New Bosch dishwasher leak

11 years ago

One of the first steps of installation: Lay the dishwasher on its back and attach a 90 degree elbow joint with teflon tape to the threaded inlet hole. Instructions warned "Do not over-tighten", but required the 90 degree elbow joint to be oriented in a specific position for attachment of the braided stainless steel hot water supply line. I worried that I might over tighten getting the joint correctly oriented, but believed I had a good connection. Had a heck of a time getting the dishwasher into the height of the opening, but finally got it in and everything connected. Ran a load and discovered a tiny (no more than a drip or two) leak coming from the elbow joint/inlet hole connection.

While it was easy to make that connection with the DW on its back, now that it's installed, it will be hard to access with a wrench. I really don't want to pull the dishwasher out.

Should I try to further tighten that connection? Even assuming I can get to it, I risk messing up the orientation of the angle.

Call a plumber?

Slide a shallow pan under there and install the toe panel? (Just kidding!)

Bosch should make that angle a factory installation, so you just attach the supply line.

Comments (3)

brickeyee
11 years ago
Tighten the connection.

If you have to pull it out, replace the Teflon tape with actual pipe dope.

Make sure the dope is compatible with any plastic.

" Had a heck of a time getting the dishwasher into the height of the opening"

Did you adjust any leveling feet to minimum height?

This post was edited by brickeyee on Fri, Jan 4, 13 at 12:33
quandary
Original Author
11 years ago
We adjusted the feet as short as possible, but the opening was still 1/8" too low. A plumber came this morning and pulled off the connection and replaced the teflon tape with pipe dope. He must have been having a bad day, because he not only told me I shouldn't have bought a Bosch dishwasher (I chose it because it has shorter dimensions than the others I checked), but also told me that Moen products (my kitchen faucet) are junk and that he wouldn't have a hot water dispenser, because his wife scalded her hands having mistaken one for a soap dispenser. I was afraid he might tear the door off the dishwasher trying to pull it out of the cabinet and then using it to pry the unit up to gain access to the joint. He scratched the door and charged me $85 for the job. We saved maybe $15 trying to do the installation ourselves. Sometimes I really hate homeownership...
Related Professionals
Beachwood Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Clovis Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Creve Coeur Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Fort Pierce Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Galena Park Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Glendale Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Kendale Lakes Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Lynn Haven Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Port Angeles Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Rancho Palos Verdes Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Walnut Creek Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Plant City Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Fairmont Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Cave Spring Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Prairie Village Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers
apg4
11 years ago
This is exactly the problem I had with a new dishwasher - and it wasn't a Bosch. Apparently, all DWs these days come with the same garden hose-style, 3/4" inlet. Why a standard NPT fitting couldn't be used instead of the 3/4 to 3/8 right angle fitting is beyond my comprehension.

Yeah, I used teflon tape and I have just about every type of wrench known to mankind, even proper 'line' wrenches for hydraulic fittings. The only way to tighten that 3/8 fitting in situ was to use a crow's foot wrench on a ratchet. If it leaks again, I'll use a proper sealant, 'prolly Hylomar.

Got a fan blowing on the underside of the DW right now....