Dishwasher installation questions

I have a few easy questions about installing a dishwasher.

1) Home Depot sells a dishwasher drain hose that is a white corrugated plastic with molded on black rubber boots on both ends. It seems to me that this is hose is very light duty. Is this reliable or should I search for something more heavy duty at a plumbing store?

2) There is currently a 1 1/2" ABS "tee" with a threaded plug installed under the kitchen sink after the "P" trap (ie. water from the kitchen sinks flows through the P trap and then past the this tee). Is this tee intended to be a clean out or is this where the plumber intended for me to connect the dishwasher drain? If so, shouldn't the dishwasher drain hose connect before the P trap?

3) The dishwasher instructions state that the drain hose should loop up 20" off the floor. Is this to trap sewer gas or is it to keep water in the bottom of the dishwasher between wash cycles in order to lubricate the dishwasher seal? How do you normally loop the drain hose up 20". I was thinking about using a bungee cord?

4) For the drain connection, I can either thread a 3/4" copper pipe or a 3/4" plastic barbed fitting into the ABS. Which is more reliable? Seems to be that the copper is more sturdy, but I don't know if the copper will get eaten away by the detergent over time? Should I use pipe dope or Teflon thread seal tape at this threaded connection?

5) The water supply line at Home Depot comes with a 3/8" NPT brass elbow. This elbow must be screwed into the dishwasher water valve which I believe is brass too. Is it better to use pipe dope or Teflon thread seal tape at this joint? Which is more reliable

Sorry for all of the questions. I want to do it right. Thanks in advance for your help!

Don

I have a few easy questions about installing a dishwasher.

1) Home Depot = not exactly sure about home depot but what you have described sounds like the normal tubing that comes with a new dishwasher.

2) that is a cleanout plug. Yes your dishwasher must connect before entering the P trap into a dishwasher tailpiece. you might need a dishwasher air gap fitting depending on where you live to meet code.

3) It's actually to keep water from backing up from the sink into the dishwasher. see #2 about air gap. Provided that the drain hose is coming through the cabinet very low, I loop it all the way up under the countertop and back down into the dishwasher tailpiece. Then I secure it with a 3/4in stap on either side of the inverter "U" that you just made.

4) going back to question #2 you need to install a dishwasher tailpiece and slip the correct end over the side outlet and secure it with a hose clamp.

5) because you are not soldering and heating the joint up either one will do.

Jeffreyhel, thank you for your quick response!

1) Can anyone post a link to a photo of a dishwasher "air gap" fitting so that I can see what they look like.

2) Is it necessary to use a "Y" shaped 1 1/2" ABS fitting where drain connection is made to "direct" the drain water in the correct direction?

3) Any recommendations on whether to use a plastic dishwaher tailpiece or make one out of copper for this application?

Thanks again!

that plastic hose is standard fare for DW drains - it will work fine (there's no pressure to speak of)

do you have a garbage disposer? if so, there should be a connector there (probably plugged) for the DW drain to connect.

No garbage disposer or DW drain currently in place.

1) Can anyone post a link to a photo of a dishwasher "air gap" fitting so that I can see what they look like.

2) Is it necessary to use a "Y" shaped 1 1/2" ABS fitting where drain connection is made to "direct" the drain water in the correct direction?

3) Any recommendations on whether to use a plastic dishwaher tailpiece or make one out of copper for this application?