Also, consider how and where the dishwasher door will open. Keep in mind the dish traffic flow between the sink and dishwasher. A kitchen wall that is backed up by a bathroom vanity or a washing machine would work well as plumbing access for a dishwasher. Locations farther away from the sink need a hot water supply line, a drain line and a 20-amp electrical circuit. The dishwasher opening needs to be far enough away from the sink wall to allow room to stand in front of the sink with the dishwasher door open. I’ve built plenty of U-shaped kitchens where the dishwasher front was 90 degrees to the sink cabinet face. You can see that nowhere near the sink is there a dishwasher, which was the main problem we were trying to address with this little remodel project.ĭishwashers can be located away from the sink cabinet, but generally they need to be within a few feet so the sink plumbing can be used for the water supply and drain. Although this kitchen had gone through several paint colors, floor coverings and even some countertop changes since the 1950’s, the cabinet layout had not changed. I’ve seen quite a few kitchens like this in neighborhoods where dishwashers were offered as an option-the standard was a dishwasher-sized cabinet where the dishwasher should be. What if the kitchen was constructed without a built-in dishwasher in mind? If there happens to be a 24-inch cabinet next to the sink base cabinet, you can simply remove that cabinet and you’re golden.
The resulting dishwasher opening needs a strong-back or ledger installed at the back of the opening to help support the countertop, but the front is simply left open while the countertop bridges over the opening. Leaving a 24-inch opening next to the sink cabinet works in most cases. If you are designing a kitchen from scratch, it’s easy to accommodate for a dishwasher. Lacey Melton, my son Tim’s fiancée, did not consider the lack of a dishwasher in her 1950’s era house to be either quaint or retro.
#How to replace a dishwasher where there was none install
Photos by Larry and Tim Walton Step by Step instructions for reconfiguring your kitchen cabinets to install a dishwasher. Alternative Heating & Fireplace Inserts.