# No Place to Mount Bosch Dishwasher Junction Box



## Chris616 (Dec 31, 2019)

Klumsy said:


> 1. If I brought up a new circuit closer to the dishwasher, where would I put the junction box. (Cut one of the drawers????)


Have you compared the depth of the drawers to the depth of the cabinet? In our cabinets there is 3" of space behind the drawers.

Chris


----------



## Chris616 (Dec 31, 2019)

Klumsy said:


> 2. The Bosch-approved drain hoses max out at 76" -- not enough to reach the air gap.


Is the countertop air gap a code requirement where you live? If not that might give more options. Is there an unfinished/finished basement below the kitchen where plumbing might be accessed, or is all the kitchen drain plumbing in a concrete slab?

Chris


----------



## Klumsy (Jul 17, 2021)

Chris616 said:


> Have you compared the depth of the drawers to the depth of the cabinet? In our cabinets there is 3" of space behind the drawers.
> 
> Chris


There is only a 1/2" gap behind the drawers.


----------



## Klumsy (Jul 17, 2021)

Chris616 said:


> Is the countertop air gap a code requirement where you live? If not that might give more options. Is there an unfinished/finished basement below the kitchen where plumbing might be accessed, or is all the kitchen drain plumbing in a concrete slab?
> 
> Chris


Thanks for the suggestions, Chris.

Yeah, I think the air gap is a requirement. Even without an air gap the drain has to rise a couple of feet to ensure that there is no back-flow so I'm not sure draining right into the basement waste lines is a viable solution 

The funny thing is that the current status quo has been perfecly workable for the 40 years I've lived in the house and the recently demised Kenmore Elite has worked fine with the long electrical cord, water line, and waste line. The dishwasher can be easily unplugged right under the sink.


----------



## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Klumsy said:


> There is only a 1/2" gap behind the drawers.



That can be changed without too much effort. 
i.e. shorten drawer

If you are not much into woodworking, any cabinet shop would make quick work of the task.

You might end up shortening all the drawers in that cabinet if it helps with the plumbing.


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

JB can't be recessed into the wall? Pic of JB?


----------



## Chris616 (Dec 31, 2019)

Klumsy said:


> 2. The Bosch-approved drain hoses max out at 76" -- not enough to reach the air gap.


The manual at this site, for the Bosch 300 series dishwasher, shows that it can be extended up to 12.5'.


----------



## Chris616 (Dec 31, 2019)

Klumsy said:


> 1. If I brought up a new circuit closer to the dishwasher, where would I put the junction box. (Cut one of the drawers????)


You have several options where to install the Bosch junction box (photo below for others to see). You mentioned that your house has a basement, although not whether it is finished. It might not be to code, but the JB could be mounted below the floor with the proprietary connector running up through the floor to the dishwasher. You could cut an access hole in the base of the cabinet to the left of the dishwasher, mount the JB to the floor below, then cover the hole with a removable access hatch (or not, since it would be invisible in a drawer unit). Depending on the configuration of the cabinet it might be required to drill through the base of the cabinet into the space behind it where the electrical and other lines run now.


----------



## Chris616 (Dec 31, 2019)

Klumsy said:


> 3. The present copper water line reaches the front of the old dishwasher where it connects to the dishwasher inlet but I can't imagine any way to attach it to the back of the Bosch and then push the Bosch into place.


The existing copper supply line can be replaced entirely with a flexible braided stainless steel type. Here is one that is eight feet long, but longer ones might be available. You’ll need to determine the full length that you’ll need in order to be able to connect to the back of the dishwasher before it is pushed back into position. A new hose might require some modification of the connection in the sink cabinet, where it would be good to add a shutoff valve if one is not pre-existing.


----------



## Klumsy (Jul 17, 2021)

Chris616 said:


> The existing copper supply line can be replaced entirely with a flexible braided stainless steel type. Here is one that is eight feet long, but longer ones might be available. You’ll need to determine the full length that you’ll need in order to be able to connect to the back of the dishwasher before it is pushed back into position. A new hose might require some modification of the connection in the sink cabinet, where it would be good to add a shutoff valve if one is not pre-existing.


Yes. I think the kitchen remodelers in 1996 thought the copper supply line was the way to go, but now we need something flexible. Although Bosch dishwashers now have a proprietary electrical connector, I assume there is nothing unique about the inlet on the Bosch dishwasher, in which case the flexible one you identified should work ... or a similar 10-footer. There is already a shutoff valve for so I think the supply line is solved. Thanks!


----------



## Klumsy (Jul 17, 2021)

SPS-1 said:


> That can be changed without too much effort.
> i.e. shorten drawer


I appreciate Chris's idea but think shortening a drawer might make more sense than having a power cord routed through the floor to the unfinished basement. More likely up to code and what if the next DW is not a Bosch? 

I have also learned that Bosch has a three-prong power cord kit SMZPC002UC that will connect the 300 series dishwasher to an electrical receptacle so it may make more sense to ditch the junction box altogether and install a new outlet behind the cabinet. Need to research the local code.

Thanks, Chris & SPS-1, for the useful advice.


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Based on this pic, I would mount the JB on the bottom of the wall behind the d/w, depending how big the actual box is:


----------



## Klumsy (Jul 17, 2021)

huesmann said:


> Based on this pic, I would mount the JB on the bottom of the wall behind the d/w, depending how big the actual box is:


According to this video, the box is too big to allow the front of the dishwasher to sit flush with adjacent cabinets. That's presumably why Bosch insists that the box should be installed in an adjacent cabinet. If I decide to go with a plug-in option, it makes more sense to put the outlet behind a drawer where the plug can be pulled out quickly if necessary.


----------



## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

The other thing is, if its in the adjacent cabinet, if your dishwasher is not working, you can put your meter on the terminals in the JB, and confirm it seems to be getting power, and check if wires are all tight on terminal strip.


----------

