A dishwasher is one of the easiest home appliances to install. Because of this, many homeowners make several mistakes because they did not give ample attention to the installation process. This article discusses some helpful tips that will enable you to avoid many of the mistakes that less alert homeowners make as they install new dishwashers.

Double Check Everything

Many people know that they have to disconnect the water supply and the power before they begin the dishwasher installation process. However, not many take the trouble to confirm that water and power have been turned off. For instance, very few use a multimeter to be sure that no current is flowing to the dishwasher. This may be a mistake because some older houses have electrical panels that are wrongly labeled. Thus, you may think that you have disconnected the power and yet you used a wrong breaker. Double-checking helps to eliminate any risk that you will suffer an electric shock or flood the floor with water.

Anticipate a Mess

No homeowner can guarantee that the process of installing a new dishwasher will not result in a messed up floor. It is therefore advisable for you to be proactive and prepare for that mess before it happens. Have several rags ready in case some water spills as you remove the old dishwasher in order to replace it with the new one. The rags will also be of great help in case you accidentally disconnect the hoses without disconnecting the water supply first. The task of cleaning up the worksite after the installation will be easier because you will have captured most of the water as soon as it poured or spilled.

Install an Air Gap

An air gap is a small cylinder that is usually installed on the back rim of the kitchen sink. The purpose of this device is to prevent the backflow of sewage into your dishwasher. You should consider installing this device even if it is not mandatory for you to have it in your area. Other mechanisms to prevent backflow, such as the use of a check valve, may not be reliable during all situations. For instance, a piece of food may make the check valve to remain locked in the open position. When that happens, the check valve may no longer do its work of preventing sewage backflow.

The installation process will not have any mishaps when you use this information to complement the installation guidelines provided for that specific model of dishwasher that you have purchased.