advice on and cost to install a dishwasher?

illig · February 2010

i lease an apartment (ground floor, so flooding danger is minimal) and i use a portable dishwasher... but rolling the thing around and hooking it up to the sink is a complete PITA, so i'd like to talk to my landlord about installing a real, under counter dishwasher.

to make my landlord more amenable to something like this, i was hoping to cover either the appliance or the installation, or a portion of both, but before even suggesting it, i'd like to get some info:

has anyone done this?

is this feasible in an apartment without major kitchen demo?

I assume we'd need to remove one of the bottom cabinets, and tie into the water lines (already there for sink), drain (ditto), and electric (there are outlets around)....

anything else to think of?

opossumqueen · February 2010

Maybe you should check with a local appliance store, like the one on 7th near Union. Those guys have always been nice when I'm in and I bet they can give you good info on technicalities and costs.

stacey · February 2010

The one lesson I learned about ANY repair/installation you make is be prepared to find another underlying problem around. When we took down our walls it was - "well you need to replace this insulation", once we took out the insulation it was "now we have to fix these beams" (you get the picture).
So if the building is old, the plumbing probably is. Which means that it might be more than just "tying" in to the existing pipes.

As for electric - I don't know the specific terms but the outlet you plug it into has to be a GFI and has to be able to handle the dishwasher.

Good luck.

PS - Does your landlord know you have the portable one? If not, you better check your lease to see if you are even allowed one.

g2bdon · February 2010

I am a L/L and did exactly that to make the rental apartment more attractive. It is not a big deal. You need to remove the existing cabinet (the D/W should fit exactly into that space-of course measure first and go online to see specs on standard D/W's); new D/W will be hard-wired (no outlet or GFI) so you need to have a power supply nearby (BX cable to run from it) ;hot water supply is already at the sink and needs to be Tee'd to supply the D/W; waste (drain line) will go into the existing drain (slight modification with a new drain pipe that accommodates the D/W drain and the sink drain.) D/W's use minimal electrical power.

brooklynjack · February 2010

Dishwashers come in 18" and 24" wide sizes so you will need to have either an 18" or 24" wide cabinet next to the sink to remove. There is more selection in 24" dishwashers and they are cheaper

illig · February 2010

thanks for the advice. yes my LL knows about my portable dishwasher, and they're open to modifications that improve the unit (i installed closet organizers, wall mounts for TVs, with their blessing)

i'll get some estimates and talk to them.... both cabinets seem to be 30" though. hope that's not a big issue.

brooklynjack · February 2010

illig wrote:

i'll get some estimates and talk to them.... both cabinets seem to be 30" though. hope that's not a big issue.

It'll leave you with a hole

Are they side by side? you can replace the 2 30" with a 24" DW plus 2 18" cabinets or one cabinet with an 18" DW and 12" cabinet

You'll pay a couple hundred dollars more for the 18" DW but less for new cabinets and instillation and won't loose as much cabinet space

brooklynjack · February 2010

BTW the best of the 18" DW are the GE Monogram, about $750 and the Bosch about $1000 (the Bosch is quieter but doesn't have a built in garbage disposal) those prices do not include trim packages which could be a stainless panel or match the cabinetry. A basic decent 18" DW is going to be just over $500 but with stainless interior. PC Richard has some on display

You can get a 24" DW for under $400 but it'll have plastic liner

Then you have the problem of matching your cabinets unless you can find someone that can cut one down what you have to the right size, maybe whynot?

whynot_31 · February 2010

Thought: smaller the dishwasher, the less it will hold, and the more often you will have to run it.

...it could take days to do the dishes after a Thanksgiving for 8.

but it might be ideal for a couple.

Cutting down a cabinet should be a last resort. The person would have to decontruct and reconstruct the door, not just cabinet.

brooklynjack · February 2010

With just the 2 of us we run our 18" DW every 2 or 3 days It will accommodate 6 place settings easily and it is a low end unit. The GE Monogram, which I want to upgrade to is very efficient inside

RE cutting down a cabinet. I suppose if you know where they came from and the manufacturer still makes them then replacing is an option but realistically though...

acdwhole · February 2011

There are many compact portable countertop dishwashers to choose from especially the Premia 6 Place Setting Countertop Compact Dishwasher. One with a recent reviews:

I love the new dishwasher it works really well and is very quiet. Thanks so much,J

It comes with a faucet adapter in which you don't have to disconnect the hosing in order to use the faucet or the dishwasher. It's a great machine under $300.

You can find it at the lowest price at .

advice on and cost to install a dishwasher?

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