Portable Dishwasher Faucet, For anyone living in a small space, the portable dishwasher is a real blessing. While larger kitchens afford you the advantage of a built-in dishwasher, it may not always be a practical addition in smaller spaces.
The most common complaint with the portable dishwasher is that the faucet adapter doesn’t fit or that it leaks.
Well, it shouldn’t. With the right adapter, faucet, and proper installation, your faucet connection should function like a dream.
Many older homes did not have built-in dishwashers and the cost of installing one may be too high given the need to alter the cabinetry and the countertops. In this case, a portable or countertop dishwasher is a practical solution.
A countertop model simply requires you to plug it into the power source and configure your preferred settings for a wash.
A larger portable dishwasher will have rollers or wheels that allow you to wheel it away to a convenient spot when it is not in use.
There are a number of reasons why this could occur and should you be able to fix them, this frustrating problem should be resolved.
Table of Contents
Is your faucet adapter the right fit?
Your portable dishwasher should come with an automatic fixing mechanism that allows you to simply hook your dishwasher onto the faucet.
Sometimes this is sufficient though over time these become worn and do not hold well enough to prevent leaking.
The threads of the faucet as well may not fit in this direct plug preventing you from connecting your dishwasher.
The better way is to use a faucet adapter which is a device that connects your faucet securely to the dishwasher pipe.
Along with your dishwasher, you are provided in the packaging a number of faucet adapters in different sizes and threading.
The threads are particularly important. In plumbing terms, exterior threads are referred to as male while threads on the interior are termed female.
Most kitchen faucets were primarily male hence the corresponding adapter would be female. The standard thread for kitchen faucets is 15/16″-27 for male faucets and 55/64″-27 for the female ones.
This may be obvious but if your faucet and adapters are all female or all male, they won’t fit into each other. Make sure they are different.
A simple exercise in screwing in all the faucet adapters you have been provided one by one should give you an exact idea of which of them is the perfect fit for your faucet.
It is unlikely that any two in your collection are the same. Once secured, test for leakages.
If leaking occurs, you may need a different solution.
The condition of your faucet threads…
Your portable dishwasher is brand new. But what is the state of your kitchen faucet?
If your kitchen faucet has lasted years, natural wear could compromise the grip of the threads.
This will prevent the threads on the adapter from gripping securely enough, causing leaks. If the faucet threads are in particularly bad shape, the adapter may not fit at all.
Check the condition of your faucet and in particular the threads. A thorough scrubbing may release the threads although a new faucet may be necessary.
The make of your kitchen faucet
In modern home designs, you will find a staggering collection of faucet designs and shapes.
This may be great for your décor but if you intend to have a portable dishwasher, you will run into a problem with the adapter.
Many homes today, for instance, have pull-down faucets, motion detection faucets, pot fillers, separate spray faucets, and many other fancy models.
Some are even made of copper, plastic, and bronze which are not ideal for long-term use with adapters.
Faucet adapters for portable dishwashers only work with standard size threaded kitchen faucets, made of brass, and are not made to accommodate other designs.
In this case, the feasible solution is to replace your kitchen faucet. Some manufacturers, although very few, will accommodate custom orders to make faucet adapters that can work with non-standard models.
This is expensive and hardly worth the trouble. It would be more practical to replace the kitchen faucet.
The make and model of your portable dishwasher
When buying appliances, the assumption is usually that they will automatically be compatible with our gadgetry and while this is often the norm there are situations in which the appliances cannot work.
If your faucet adapter does not fit, it may be due to the make of your dishwasher. Find out what kind of dishwasher you have. If need be, contact the manufacturer online since they will likely have encountered the same issue.
Their representative should be able to guide you on what to do or what parts to buy in order to connect your dishwasher successfully.
Alternatively, visit your local hardware store for assistance or contact a professional plumber.
Install your portable dishwasher permanently
Your portable dishwasher is something you will use frequently and over a long time. Each time you use it, you unplug and undo the faucet adapter to make room to use the kitchen sink.
This could contribute to the threads wearing due to years of this practice.
Additionally, it is possible that over time you will form the habit of fastening the faucet adapter loosely creating leakage issues that you then assume to be due to malfunctions.
Though it may take some time and cost, installing the portable dishwasher permanently could mitigate these and many more issues that could arise in the future.
Contact a plumber to install a dedicated line that connects to your portable dishwasher only.
Designate space for the dishwasher so that you are not moving it before and after every wash, or fastening and unfastening the adapter every time you need to wash dishes.
If anything this will give you the convenience a built-in dishwasher does without the hefty cost and work it would take to own one.
Verdict
If your portable dishwasher faucet adapter doesn’t fit, the above options should offer you the solution to your problem.
If not, do not let the warranty period of your dishwasher expire before contacting the manufacturer for a detailed consultation. Good luck!