How to Install a Dishwasher With a Height Adjustment

A dishwasher cannot sit at its full height when you first slide it into position, otherwise installing and removing the dishwasher would be much more difficult. Not all kitchen floors sit level, meaning the dishwasher will not sit level unless you adjust its height. The dishwasher’s front feet are made longer or shorter when turned clockwise or counterclockwise, finalizing the installation before mounting the dishwasher to the counter.

Height adjustment allows you to level the dishwasher once in position.

Step 1

Thread the dishwasher’s water supply line onto the water supply valve. Feed the water supply line to the cavity where the dishwasher will sit, and then tip the dishwasher backward. Remove the screws holding the bottom plate to the dishwasher’s front and thread the water supply line onto the water inlet connection.

Step 2

Feed the electrical supply wires through the opening in the dishwasher’s electrical box. Twist the same-colored wires together and thread wire nuts onto the connections. Tightening the screws on the electrical box where the wires feed inside holds the wires in place.

Step 3

Connect the drain line to the sink’s drain line or disposal, and the drain connection of the underside of the dishwasher. Tightening the screws on the hose clamps at either end of the drain line secures the connections.

Step 4

Slide the dishwasher into its cavity, stopping once its front sits flush with the surrounding cabinetry. Open the dishwasher’s front door and hold a level against the tub’s top. Use your other hand to turn the feet on the front of the dishwasher, adjusting its height until its mounting brackets touch the underside of the counter and the machine sits level.

Step 5

Drive wood screws through the holes in the dishwasher’s mounting brackets and into the counter’s underside. Replace the front panel on the bottom of the dishwasher and tighten the screws holding it in place.