How to Attach a Water Pipe to a Dishwasher

Dishwashers receive water through a short length of soft copper tubing or a flexible water supply line. The tubing or flexible line either connect to a dedicated water supply valve or a dual-outlet supply valve beneath an adjacent sink. Both copper tubing and flexible supply lines attach to a dishwasher's elbow inlet with compression-type connections. These connections require only common hand tools for installation. Route the copper tube or flexible supply line before you push the dishwasher against the wall; an installed dishwasher blocks access to the rear and sides of its opening.

Dishwasher elbow
Pipe thread seal tape
Adjustable wrenches
Copper tubing or flexible supply line

Instructions

- 1
  Pull the dishwasher away from the wall. Gently lay the dishwasher on its back. Locate the side of the dishwasher elbow that is capped with a nut; this side is the compression side and the opposite side is the pipe-thread side.
- 2
  Wrap a layer of pipe-thread seal tape around the pipe-thread side of the elbow. Wrap the tape clockwise to cover the exposed threads. Insert the pipe-thread side of the elbow into the dishwasher's water inlet. Twist the elbow clockwise to join the elbow's threads with the inlet's threads. Turn the elbow clockwise until hand tight.
- 3
  Attach an adjustable wrench to the elbow and turn the elbow roughly 1/4 turn past hand tight or until the compression side of the elbow faces the appliance's rear. The compression side must face the rear of the machine to easily accept the water supply line.
- 4
  Twist the elbow's compression nut counterclockwise. Loosen and remove the compression nut and ferrule from the elbow. Set the nut and ferrule aside. Pull the copper supply tubing or flexible supply line through the cabinetry and into the dishwasher's opening.
- 5
  Position the tubing or supply line at the front of the opening or near the final installation position of the dishwasher elbow. Flip the dishwasher onto its wheels, roll it over the supply line and carefully align it in the opening.
- 6
  Reach beneath the dishwasher and grip the copper tubing or flexible supply line. If you are using copper tubing, slip the compression nut onto the end of the copper tubing with the nut's threads facing the open end of the tubing. Slip the ferrule onto the tubing and press the ferrule against the nut's threads.
- 7
  Align the flexible supply line's nut with the open end of the dishwasher elbow. If you are using copper tubing, press the tubing into the open end of the elbow. Butt the flexible supply line's nut against the elbow's threads and turn clockwise to tighten. For copper tubing, slide the compression nut and ferrule toward the end of the tubing, butt the ferrule and nut against the elbow's threads and turn clockwise to tighten.
- 8
  Tighten the flexible line's or copper tubing's nut by hand. Attach an adjustable wrench to the nut and turn roughly 1/4 turn to fully tighten.

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Dishwashers