Most dishwasher install jobs are short, water in, waste out, isolation valve, leak test, sign off. The traps are pre-existing: an under-bench cabinet without an isolation valve, a kitchen waste run that's never been quite right, an integrated unit where the cabinetmaker hasn't left the right space. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting installs Bosch, Miele, Fisher & Paykel, Smeg and ASKO dishwashers across Melbourne, working with cabinetmakers on new kitchen jobs and with homeowners on retrofits.
For straightforward retrofits with an existing isolation valve and waste connection, you can plug it in yourself. The reason people still call a plumber is when they want the install to be properly compliant for an apartment's strata committee, when there's no existing isolation valve, when the waste needs cutting in to a sink trap, or when the unit is integrated into a kitchen that needs the cabinetmaker and plumber on site at the right moments. we handle those.
Modern dishwashers expect a quarter-turn isolation valve under the sink. Without it, every future repair needs you to isolate the water at the meter, which means turning off water to the entire house. We fit the isolation valve as part of the install if there isn't one already.
Dishwasher waste hoses are normally looped up high under the sink before connecting to the trap, this is the "airgap" that prevents waste water siphoning back into the dishwasher. Manufacturers specify the loop height; we follow it. Without the airgap, dirty waste water can backflow on a blocked trap.
A pure plug-in retrofit doesn't need a Compliance Certificate. An install that includes new pipework, isolation valve cut-in, waste line modification, is licensed plumbing and gets a BPC Compliance Certificate (#103414). The certificate matters in apartments where strata want documented work, and is worth keeping with your property records.
Straight retrofits, same brand, same cabinet, don't need a pre-visit. Integrated installs, new kitchens, missing isolation valves, or apartment compliance work, we visit first to scope. The quote afterwards is fixed-price.
Existing dishwasher water and waste are isolated, hoses removed, unit slid out. Old unit goes to scrap recycling. Cabinet space is checked for the new unit's dimensions before unpacking.
Cold water inlet hose connected at the isolation valve. Waste hose looped up to the manufacturer's airgap height and connected to the sink trap or dedicated waste line. Both connections to manufacturer torque specs.
Unit is slid into position and levelled, front-to-back and side-to-side. Door swing is checked against adjacent cabinetry. On integrated units the front panel is fitted last per the manufacturer's instructions.
Cold fill, mid-cycle pause, drain, leak check at every joint, water inlet, waste connection, internal seals. Any drip or weep is fixed before we leave. Cycle completes, unit is stable, install is signed off.
A simple retrofit (existing isolation valve, existing waste connection, existing power point) typically runs $200-$300 + GST. Adding an isolation valve, modifying the waste line, or first-time install in a new cabinet runs higher. Apartment strata-compliant install with Compliance Certificate adds a small admin fee. On-site quote in writing.
If there's an existing power point in the under-bench cabinet, no. If a new power point is needed, yes, we're not licensed for the electrical work. We coordinate with your electrician where required.
Yes, we're happy to install a unit you've bought. Most installs are customer-supplied. Either way the install spec is identical.
It prevents dirty water from your sink trap siphoning back into the dishwasher when the trap is blocked. Manufacturers specify a loop height (typically 800mm-1m above floor), without it, a blocked sink trap pushes waste water into the dishwasher tank, contaminating the next cycle.
Integrated means the cabinetmaker is fitting a custom front panel to the dishwasher door. Coordination matters: we install the unit, the cabinetmaker fits the panel afterwards. We schedule our visit to land at the right point in the cabinetmaker's build.
Yes. Apartment installs typically need the Compliance Certificate addressed to both the owner and the strata committee, we structure the paperwork that way. Some buildings restrict working hours and trades coordination; we work with whatever the strata mandates.
We cut in a quarter-turn isolation valve at the cold water tee under the sink. Adds about 30 minutes to the install and a small parts charge. The isolation valve is the difference between "repair this dishwasher" meaning "turn off water under the sink" vs "turn off water to the whole house".
