I have an old Maytag Performa dishwasher from the early 2000s, and there's this plastic vent sitting on my sink. The dishwasher's drain line connects to it in a Y shape under the sink, and then another line leads to the drain. Is that vent really necessary? Can I just extend the hose and hook it directly to the drain without messing up the dishwasher's functionality?
3 Answers
That plastic piece is called an air gap. It's actually required by plumbing codes in many places. It stops any clogs in your sink from affecting your dishwasher's drainage. If it’s bothering you aesthetically, you can definitely find more attractive covers for it at a home improvement store.
Looks like that goes for your dishwasher discharge. If you want to replace it with a longer hose to go directly to the drain, just make sure to comply with local codes. Otherwise, you're risking some nasty plumbing issues!
Yup, it's there for a reason! An air gap helps prevent backflow, ensuring that dirty water doesn't siphon back into your dishwasher. If you skip it, you might run into drainage issues. You could try a high loop instead, but check your local codes first.