# Air gap necessary for dishwasher?



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Air gaps are not required in my area---however, attaching to the garbage disposer is prohibited--so we use a sink tail piece with a Y-adaptor--check your local code.

Most areas do allow the dish washer drain to be connected to the disposer.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

As Mike said we don't know your codes. If not using the air gap the drain hose should be installed in a vertical loop to help prevent any back flow to the dishwasher and then connected to the disposal or tail piece.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

When installing dishwashers I do not like to connect them to the garbage disposal, I prefer to go directly to a sink drain. I do install them with a loop of the discharge hose as high as I can place it to avoid drainback. Someone please tell me why there would be restrictions to hooking up a dishwasher drain to a garbage disposer.


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## hardwareman (Oct 9, 2010)

I always hook to the garbage disposal, as long as the high loop is there I can not see any problems. The only time I ever see air gaps is in trailers and modular homes around here, I always eliminate them when I can.


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

Thurman said:


> Someone please tell me why there would be restrictions to hooking up a dishwasher drain to a garbage disposer.


Seems the answer would/could be two-fold:
1) Further reduction of any chance of a back-siphon of waste water
2) Preventing the chance of a filled GD backing up and over the sink when the DW discharges. For this reason I will not hook up a DW to a GD. I go either to the tail-piece or to an entirely separate pipe run with a Johnson tee


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Unfortunately, the drain hose isn't long enough to create a vertical loop. I could extend though.


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## hardwareman (Oct 9, 2010)

kirwinjd said:


> Thanks everyone for your feedback. Unfortunately, the drain hose isn't long enough to create a vertical loop. I could extend though.


you'll need to extend it if your going to hook to the disposal, that loop has to be there.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Simple answer to the garbage disposer hook up---this is Chicago land----where codes are unusually strict.

I do think is makes for a quieter set up----and no chance of water spray coming out of the disposer.


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

oh'mike said:


> Simple answer to the garbage disposer hook up---this is Chicago land----where codes are unusually strict. I do think is makes for a quieter set up----and no chance of water spray coming out of the disposer.


I'm from Southern California. The state that mandates a $200 permit and inspection just to replace your garbage disposal. I'm sure the code requires whichever method is stricter and most expensive. 
Thanks


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## curtd (Oct 25, 2013)

Thurman said:


> When installing dishwashers I do not like to connect them to the garbage disposal, I prefer to go directly to a sink drain. I do install them with a loop of the discharge hose as high as I can place it to avoid drainback. Someone please tell me why there would be restrictions to hooking up a dishwasher drain to a garbage disposer.


 I see my mother rinsing off dishes before putting in dishwasher. UGH !!! We are not in area where water is a shortage, but on principal don't like wasting water. So, yes, why restrictions to hooking up a dishwasher drain to a garbage disposer ?


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

So the advantage of going directly into the GD is not having to rinse off the dishes prior to loading?


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## jimn (Nov 13, 2010)

Dishwashers either contain a screen to trap food debris which must be cleaned from time to time or an internal grinder which chops up food. As for rinsing, chunky stuff needs to be scraped off. I find rice is problematic so I usually was the rice pot by hand. I make bread so anything with the sticky bread dough in it needs to thoroughly rinsed or washed by hand or it just doesn't get clean. 

You have no choice in a single bowl sink but to use the disposal but it has nothing to do with rinsing or not rinsing . Solid food does get out of the dishwasher


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

jimn01 said:


> You have no choice in a single bowl sink but to use the disposal but it has nothing to do with rinsing or not rinsing .


You are not required in a single bowl sink to dump into the garbage disposal, you can run it to the tail piece.


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