Help settle a dishwasher dispute

14 years ago

So until about a year ago, we had a "portable" dish washer, meaning the type on wheels that you could simply attach to the end out a kitchen faucet when needed.

Well, last year, I remodeled the kitchen, and installed a standard under-counter dishwasher with its own electrical circuit.

So here's the problem: My wife fills up the sink with hot water and dishwashing liquid to soak pots and pans. She then puts a load of dishes in the dishwasher and starts it up. She comes back an hour later, and the sink is empty, and all the water has drained out.

I told her this is logical, because when the pump of the dishwasher kicks on to drain, the air causes the rubber stopper in the sink to pop up, thereby allowing all the water to leak out.

She said this is a crock, because she asked other women at work, and nobody else seems to have a problem of soaking dishes in the sink while running the dishwasher, so therefore I installed it wrong.

Since I'm a man who admits there's a .037% chance I could have done something wrong, I figured I'd check it out.

Thanks for any help!

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Comments (5)

homebound
14 years ago
Hmmm. Your explanation might be accurate if the drain is not vented. Anyway, it probably has nothing to do with your install, but your explanation is probably wrong, too.

I suspect you just a have a low grade stopper. Is it a lightweight plastic one that came with the builder-grade disposer (eg. basic insinkerator 1/3 or 1/2 hp?) Or is it a nicer, heavier stopper with a soft rubber gasket? Get one of those and see what happens.

Time to make up!
homebound
14 years ago
This is the kind you want. (see link)

Here is a link that might be useful: stopper
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snoonyb
14 years ago
Let me guess, the sink that is being used to presoak the dishes, logically, also is the sink which has the garbage disposal.
So in the DW drain cycle, the discharge volume may be greater than the waste piping can handle causing the pressure to force the stopper up.
This may also be indicative of a partial obstruction in the waste line, which needs attention.
lazypup
14 years ago
I don't care what the women around the water cooler say,,,the problem is solely a result of operator error...in fact, it is illegal operator error..

The code says a dishwasher MUST DISCHARGE into an "Approved indirect waste receeptor". To qualify as an indirect waste receptor it must be installed before the trap and the top of the receptor must be open to atmospheric air.

Under both the plumbing code and the Federal, State and Local Health Laws if a dishwasher is discharging into a disposal or a dishwasher inlet on a sink tailpiece, the sink drain MUST BE open when the dishwasher is operated.

The solution would be to either install a double sink and soak the pots & pans in the opposite sink from the disposal or soak the pots & pans before or after operating the dishwasher.

If you don't want to believe me I invite you to call your local health inspector or plumbing inspector and you can argue with them,,,,but be forewarned, arguing with health or plumbing inspectors can get very expensive rather quickly.....LOL
weedmeister
14 years ago
You didn't mention if you have an airgap installed with this DW.