! There was a trip to the hardware store and lots of frustration.
India says
Looks awesome! That shot of Clara with the chevron tea towel (apart from being totally cute) gives such a cool perspective of the penny tile. Love it so much!!
India xx
Whitney Dupuis says
Wow, what a difference that makes! It really looks great! You are right, the stainless definitely needed balancing in the room and the dishwasher certainly achieves that. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
Lisa G says
Looks great! And Clara is a doll with her new smile. Our dishwasher install had the highest cussing quotient (kids were asleep!) of any other DIY projects for my poor husband. He was very annoyed that they didn’t include the part he needed with the new dishwasher, along with many other issues. But it’s in and we love it- ha! I’m sure y’all will kill it today in Portland.
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
It looks great! Totally balances everything out!
Julia @ Chris loves Julia says
This looks like a completely different kitchen! I can’t believe it!
Oh man. When we installed our new dishwasher months go, it was not a fun task. Chris asked me a couple times, “Exactly how much was it to have it installed?!”
http://chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com/2011/09/whats-not-to-adora.html
Oops! But we had victory just like you. We love it, but I do wish I would have heard about these anti-fingerprint appliances before we splurged on all of ours. :/
Melody says
I have the same dish towel in the exact same spot! Cool beans.
Christina says
Haha! Does Clara have only one sock on? So stinkin’ cute!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! She’s so crazy about pulling them off randomly.
xo,
s
Tamisha says
Looks great….
And I spy that the back of the bookshelves in the dining room have gone back to dark!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, book shoots have wrapped!
xo,
s
hannah says
ditto on the earlier comment about “HO” :) looks like we have the same one, and whenever the water’s not hot enough it flashes “HO HO HO” at us. so, depending on our mood, we either get insulted, or think about Christmas lol. :)
Lisa@wanderdownpennylane says
Looks great guys! I can’t wait to switch out our dishwasher so it is stainless and quieter!
Good Luck today! I am sure you both will be great.
Ginny @ Goofy Monkeys says
The stainless dishwasher looks great! And I totally get that unplanned trip to the store for something (usually screws for us) and now we plan for it LOL ;)
Eileen says
I replaced our dishwasher 2 years ago. Everything was pretty easy except that the old dishwasher was hardwired in and the new one had a plug. At first I thought to just convert the plug and just hardwire it in, but instead changed the supply into an outlet (I heart the internet and TOH).
Good luck today! :)
Soul pretty says
Congratulations…it’s well deserved…your blog is so consistent..it really inspires my blogging.
laxsupermom says
The new dishwasher looks great! We’re lucky to have my hubby’s BFF for projects like this. We DIY everything, but with his BFF a plumber/HVAC tech, we have the pro on hand for dishwasher and disposal installations.
Sarah says
New dishwasher looks great! (Clara is getting so tall!!) Good luck today – you guys will rock it! You know you will!
Reenie says
Looks great ~ and Clara looks adorable….as usual ;)
ginai says
Aww, Clara is soo long! she is going to be a tall girlie! and lucky her, she will be able to eat anything she wants, and ‘probably’ never gain a pound! good genetics!
Now, silly question……. but what is outside the ‘kitchen’ window? I am nosy like that!
Love all that yall do… you inspire me!!
hugs
YoungHouseLove says
That’s the sunroom!
xo,
s
Keryn says
Hahaha Sherry you won’t be this bad! http://acciobrain.ligermagic.com/ch5hermflail.html
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it might be that bad.
xo,
s
Jodee B says
My dad and I actually just installed that EXACT dishwasher in my kitchen last week and I LOOOVE it. It’s so quiet and cleans so well! I also wanted to mention that I also just bought that chevron print towel. haha, great minds think alike! Lots of luck with it!
Giulia says
Once you’ve done it a few times it get’s easier – our last install hubby had to go to the store 3!!! times because he was missing a piece…it was the longest install ever!
BTW, for those with granite counters, instead of screwing into cabinets you can silicon the metal tag thingy to the bottom of the counter, works like a charm.
Mike says
Great in-depth post. I didn’t see it in there, but it’s VERY important to use teflon tape to seal the water connections. Looked like you had it on there in the pictures, but anyone reading would need to know that.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s great stuff!
xo,
s
Miss Riss says
Your new towel is so crisp and clean that I thought it was photoshopped in. I might need to run to target to find me one.
Giulia says
Oh, I forgot to ask – are you thinking of using white trim to replace the black kick-board of the dishwasher and get a nice continuous white baseboard? I’ve seen people replace the standard one and it looks very nice.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that idea!
xo,
s
Sara says
Great post! I’m amazed by the quality you guys have maintained given how insane it’s been for you lately. That kitchen is stunning.
Cynthia LaPan says
Have been waiting with baited breath for this post! Just in awe. Okay, not >just< in awe. Also, jealous. (Even though my kitchen's nice, too!)
So glad to hear that you guys are refinishing the wood floors. (Hoping for a before-and-after post on the kitchen…)
Have fun in Portland!
Sarah says
Holy moly, that looks like a finished kitchen! I know you still have the floor and a few other tweaks here and there, but you could pretend you’re done. (Yay!)
Thinking bout you guys today, you’re gonna knock that baby outta the park and back into the market!
Amy @ this DIY life says
The dishwasher is great and I think we’ll be filing this for when we finish our full kitchen reno. Is it sad that my eyes went straight to that chevron towel in the picture? I’m so in love with it…goodness I think I need a hobby :)
Emily G. says
We’ve replaced dishwashers twice so far. Once in our home in DE, and once in our current rental in NJ. My Dad is a plumber so he was able to help us out the first time no issues. We went it alone in the rental. It was pretty smooth sailing until trying to slide it into it’s new home. It was a bit snug. While my husband pushed from the top I sat on the floor and pushed at the bottom with my feet. Easy peasy except for the dent I made at one of the corners. It’s not noticeable… really. ;)
Debbie says
Wow, the stainless dishwasher really does help to balance out the look! And I love the chevron towel (really anything chevron for that matter). And, is it just me, or is Clara a big girl now? She is growing up before our eyes.
YoungHouseLove says
She’s so big. Sniffle!
xo,
s
Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says
Did you consider just painting the dishwasher with a stainless steel spray paint instead of getting a brand new one?
Katy
YoungHouseLove says
We did! And getting a new stainless panel. Neither were possible for our model (hard to explain, but the way it was installed/built made it impossible to remove the handle to make it work).
xo,
s
Ellen says
It looks great!
We have the same dishwasher and my husband had a terrible time securing it. Ours came with side brackets to attach to the cabinets which you couldn’t get to because the screws would be behind the face of the cabinets and we couldn’t use the top mount kit because we have granite. I think he settled for super glue… Kidding! Now that it’s installed it’s been a great dishwasher.
You guys make things look so easy :)
jo says
I admit this is the first time I have really liked the kitchen redo. The dishwasher brings so much balance. All the other photos with the bisque d/w just made the kitchen look so white. Wow! this change helped a lot. I know the dark floors are going to make an even bigger impact.
Amy @ The Button Casa says
This is a very handy post. Maybe if I show it to my husband he’ll buy me a new dishwasher…
Patti says
Great job John! Those types of installs are so intimidating aren’t they? A quick tip for those of you with stainless steel appliances out there, I highly recommend Stainless Steel Magic (Home Depot has it). It cleans fingerprints and streaks from stainless like nothing else!
P.S.: My son, 22 years old, still hasn’t mastered smiling at the camera. He says he just can’t fake a smile…I never knew it was a challenge for some people!
Shunta says
Sherry!! Clara is looking so much like you! that last picture! I can see so much of you!!!
Julie H. says
Love the dishwasher post.
Just saw you on Portland Fox KPTV (channel 12) talking about the Home
and Garden Show at the Portland Expo.
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhhhhhhh! That was scary because it was live! Did we sound/look crazy?
xo,
s
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
I love how everything is coming together! Your style rocks! Are you planning on a budget breakdown when everything is “completed”?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re keeping a close tally!
xo,
s
Darcy says
I’m so jealous that you can get Clara to smile like that– my son apparently is taking after me, and hates to smile for pictures!! He just won’t do it!! It is taking picture taking to a whole nother level for me — I have to surprise him or be very secret squirrel!! LOL!
I was so happy to see your above comment on how Clara did for you on her first big airplane ride!! Soo happy that it went well for you all!!
I can’t believe what a difference it makes in your kitchen now that the “triangle” is complete — it totally looks so balanced now! Can’t wait to see that gorgeous cork floor down – it is going to be soo amazing!
Hoping you guys are having a fantastic time in Portland, cant wait to hear all about all the fun (and awkward moments)!!! :-)
Caitie says
Looks fantastic!! We finally got ours in about 2 weeks ago!! It’s amazing to not have to wash dishes in the bathtub anymore! (We are sinkless still but next week we get our recycled glass countertops and finally have a sink and faucet!!) EEEEk I’m super excited! Thanks for sharing guys, the kitchen is beautiful!!
Kristen says
Love the way the new dishwasher looks! It makes such a huge difference in balancing the room! And Clara is adorable!
joni says
i think it’s about time for another video house tour!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Amen! As soon as we hide all the secret book projects we’re on it!
xo,
s
Robin @ Our Semi Organic Life says
When we arrived at our newly renovated apartment with brand new dishwasher we had the ultimate let down and found the worst thing: MOLD. Gross and ewww. Luckily we managed to clean it with SOS pads.
http://www.oursemiorganiclife.com/2011/08/how-to-get-rid-of-mold-in-your.html
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad!
xo,
s
Elizabeth @wakeandgather says
Haha take that baby to the market totally sounds like a real saying. Good work!
Jennie says
I am shrieking with excitement for you (on the inside!). I cannot WAIT to redo our kitchen. Unfortunately, that will be the very last thing we do. :(
Laura says
Clara is so insanely cute in these photos. Love that single sock look! My 1yo girl likes to “help” Mama by randomly wiping things with paper towels too. Dishwasher looks great!
Ryan says
“note that actually says “clean” when they’re clean (no more calling to each other across the house to ask if they’re dirty or not).” Oh wow that would be nice. I actually made us a magnetic reversible note to accomplish this.
Ha! Clara has on only one sock in most of these photos : )
Jill says
The first dishwasher my husband and father installed, I electrocuted my honey. I really thought I had flipped the right switch. I’m no longer allowed to help with electrical things unless I want to do them myself.
Have a great time in Portland.
Marina says
Hi! I was wondering if you’re using som sort of plastic sheet under the dishwasher? Sort of like this: http://www.ikea.com/se/sv/catalog/products/10128550/ ? I know it’s in swedish but hopefully you get the idea. If the dishwasher leaks, the water will drop out on the floor in front of the dishwasher to make sure you notice any leaks as soon as possible.
Marina
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! Off to check it out!
xo,
s