Can You Fit a Dishwasher Yourself?

Enclosure Preparation

• One of the concerns you may have about installing a built-in dishwasher yourself is how it will fit into your kitchen cabinetry. The enclosure for most dishwashers must be 24 inches deep and 24 inches wide. Most cabinets are 24 inches deep and the dishwasher is made to fit under standard-height countertops. This leaves the width, which may be as simple as removing a standard-sized 24-inch-wide cabinet from near the kitchen sink. With this done, the enclosure should be ready to accept your dishwasher.

Electrical Connections

• The electrical requirements may vary from machine to machine, but connecting your dishwasher to the electrical system of your home may be no more complicated than installing a light fixture. Some dishwashers have a standard three-prong power cord that plugs into a wall outlet. Other units require that they be hardwired to the electrical system. If your home is not already wired to accept a dishwasher, you may need to install an electrical box or outlet under the kitchen sink cabinet or at the rear of the dishwasher enclosure. Check local regulations regarding electrical work in your home before making modifications. Consider having a licensed electrician do this if you are not comfortable doing electrical work.

Plumbing Connections

• Your dishwasher requires a source of hot water and a drain. A hot water supply line can be tapped into the existing hot water line under the kitchen sink. If you have dabbled in plumbing, you may already know that working with PVC pipe is as simple as cutting the pieces to length, attaching the appropriate connectors and elbows and gluing the pieces together. The drain is even simpler, in that the drain hose from the dishwasher can be connected to the sink drain or to the garbage disposal.

Details

• Once the enclosure and the electrical and plumbing connections have been sorted out, the rest is in the details. The dishwasher is secured with brackets that either attach to the underside of the countertop or to the sides of the surrounding cabinetry. Adjustable legs on the underside of the dishwasher can be turned to level the unit. When finished, the lower front cover is installed with screws.