This article discusses how to unbox and ready the new dishwasher for installing under the kitchen counter. It is continued from How to Replace a Dishwasher.
Dishwasher Replacement Project Table of Contents
This article is part of a project series on replacing a dishwasher. The project phases are:
- Part 1 – Troubleshooting why the dishwasher won’t drain
- Check for clogs in the drain hose, sump and check valve.
- Discovered the old dishwasher is leaking on the floor.
- Decide the old dishwasher isn’t worth fixing.
- Part 2 – Disconnect and remove the old dishwasher.
- Disconnect the drain hose, water supply and electrical connections.
- Water was leaking on to the solenoid drain valve, causing it to go bad.
- Part 3 – Buy a Frigidaire Gallery Dishwasher (this article).
- New Dishwasher overview.
- Consumer Reports, SquareTrade extended warranty, Mfg Installation Instructions
- Part 4 – Install a new Water Supply Line and Dishwasher Elbow
- Part 5 – How to install a Dishwasher under the counter (main guide).
Choosing a New Dishwasher
Consumer Reports: I purchased a monthly subscription to Consumer Reports and read up on dishwasher product reviews, ratings and advice in my price range of $500 to $600. I figured whatever dishwasher I bought would be 8 years improved over the old one so I couldn’t do too badly. Oddly, I learned from Consumer Reports that a more expensive dishwasher in the $750 to $2000 range and many of the high end European imports may be significantly less reliable and rated only 5 points better than a $500 dishwasher. I also read user reviews at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and elsewhere on the Internet – it seemed that no matter which dishwasher liked, it always had its share of both happy and unhappy customers.
Lowes: Based on the Consumer Reports ratings I settled on a Whirlpool Gold dishwasher model and sold by Lowes home improvement stores. I called my local Lowes called to check inventory, confirm pricing and the 10% off appliance sale. However, when I looked at the Whirlpool Gold on the showroom floor at Lowes, I didn’t like the small silverware basket mounted on the dishwasher door. If I thought the silverware basket was too small, then I knew my wife really wouldn’t like it.
The Lowes store had the Frigidaire® Gallery dishwasher model FGHD2433KF1 with a stainless steel door. I liked the features, three spray arms, door top controls, rack layout and it had a large silverware basket.
Lowes’ price on the Frigidaire Gallery was $549.00 minus the 10% sale discount. I declined the extended warranty and my out-the-door price was $494.10 plus tax. Frigidaire offered a $30 mail-in rebate and I filed for a $99.00 rebate with the Georgia Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program – which is funded by the Federal Government’s stimulus program.
My final price after discounts and rebate is $365.10! Not too bad. I’m glad I didn’t try to fix the old dishwasher.
Extended Warranty – Lowes Protection Plan
The Frigidaire manufacturer warranty is 1 year. Lowes offered me two extended warranty options – ahem, “Protection Plans” in marketing parlance:
- $99.97 for 4 years
- $69.97 for 2 years
I’m always skeptical of extended warranty plans and as a rule decline this option.
SquareTrade, Inc.
I recently purchased a camera on eBay and was introduced to SquareTrade, Inc. extended warranty plans. While I’ve not had the occasion to make a claim with SquareTrade to vouch for their warranty service, I learned that SquareTrade receives high marks from Amazon.com and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.
After buying the camera on eBay, SquareTrade e-mailed a 30% off coupon for my next warranty. I surfed over to SquareTrade’s web site, entered the new dishwasher information and received a quote for $49.99. I applied the 30% coupon for a 3 year warranty price of only $34.99! That’s a 100% savings compared to the 2-year Lowes warranty price.
I cheerfully purchased a SquareTrade trade 3-year warranty and paid with PayPal. SquareTrade immediately e-mailed the warranty confirmation and contract terms with a 20% coupon for my next warranty. Sweet!
Let’s summarize those extended warranty prices:
- Lowes @ $99.97 for 4 years
- Lowes @ $69.97 for 2 years
- SquareTrade @ $49.99 for 3 years; I paid $34.99 using a 30% coupon
SquareTrade e-mailed coupons for 50%, 30% and 20% at different times, so watch for promotions. You might also get a discounted e-mail offer that expires in 1 week from SquareTrade if you request a quote online (make sure you input your e-mail address if you don’t have an account) and don’t purchase right away.
Update:
The Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher model FGHD2433KF1 turned out to be a lemon because the circulation pump failed after only 18 months and leaked water on the floor. The cost to replace the circulation pump was $289.00, but the repair cost was covered by the SquareTrade Warranty. The details are covered in my SquareTrade Warranty Review: Dishwasher Repair Claim Success Story.
Dishwasher Installation Steps
The new dishwasher is set in the kitchen to be prepped for installation.
The usual documents are provided with the dishwasher: yellow important information flyer, registration card, user guide and installation instructions.
The dishwasher installation instructions were easy to understand. Important! Read the instructions start-to-finish before proceeding for a successful and trouble-free installation. Click on the image for a larger view:
Back page of the installation instructions:
Locate the drain hose and pull it out from under the insulation blanket.
The drain hose has 5/8″, 3/4″ and 1″ diameter connections to fit your garbage disposer, waste tee or drain pipe. As discussed later in this project, I used the 1″ fitting that fits a 3/4″ PVC pipe.
The bottom access panel is attached with a machine screw on each side. Machine screws can be fussy and I needed a socket wrench to remove the tight screw.
The dishwasher access panel is composed of a kickplate (top) and adjustable toeplate (bottom) to minimize gaps where it meets the floor.
This project is continued in Part 4: How to Install a New Water Supply Line and Dishwasher Elbow.
Thanks for reading,
Bob Jackson
