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Unit: Installing furnishing products

Supporting: LMFFM3006B Install furnishing products

Section 3: Installing appliances

Dishwashers and sinks


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Dishwashers

Dishwashers are generally positioned under the bench top and close to the sink, so that they can share a common waste pipe. The plumbing outlets and powerpoint are typically housed in the sink cabinet, because there is often very little space behind the dishwasher once it's pushed into position.

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The powerpoint needs to be freely accessible without having to remove the dishwasher.

This means that you'll need to cut access holes into the sink cabinet for the water hose, electrical lead and waste hose.

Normally one hole will go through the side of the sink cabinet into the plinth area and another hole through the floor of the cabinet.

The holes can be cut with a hole saw.

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The space you leave for the dishwasher should be tight enough to give it a built-in appearance, but with at least 5 mm on each side for clearance.

Dishwasher heights are generally in the range of 820 to 870 mm, but remember that if a floor covering is going to be installed under the dishwasher, you'll need to add the thickness of the flooring to get the effective height.

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Sinks

Most sinks are 'over-mount', meaning that the outer flange sits on top of the bench top. The sink manufacturer may provide a template to mark the cut-out lines in the bench top.

Alternatively, you can turn the sink upside down, trace the outline, and then draw the cut-out line inside that mark, making sure you have the correct amount of overlap for the mounting clips to function properly.

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Put a bead of mould-resistant waterproof sealant around the top edge of the cut-out and place the sink on top.

Then tighten up the clips.

Wipe off any excess sealant that has oozed out with a damp cloth.

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Learning activity

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Have another look at the drawing of the sink plumbing beside the dishwasher. You'll see that the waste pipes from the two sinks go through a P trap before the pipe drops down through the floor.

All waste pipes go through an S trap or P trap. 'S' and 'P' refer to the shape the pipe forms in the U-bend. The purpose of a trap is to permanently hold water.

Why do you think it would be necessary to do that? Here's a hint - all waste pipes that run into the sewerage system have an S trap or P trap.

Write down your answer and share it with your trainer and other learners in your group. If you're sharing your answers via email or the web, you might also want to take a photo of the waste pipe under the sink or basin in the nearest kitchen or bathroom and include it as an attachment. Write down what type of trap it is (that is, either S or P).

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