Dishwasher and fridge placement - need advices!
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Might replace 5 yr old Miele dishwasher :( -need advice
Comments (117)I found this thread not only interesting, but it was also the kick in the pants that got me to do something about the repeatedly failing water intake valve/solenoid on my Miele Optima (G2420-SCI). The unit was installed new in 2008-2009. We moved into the house in early 2013, and by August that year we experienced our first failure. I do not know if the valve failed in the interval between 2009-2013. I called the local factory authorized installer, and they came out promptly. As I learned after the 2nd failure, they didn’t replace the entire hose/wire/valve, but simply cracked the case and wired-in a new valve. They charged me price of entire unit. Eighteen months later, same problem. I found some info on retrofitting the Miele valve with a GE valve, but I guess I was too timid to try it then. So, I called Miele and explained the problem. They comp’d me 33% on the new part, and this time they changed out the entire assembly. It worked fine until July ’16 when it developed same problem. This time they comp’d me the entire part and did another replacement. Every time they checked the inlet water temp it was below 130 degrees. The new part installed in August ’16 has barely lasted 8 months! We tried to use the machine over Easter weekend, and it came up with the same humming sounds of no water coming in and then popping off the “F12” fault code. After embarrassingly spending/wasting $1000 on 3 valve replacements, I finally decided to look back into the GE valve, and that’s how I got here. I was a GardenWeb member for years before Houzz, but lost touch, until I found this thread. Good x2. I followed the instructions on the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LaqSO-Oyuw I opted to use the GE WD15X10003 valve as per the video, and not the WD15X93, mentioned earlier in this thread. As far as I could tell online, the two units are functionally comparable. The bracket and molded switch housing of the X93 are somewhat different, necessitated by the fact that the X93 is designed to be tucked into a cramped under-washer position in a GE system. It is also about $10 cheaper than the X10003, but the X10003 was available by Prime on Amazon, so I could fix it right away. I would guess that any of a number of these valves would be fine, since they would sit on the floor of the under-sink cabinet, and not require specific in-machine installation. The water inlet connection on the GE valve is a 3/8” Female iron pipe thread (FIP). My water source connector is a S/S flex hose with a 3/8” female compression fitting. To mate them I needed to pick up a 3/8” male-male brass connector with one end MIP and the other a compression thread. Connecting them was no problem, but getting them leak-free at the MIP-FIP connection was a bit of an issue. One has to hold the valve in one hand while tightening with the other and it’s hard to get a good grip on the valve portion. I used plumber’s tape first, but on the second try I used 1 wrap of plumber’s tape and a thread filler-sealer called “Hercules Block.” It’s a somewhat messy blue paste, but it did the trick. The wire connections were straightforward, just as explained in the video. I test ran it twice yesterday, and it worked normally, just as the OEM valve, and so far, there are no leaks. The time between failure and repair was only 3 days (not the typical Miele 3 weeks), and the out-of-pocket costs for valve, connector, sealer, electrical connectors was $40. (not $450+). The satisfaction of DIY, and un-shackling from the burdensome, confiscatory Miele system?....priceless. My only regret is that I should have done this after the 2nd failure...or the 3rd...slow learner, I guess....See MoreNeed advice on prep sink placement in a corner.
Comments (34)Rebunky - Thank you for that. Very kind of you to take the time. Your design is very good for where you placed everything. We tried variations of this design but could not fit a regular size fridge in that space. It covers the window, and a counter depth is not in the budget, unfortunately. Plus that jog is 48" wide and what do you do with the remaining space? There's too little to do much but too much to waste. The main thing that would bother me, however, is we would lose so much counter space by not not utilizing the north wall. One thing I've learned in living with a small kitchen is that counter space is the highest priority. It trumps everything. We will mitigate the closed in feeling you mentioned at the U end of the kitchen by use of shelves and wall hangers. This is why few of my plans include uppers. Both of us are non-traditional thinkers and will be fine with shelving replacing a lot of the uppers, and that will open up the kitchen a lot, although it is a trade-off with a more cluttered, or should I say "industrial" look? We have some shelving now and dust is not a problem (at least when I'm not remodeling :), plus we will have pretty good air filtering when the HVAC system is finished and no carpeting in the house (yet another reason to keep the kitchen closed off as it would be extremely noisy with no carpets). As bmorepanic said above, you have to pick your poison. I'm an amateur too. No need to apologize. This is the first kitchen I've ever designed with actual skin in the game. Plus, I'm a guy and that makes me extra ignorant when it comes to kitchens :) All the advice I get here is extremely helpful. I've learned so much by doing just what you did, jumping in and trying something....See MoreNeed Advice - Where to put the dishwasher?
Comments (9)Yes, definitely move the DW over and put a cabinet between it and the sink. I have 2 of the 15" wide dual Rev-a-Shelf garbage pull-outs (garbage, glass recycling, mixed recycling and returnables) and I find them plenty big enough for our needs. With just the 2 of you, I can't imagine that you'd need larger, especially because, when full, my bins are *heavy*. I don't know what the average age of residents in your 55 and older community is but in the one my folks lived in, the average age was 70. The people who bought my parents' home were in their 70s, fairly spry for their age but still, not able to do what they could when they were younger (true for all of us). Here are my trash pull-outs, 35 gal for the ones in the 1st pic, 28 gal for the ones in the 2nd pic: The trash pull-out in my sink cab is doable because I have a single bowl sink with an off-set drain. The garbage disposal is on the right side. Unless you eliminate the drawer above the trash pull-out, you'll only have room for 28 gal dual can pull-out in that space. However, if you have a clever contractor/carpenter/cab maker, they could use the drawer front to create a false panel for the taller dual pull-out. My DW, visible to the right in the 2nd pic, has a paneled front that is made that way....See MoreAdvice on dishwasher placement?
Comments (18)Depending upon the appliances, they will not project past the edge of the countertop. Cooktops do not. Panel-ready DWs do not. Some wall ovens do not (Bosch, for example requires a 25" cabinet for flush mounting, but that's under 25.5" which is how much counters stick out. I've had to do a number of small kitchens where every appliance was flush, or as close to it as possible. I would not do this kitchen without a true counter depth fridge, or any appliances that project much, personally. I also made the island on 24"cabinets, which means the top would be 26-27" not 33". If it has nothing on it appliance wise, and is just for storage and a place to have some stools, it does not need to be 30" wide. It could be designed properly for some storage and a stool or two with shallow cabinetry. The proof that this kitchen has worked with an island for this individual homeowner is that there has been one there for 30 years and the homeowner wants another one. I would make it narrower and I think to some extent the homeowner has accommodated to it even though it's tight. But it meets the minimum dimensions, (and would exceed them if it was made narrower), and the homeowner wants it. Personally I do not like moveable carts, if they are light enough to be portable, half the time they are off kilter and if they are heavy enough to stay put they might as well be stuck to the floor anyway. Plus a kitchen like this is tight enough that it's a real PITA to clean under something or retrieve something from under something that is not sealed to the floor....See MoreRelated Professionals
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