Garbage disposal installation in old house

Plumbing Forums

Help Support Plumbing Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
From another forum.

Question posed to manufacturers:

A high loop is required on the dishwasher drain in the installation instructions for all of your dishwashers. What is the purpose of this? Doesn’t the high loop that is incorporated in to the side of the dishwasher achieve the same thing?

IMO the single clearest answer addressed the specific benefits of a second loop:

Viking: In testing our dishwashers, we have found that the additional high loop in the back of the dishwasher is required for proper draining of the water. We have seen when this piece is not applied that over time the consumer will have issues with the water back up and causing issues with proper drainage and water pooling in a particular area.

Other answers reported were:

Kenmore: "The high loop or air gap must be used to prevent potential backflow contamination of the dishwasher. Local plumbing codes generally dictate the requirements in your area. Section 807.4 of the Uniform Plumbing Code states: "No domestic dishwashing machine shall be directly connected to a drainage system or food waste disposer without the use of an approved dishwasher airgap fitting on the discharge side of the dishwashing machine. Listed airgaps shall be installed with the flood level (FL) marking at or above the flood level of the sink or drainboard, whichever is higher, or separately trapped with the airbreak located on the stand pipe."

GE: "If an air gap is not required, the drain hose must have the high loop from the floor to prevent backflow of water into the dishwasher or water siphoning out during operation."

Bosch: The high loop in the drain hose of your dishwasher is to keep water from settling in the hose if it were hanging down any lower or horizontally. This keeps the drain hose dried out and keeps any odors from backing up into the dishwasher.
 
I’d love to see a picture of how that connects. Sounds interesting with a vent between the dishwasher and the drain.
Ok, I found an old picture, now this was the original concept and it has been made more permanent. I created it originally with flex hose so I could watch it work and make sure that it would. I hate posting this stuff, as I will certainly catch a lot of grief.. but here it is.
 

Attachments

  • 20191108_091505.jpg
    20191108_091505.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 0
You’ll get no grief from me. Your configuration wouldn’t stop water from backing out of the dishwasher if the branch drain clogged downstream and someone was running water innthe k-sink or any other fixture/appliance on that branch and the dishwashers backflow prevention is fouled and they are often fouled and do not seal over time. Water would flow out of the bottom of the door.

True several things must happen in order for this to occur but the fact is, they often do because I’ve seen it personally many times. It often promts an urgent phone call 🤣.
 
You’ll get no grief from me. Your configuration wouldn’t stop water from backing out of the dishwasher if the branch drain clogged downstream and someone was running water innthe k-sink or any other fixture/appliance on that branch and the dishwashers backflow prevention is fouled and they are often fouled and do not seal over time. Water would flow out of the bottom of the door.

True several things must happen in order for this to occur but the fact is, they often do because I’ve seen it personally many times. It often promts an urgent phone call 🤣.
Urgent phone call, more like asking my wife " What did you do now" but your right if the branch line clogged that could certainly happen.
 
I have a Bosch dishwasher and I put the second loop on it. We have had it for several years now and never a problem. Never any
water lying in dishwasher.
 
Ok, I found an old picture, now this was the original concept and it has been made more permanent. I created it originally with flex hose so I could watch it work and make sure that it would. I hate posting this stuff, as I will certainly catch a lot of grief.. but here it is.

Where does your vent hose go ?
 
Whether or not there’s a “built in” high loop isn’t really relevant. If the installation instructions call for an [external] high loop or deck mounted air gap you just do it.

As for installation of a disposal in an older home, I think you may be looking for trouble. Last summer I did a serious inspection of a 1940s home in northern Michigan. Mostly original kitchen. Under sink, the drain plumbing was just 1.25”, then in the basement transitioned to 1” galvanized! No flipping way you could have a disposal in that old house situation and have it work.

I returned to the home this past week. New owners gutted the house and were running into a myriad of structural issues. They had yet to get to the plumbing and electrical but they said that was the easy part—rip it all out 100% and start new.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top