Q. Wanted to see rough price for adding plumbing for dishwasher , there are hot and cold pipes and a drain pipe right below in basement about 5 feet from dishwasher and can this plumbing come up behind the dishwasher? The sink is to far away to tap off and I will be doing the electrical

A. I think you already know how to do this job. All you need to do is go to the hardware store and price it out yourself. I installed mine in much the same way bringing all my lines up through the floor behind the dishwasher. It wasn't to expensive. Good luck

Q. How do you remove Black mold and mildew fom a Dishwasher? I read somehwere there is a home mixture you can make and then run it through to clean it.

A. DO NOT PUT BLEACH IN YOUR DISWASHER!!! It can damage the heating probes that dry your dishes. Get a dishwasher cleaner at your grocery store, it can be found where the dishwasher detergents are. Also you can use the dishwasher tabs or detergent that has the bleach with it, this is safe and that will prevent the mold and mildew from building. Do you let your dishes airdry or do you use the heated dry. You may want to start using the heated dry because that will help eliminate the moisture in the dishwasher. Worse comes to worse if none of that workes, your will have to use a mold and mildew cleaner on the inside of your diswasher and then let it set. Just remember to cover the heating probe before spraying. Then run your dishwasher empty. That should help. It is not normal to have mold and mildew in your dishwasher so you need to figure out why this is happening to eliminate the problem. Good Luck

Q. Ive been noticing when i run the hot water down my sink it really smells. Im not sure if its the garbage disposal or possibly the water is so hot its doing something to the pipes. I just moved into a new apartment so the plumbing and everything is new and the water get really hot fast. Thanks!

A. I read some of the answers before i answered and no one mentioned that your dishwasher drain line may be the culprit. this happens in the rentals i repair once in a while. the dishwasher drain line may dump directly into disposal . put some bleach or ammonia in dishwasher and run a cycle through and see if it helps.

Q. We check the hoses and nothing was block up in them. Before it stopped working we had a glass cup brake in the dishwasher but we cleaned it out and it worked a few more times. Why isn't it draining and is there a way to fix it ourselves? Our landlord is on vacation for a couple more months so we can't get him to fix it. Should we just hire someone to fix it and what kind of company should we call to get it fixed?

A. Take out the strainer/drain at the bottom of the unit. There is probably a piece of glass down there. If That's not the case your problem may be worse i.e. the pump is out. I wouldn't tell your landlord that a glass broke in it, he may try to pin the repair on you. Also, depending on what state you live in you most likely have a right to hire out the repairs if the landlord is not available to remedy the problem within a resonable period of time. If it's going to be awhile then I would pay to have it fixed and simply send the landlord the invoice along with your rent less the repair charges.

Q. I am putting a dishwasher in a kitchen that never had one and there is a plug in a "wall" between the under-the-sink area and where the dishwasher will go. I've heard several different opinions on whether I'll need a plumber AND an electrician or just a plumber. We also want to get a garbage disposal, will that need an electric source as well? Any ideas/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

A. Unless you are a licenced plumber or electrician yes you should call them in to do the work. sometimes you can hire someone that does both if you can this can be a big savings of not only money but also time. if you get one of them in you might not get the other for a few days.

Q. I have an older kitchen that we do plan on doing a major remodel in about 5 years or so. But we want to install a disposal now. We currently have a dishwasher installed and no room to install an air gap that heard about from the retailer I will purchase the disposal from. I have PVC and no available holes in my current cast iron sink to install an air gap. Is this something I have to install or is there a way around it that my plumber would be okay installing?

A. Hi, I refused to let the installers cut a hole in my sink! I installed the dishwasher ,installed the Garbage disposal, Matter of fact, I put all new pipes in under the sink too! All by my little self! But back to your question, You can by-pass that, but you won't get a Plumber to do it. I think it's a code that you have to have a air gap if installed. Well not in mine! And it works just dandy,has never backed up,clogged, or any trouble at all! Just keep the drain hose from the Dishwasher to the Disposal High up. Do it yourself, it's fun and easy than you feel proud! Bye

Q. I recently used disposal to chop up apple peelings, since then the drain has run very sluggishly and when the dishwasher runs, the sink fills with the water, causing overflow due to slow drainage. Any ideas how to speed up or unblock without my calling in a plumber?

A. Your sink,dishwasher,and disposal are all hooked up to one drain line. when that line is blocked all will be blocked. you can try and remove the master trap (P trap) and take out the debris to clear the blockage. the trap is the u like drain pipe under the sink. if this does not work the blockage is further down the drain and a plumber will be needed to clear it... good luck

Q. How difficult is it to install a garbage disposal? I am assuming actually hooking it to the pipe isn't that big a job, but what about wiring the switch and making sure it works? Can anyone give me some idea what all this entails? Should I pay to have a plumber do it or can I handle it on my own? Approximately how long will it take? Is it more difficult to install if you have a dishwasher also?

A. That all depends on how comfortable you are with electricity and plumbing. It's actually easier to install if you have a dishwasher, due to the fact that you have a source of power. A 15 or 20 amp circuit should be able to supply both appliances, assuming that nothing else is connected to the circuit. The hard part will be fishing the wires up through the wall for the switch. Most, if not all, disposals have a port on the side to connect the dishwasher drain. I have included a link to show you what's involved. Good luck.