There is a very simple DIY soluton that willl not require any soldering. First of all, as was mentioned above, DO NOT cut copper pipe or tubing with a hacksaw. In nearly all cases the stress of cutting copper with a hacksaw results in getting the pipe ever so slightly out of round, however it is enough that it is sometimes nearly impossible to get a fitting on the copper again, and even if your lucky enough to get the fitting on there is an extremely high risk that the joint will not properly seal. Copper should always be cut with a tubing cutter. When working in a tight spot such as you have there a "mini tubing cutter" is the ideal tool. On bit of advice here. You will find small red mini tubing cutters in all hardware and home supply stores for about $5. In my humble opion those are at best junk. For just a bit more ($10 to $12 range) you can get a mini tubing cutter made by Imperial Tool Company, Superior Tool Company or Rigid Tool company and you will have a pro quality tool that will hold up for years under DIY conditions. Begin by turning the water off with the ball valve, then using a 2" wide strip of emery cloth wrapped around the pipe and pull it back and forth like a shoe shine rag to clean the tarnish off the copper. Using a tubing cutter cut the copper pipe at the point I indexed on the attached illustration. Now this might seem a bit confusing. The 1/2" copper extending out of the ball valve at the cut point is 1/2" copper pipe, which means it has a 1/2" inside diameter (ID). The outside diameter of 1/2" copper pipe is 5/8" and copper tubing is rated by its outside diameter (OD) so a 5/8" tubing fitting will fit directly on 1/2" copper pipe. You will need a compression type reducing union. Most reducing unions are rated for copper tubing therefore the one you need would be a 3/8" x 5/8 reducing union. Some manufactures now rate them as 3/8" by 5/8" tubing & 1/2" copper pipe. To install you will remove the compression nut on the large end of the union. You will find a brass compression ferrule under the nut. (looks like a cheap mans wedding ring). Slide the nut on the copper with the open side of the nut facing the cut end of the pipe, then slide the compression ferrule on the pipe. Now slide the union on the pipe until you feel the copper pipe hit the internal stop insuring it is on all the way, then slide the compression ferrule towards the union and tighten the nut on the union. You should hold the union steady with a pair of channel locks while tightening the nut with an adjustable wrench. Make sure the nut is tight. Now remove the compression nut and ferrule from the small end of the union and you will have a 3/8" male thread extending out. The line from your dishwasher will screw directly on that thread. Do Not put teflon tape or thread joint compound one any of the threads. They are all mechanical joints that are intended to be dry fit. Another hint, If you cannot find a reducing union check in the area where they have the angle stop and line stop valves for fixtures. You could use a compression type straight through line stop in the same manner as the compression union. The only difference is that you would then have a redundant valve but if left open it is no problem and probably a compression straight valve would be slightly cheaper.

If an air gap is required you cannot just stick a drain hose into a standpipe. The end of the hose is now below the flood level of the standpipe, defeating the purpose of the air gap requirement. The Y was likely added to lower the flood level of the standpipe to satisfy an AHJ. Since many places do not require more than a high loop and there does not seem to be any widespread problems in these areas, the air gap requirement has become sort of dumb.

[Temporary 'URL placeholder' (*) FAQ file - updates pending] ------------------------------ This FAQ entry reserves the URL of the "future and final" Appliances Forum FAQ article on dishwasher airgaps. There has been a very long-running discussion of the subject in the Appliances, Kitchens, and Plumbing Forums, and useful information continues to be added to the collective total as Forum participants post specific product reviews, Code issues and analysis, and design/installation experiences. At the moment, the central repository of airgap data is located in the main Forum, within the "Dishwasher airgap FAQ" thread: this contains numerous links, product and Code references, and an illustration of the typical DW airgap configuration. To view this discussion, go to the Appliances Forum (by clicking on the "Forum" link below), then do a search on "airgap FAQ", then click on the "Dishwasher airgap FAQ" thread. (Apologies for software limitations which preclude linking to the thread directly from within this article.) And of course, if anyone has further ideas on the subject they would like to see incorporated in the final FAQ write-up, do please post a follow-up in that thread! As soon as "all" information on the topic (a subjective determination, to be sure!) has been covered in the main Forum thread, this temporary FAQ file will be replaced with the knowledge contained therein. Please bookmark the URL of this article for handy future reference, as it will be a consistent location to read about the intricacies of DW airgaps, at least for as long as THS remains on the Web! Many thanks to all those who have contributed to this ongoing discussion, and a very special thanks to Helene (GW Member Page: Fairegold) for initiating the specific FAQ proposal. ------------------------------ [Temporary 'URL placeholder' (*) FAQ file - updates pending] (*) ...metasyntactic variables abound within the Appliances Forum! ------------------------------ [UPDATE: 11 August 2005] The image below illustrates the plumbing connections used for a specialized type of dishwasher airgap, i.e. one that is mounted on the exterior of the house. Installed in Forum Member Jamesk's residence, the airgap is the piping to the right. The vent through the exterior wall protrudes from the PVC connection, just below the transition between the copper and PVC pipes. The copper line connects to the dishwasher drain hose down near the floor. [UPDATE NOTE: Images of conventional sink-mounted airgaps and their plumbing connections will be added here shortly.] ------------------------------ [URL placeholder established: 1 August 2005] [last edited: 11 August 2005] Image by: GW Forum Member: Jamesk Exterior airgap plumbing

i prefer side by side, but i fold out of the dryer and stack on top-- way easier than dumping and folding, imo!! :) i would be ok with stacked if i didn't fold out of the dryer because i'm fairly tall... tho, in the winter i also sometimes put towels on top of the washer/dryer and lay sweaters on top of them to dry... i love my pedestals- 15.5"tall- and they are stuffed! i have numerous different types of detergent, bleach, stain remover bottles, etc, etc under the washer and dryer sheets and extra towels and rags and a bunch of other stuff under the dryer... i have had cabinets above my w&d in previous homes and it doesn't work great for me because i stack clothes, etc on top and don't always immediately remove- then to get in the cabinets, i have to pull over a stepstool and remove what's on top of the w&d to get into the cabinet. open shelves definitely would be easier! if you put up shelves, i would make them 18" deep.