ApplianceJournal.com

   The biggest problem with installing a new dishwasher in a home that has never had one is finding the space for it.  Once you’ve done that, the real trouble is getting the plumbing hookup to the right location.  As you look around your kitchen and even the rest of your house, you can’t seem to find a single place for the dishwasher, and you are wondering where you could possibly install such a convenience without the installation becoming too inconvenient.  There are several avenues to pursue in this nature, depending on the overall spatial limitations and the cleverness and wit involved in thinking out the solution.

If you have an area of your kitchen that is nothing but thick wall, and you can get around any support beams within that wall, you can simply cut a new hole to the dimensions of the dishwasher you intend to install.  Of course, if you look at this option from a logical perspective, it is probably the first solution that comes to mind but is certainly not the easiest.  Once the hole for your dishwasher is cut, you have to bring electrical and plumbing connections into the space, which can be much more difficult and costly than the initial process of creating the hole.

Perhaps a more reasonable installation for a new dishwasher that has no previous location is to replace a cabinet in your kitchen.  You probably have one or two cabinets that can be emptied under your kitchen counters, and then the only necessity is to knock out any separating pieces of wood and create a façade around the unit if the opening is larger than the dishwasher itself.  If you can locate the unit in cabinets close to the kitchen sink, you can easily run plumbing to the dishwasher hoses, and you’ll have an easier time getting your AC power to the unit, as well.

Even if you can’t locate the dishwasher in the kitchen where it would normally belong, there are alternatives that can be considered.  While it might not be as convenient to carry the dishes back and forth, locating your dishwasher in the laundry room is an option that still affords you the freedom from spending so much time washing dishes in the sink.  Here, you’ll already have plumbing and electrical connections suitable for a washer and dryer that can double as your hookups for the dishwasher.  It might be a little tight to attempt to fit all three units into the same room, but it is something to consider if there are no other alternatives.

One additional alternative might also come in handy, should all else fail.  Your pantry or a nearby closet of similar size could actually be just the solution you needed.  Many people don’t stock anything in the lower part of their pantries anyway, and others have spare closets all over the house.  The only real challenge here is the same as other applications – getting plumbing and power to the location.  Making one of these a home for your dishwasher can be a chance to take a time and energy saving opportunity for yourself that you otherwise would have turned down.

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