Appliance Repair in 08090 · Woodbury, Deptford & West Deptford

In an old house, a dishwasher is almost always a later addition, and the kitchen around it was not built with standard 24-inch openings. Retrofits in Wenonah homes tend to share the same small set of quirks, and they are worth knowing whether you are repairing the dishwasher you have or installing a new one.

First, the opening. Older cabinets or custom-built runs may leave a space that is slightly narrow, shallow or short, and a dishwasher crammed in tight can rub its door against the cabinet or pinch its drain hose. Floors in old kitchens are often uneven or have been built up with layers of flooring, which can trap a dishwasher under the countertop and make it hard to remove for service.

Second, the mounting. Stone or butcher-block countertops may not take the top brackets, so the unit is fastened to the cabinet sides instead. A dishwasher that is not secured tips forward when the loaded door opens. Third, the power. In a house wired in stages, the dishwasher may be hard-wired into a junction box or plugged into an outlet in the sink cabinet, and that circuit may be shared.

None of these is a reason to avoid a dishwasher; they just shape the repair. The technician will look at the install as well as the machine and tell you which one is causing the trouble.

Know whether your dishwasher is hard-wired or plugged in and where its breaker is. Empty the sink cabinet and remove any toe-kick rug. If the floor was raised after the dishwasher went in, mention it, because pulling the unit out may take extra care.