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.
Sheena says
Haha! I noticed to sock too! Too Cute! :)
Laura says
As the parent of a 2 year old, I couldn’t help but notice that your oven doesn’t have a childproof latch. Do the newer ones have an internal one that I just can’t see? If not, you may want to consider this:
http://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Oven-Front-Lock/dp/B0056S8AGW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329930901&sr=8-1
We have a gas stove, so we have to cover the knobs too, but you guys thankfully don’t have that problem!
Love your stainless steel triangle btw! Looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Karen F says
It’s AMAZING what a difference the stainless steel dishwasher makes – it looks awesome! Great job on the install, too. Side note, Clara is getting so big, and what a good “helper” she is!
I SO wish I knew about the anti-fingerprint applicances before I bought mine. Someone should create a product that you can apply afterwards (to regular appliances) to make them fingerprint-proof. I’d buy it!
Good luck today!
Jenny says
Hey! That’s our dishwasher! We love it. Kitchen’s looking great!
Michele says
Whoo! That was a brave (but oh so rewarding!) DIY! I am always nervous to mess with anything electrical. We just replaced the ceiling fan in our kitchen (which I thought was a terrible idea when we moved in…blowing up dust, etc.) with a new light fixture. That’s the bravest we’ve got so far.
Do you have window treatment plans in mind for your kitchen window? I am planning on replacing our std blinds w/ DIY cafe curtains as soon as I find some material I like. Can’t wait to see what you do! I love reading your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
We do talk about either something textured with a roman shade or something fun with fabric like a roman shade. Will keep you posted!
xo,
s
Mary says
Good score on the d/w that cheap! I just paid about $900 for a similar one.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks!
xo,
s
Lauren L says
omggggg that chevron towel is making me swoon. And I love the Clara wiping spree pics. Literally made me laugh out loud.
sharon says
tip for those whose dishwashers aren’t as high-tech: i use magnets to indicate dishwasher status (we only run it every 3 days or so, and don’t always empty it immediately either).
i have a magnet that says “to do” for when it’s holding dirty dishes and use a green colored magnet once i’ve turned on the dishwasher.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo,
s
trina says
This Etsy seller http://www.etsy.com/shop/DishwasherSign has great streamlined magnets that you just slide to/from clean and dirty. So good!
YoungHouseLove says
CUTE!!
xo,
s
Amanda P says
Very nice!! Esp like the chevron towels. Where are they from?
YoungHouseLove says
Target! Very cheap too. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Anna says
Clara has so many teeth! I don’t know much about kids so I guess I expected her to still only have a few. I seriously almost thought she had fake teeth or dentures in when I glanced at her. Hahaha.
I was telling my husband this morning how excited I am to meet John & Sherry tonight. He goes, “Who? John Cherry?” And I said “NO! John AND Sherry!” He had no idea who I am talking about — even though he is coming with me AND I have talked about you guys nonstop for, like, ever. I warned you he will be the bewildered one at the event tonight. See you soon.
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahahha. John Cherry. Too funny. Can’t wait to meet you!
xo,
s
Kim says
Woohoo! My siblings and I went in on a dishwasher for my parents for Christmas. Theirs was 10+ years old and had a ton of missing spokes on the shelves–the manufacturer wanted to charge over $100 just to replace one shelf! So we got them a new dishwasher and paid for the install. I figured my dad could handle it on his own but it was his Christmas present–that would just be mean! :)
Lindsay says
It looks gorgeous – I love it Sherdog (and John). Can’t wait to see the floors – I’m having a hard time envisioning them so I am excited to see them done. Have a fab time in Portland!
lisa says
Your continuous adjustments in the kitchen make me smile. I love doing renovations that let you see accomplishments every day.
I know this is not related to your post, but when time permits, I would love to hear if you still like your bar stools. We’re on the hunt for counter height stools and the price is right. Please share.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes we live them! Even my mom commented that they were comfy!
xo,
s
Maggie Rose says
Welcome to the West (ahem BEST) Coast! Wish I could have made it down from Seattle (I got an invite and everything!) but it’s a 3 hour drive each way during a busy week. I’m hoping that Seattle will be on the book tour list since I’m missing out this time. Don’t miss Voodoo Donuts (crazy toppings like cereal and gummy worms) and some Stumptown coffee. xo Maggie
Pam the Goatherd says
My husband installs dishwashers (as well as other appliances) for a living. I’ve gone on some dishwasher installs with him and I must say that it’s not a fun job. You guys were lucky that you had such an easy time of it! My husband has run into crumbling plumbing that has needed to be replaced, weird electrical hook-ups, among other things.
Love Clara’s smile! Her smile is Sherry’s smile through and through! And I love the one sock on, one sock off! Adorable!
Diane says
Wow, huge visual difference in balance and ‘it-looks-right-now-ness.’ Major impact! Seems like a pretty efficient install for someone’s first time, too. Can’t wait to see the cork floor – I need to read some old posts – can’t remember if you’re installing those yourself?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’re planning to tackle them ourselves!
xo,
s
Michelle says
Love the new dishwasher breaks up all that white. Looks really nice. Enjoy!
Rad Designing says
Whaaaa? It tells you when they are clean? Freakin genius…
almk42 says
That 90 degree elbow thingy? Yeah, my best friend’s dishwasher in her condo in college broke, and her dad, a Civil Engineer with three daughters, simply bought a new dishwasher and dropped it off in her apartment. She was supposed to install it herself. That was no problem, she’d grown up doing all sorts of things like that, and she managed to get everything wired and set up, except the elbow from the old dishwasher didn’t fit the plumbing for the new one. So, off we went to Home Depot. She brought me along because I was studying physics and that helps, right? and hey, shopping is shopping. Well, they didn’t have an elbow that was the right size on the dishwasher end. We tried to track down an employee, but apparently they had no one working the plumbing department that day, and the one sales associate we could find didn’t know the male end from a female end on a pipe fitting. So, we managed to kluge two pieces together, took them back and installed them. Happy ending, no leaks, and a new dishwasher. Who says girls can’t use tools?
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I love it.
xo,
a
Nicole says
Ahh, I’m so excited to see the new dishwasher… I’ve been waiting for this post for months, the bisque color was killing me! It looks awesome… good luck today!
Lindsay @ Me, Ed and Pea says
We installed our dishwasher by ourselves and it wasn’t toooo bad. The toughest part was reining in my dad who thinks it’s better to just guess instead of reading the installation instructions :-/
Tovah says
Your kitchen is looking so amazing! I can’t wait to see the floors finish it off. That new dishwasher sure is snazzy! And I hope you have fun in Portland–my old hometown and it is full of great people and fun restaurants.
Julia says
Love the dishwasher – do you mind if I ask what brand? We have been looking to upgrade our lovely builder-grade and partially broken white one, but everything we have found is at least 600 bucks.
I will say though, as much as I love the dishwasher, I was disappointed not to be able to see just a little preview of the cork peeking out from underneath it! I think I am more excited to see it than you guys are! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
We got a set of Frigidaire Gallery appliances (had them in our last house and really liked them).
xo,
s
Erin @ One Project at a Time says
I actually fixed our broken dishwasher after hours of Google searches and purchasing a couple of different parts. I never thought it was something that I could take on, but in the end it wasn’t really that hard, and it saved us the $400 quote we got to fix it! Boujah! http://oneprojectatatime.blogspot.com/2011/08/just-call-me-maytag-man.html
YoungHouseLove says
Niiiice!
xo,
s
Jackie Toye says
I was looking forward to seeing the dishwasher, but Clara stole my attention. She’s getting so big and her hair is growing in. Cute kid! Ok back to the project. Great tip on the “before the flooring” install.
Michelle says
We have replaced dishwashers, fridges (adding water lines for ice makers), replacing above range micros.. added above range micros when there wasn’t one to begin with (also adding the extra breaker so it is on its own circuit). Most cases, it was smooth sailing. But it is guaranteed with plumbing and elec. there is at least one trip to the hardware store. Currently, we are adding a 220 outlet to switch over from a gas dryer to an elec. The ignitor keeps going on the darn thing. It’s become a yearly tradition. Hubby has replaced it 3 times in the last 3 yrs. We like doing home projects ourselves and seldom pay to have work done. I have enjoyed seeing the transformation of your kitchen!! Looks great!!!
Candice says
Yeah! Finally all of your appliances match! Isn’t it funny how bisque appliances look dingy next to white cabinets? I have antique white cabinets that perfectly match my bisque appliances and they don’t look dingy at all.
Heidi P. says
Ooooh, aaaaah. Lovely. Good work John.
p.s. Glad to hear Clara did so well on the plane! Good luck today!
Amber S says
I love the part about your electric boxes. Our box is quite confusing. The only trustworthy labels are the ones my husband and I have made. It makes for interesting projects when the babe is sleeping. “Here’s to hoping her fan/sound machine/etc. doesn’t turn off…” We also love being able to use our cell phones!! :)
The new washer looks great! Can’t wait to see the rest of the flooring!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes!!! We cross our fingers that we’re not turning off the sound machine or the internet every time!
xo,
s
Alan G says
we have that same dishwasher…We LOVE it! :)
Julie says
J&S,
I have been following your blog for a long time now and am so sad that I will be missing your Portland visit this weekend! It’s bitter sweet because we are heading out on our honeymoon. :-)
If you ever return to Portland, please know you have a tour guide and a house to crash! We are working on our 1914 craftsman (kitchen specifically at the moment) and you have been a huge inspiration.
Have a great time in our beautiful city!
Julie
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Julie! Have so much fun!
xo,
s
Nicole says
It looks amazing! I agree the placement of all of the stainless steel could not have been more perfect. I think it also helps bring out the hardware on the cabinets. Great choices guys! And that Clara is such a cutie! Do you offer her up for hourly cleaning jobs?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, sure if you don’t mind sticky fingerprints that may or may not come with that!
xo,
s
Jen says
I don’t know why I was so shocked at how much more finished your space looks with that simple change. I mean I knew it would help, but wow, it really unified it ALL and I can’t stop drooling. Just lovely. And that towel is such a fun pop, sometimes it’s the really simple little things that can add a fun statement to a room. Or maybe it’s that sweet little Clara… yeah, that’s probably it! <3
xoxo,
Jen
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jen!
xo,
s
Hailey says
I so needed this post in November!!! We spent more then 5 hours figuring ours out lol. And made multiple trips to the hardware store.
Sad to be missing you guys since you are in my hometown! Go Portland, and you guys will rock the stage :)
Pia says
Installed one. Seriously simple. Worked perfectly. But then the dishwasher connection thingy broke and we had a nice water leak under the bench. And we didn’t notice anything for quite a while. Needed to replace the floorboards, heating pad to dry up the concrete and everything. Soooo annoying. This time we made sure to install the required (in Sweden we love our rules) plastic cover that has a drop pipe in front so that you will be warned directly when you have a water leak. Recommend that you slide one of those in there….
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! Will look into it for sure!
xo,
s
Adriane says
Oh you two….this is the kitchen of my DREAMS. I’m beyond jealous! I’m also so grateful for how detailed you guys are with sharing your projects, it’s so inspiring. Thank you soooo much.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Adriane! So sweet of you to say that!
xo,
s
Rachel @ Common to Moms says
If I were really being considerate I would save my comment till a day when you all aren’t so crazy busy with speaking engagements, but as I read your post with my 23 month old in my lap she kept pointing to Clara saying “baby! baby! Hi Baby!!” so I had to tell you to tell Clara that Melody says “hi” :)
Also I am loving the chevron towel. Love that pattern in the kitchen :)
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! Clara says hi back.
xo,
s
Jane says
This kitchen would be sooo nice with a dark paint color like deep charcoal or navy…are you guys thinking about changing the grellow at all?
YoungHouseLove says
We love the grellow, but when the dark mocha cork floors go in we’ll have an entire plane of dark rich color for contrast.
xo,
s
Maggie says
Good job on the installation, even with having to get a part (which I think should have been included in the box).
Taking three hours seems good to me. I am way slower, because I make my self read the directions, and half the time the illustrations don’t make sense to me. Have fun in Portland, and hope the weather is decent for you.
Katie says
This is kind of a random question, but just curious what your kitchen windows look out to? (The window color we can see in the pics goes perfect with your stunning, double-take – make that ‘tripple-take’ kitchen makeover!… just wondered if you guys had a pretty view to look out at too? :) Hope you are enjoying Portland! We’re Oregonians but down in the SW corner of the state – wish we were up there at the Home & Garden show to meet you in person! :) High tens comin’ atchya on an incredible blog & job- beyond well-done…
YoungHouseLove says
Oddly enough it actually looks into our sunroom! The funny thing is that the window over the sink in our first house did that too! It’s a pretty view beyond that, and thankfully that room is bright and sunny and full of windows.
xo,
s
Alli R says
What are those new (to me) stacking glass jar things next to the cereal!?!?!?!? looks fun!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from HomeGoods! It’s fun because they’re all nested on top of each other. Will probably use them to hold uncooked rice and pasta or something!
xo,
s
Michelle says
They have those at Kirkland’s. It’s a home decor store usually found in malls. They had 2 sizes, one just like Sherry’s and one a little bit smaller. I think they were $16 and $20!
heather says
I posted about installing our new (to us, but only for now before we get a newer one in a few years) dishwasher a while back. My husband did all the leg work and hooking-upping while I did the photographing-squealing while he did the throwing-the-old-one-down-the-stairs-of-the-deck while I missed the photo opportunity because I was laughing and trying not to because the previous owners put our old dishwasher in so wonky it was a pain in the butt to come out.
Ahhh I love it.
I can’t wait for stainless steel. Mmmm….
http://www.likeacupoftea.com/things-only-adults-get-excited-over-appliances/
Joe Adelaide says
The kitchen looks great, Id love to see more pictures from the stove to the other end of the room to see how you have married the island to the area with the fireplace. and maybe a plan of the house, though itsprobably somewhere on your site already.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we owe you more photos from that POV for sure! We had some secret book stuff on that end of the room so we couldn’t shoot that way for a while. Soon I hope!
xo,
s
Christina says
Welcome to Portland! The sun is peeking through the clouds a little bit…I hope it holds so you can enjoy your time in the city. Best of luck at the Home & Garden Show!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! We love it here!
xo,
s
Lacey says
Beautiful kitchen!! I cannot wait to see it with the cork floors! I just redid my kitchen but I’m thinking about doing it again to be an exact duplicate of yours! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lacey! You’re sweet.
xo,
s
Carolyn says
Take that baby to the market! Hahaa … hope you guys are having a fun time in Portland. Can’t wait to hear about your adventures when you return! : )
Casey says
Where in the world did you get those dish towels? LOVE.
YoungHouseLove says
Target! Love it.
xo,
s
Martha says
The picture of Clara right in front of the dishwasher is awesome – really good reference of how tall she is getting!!!
sinika says
I saw those dishtowels at target and bought the whole stack… and the colored ones too. Love them!
nat says
What a gorgeous kitchen you guys have created! Congratulations;-)