Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we've replaced the washer, dryer, range, and refrigerator, and because the dishwasher was relatively new (just under 6 years old), I figured we had pretty much exhausted our major appliance needs.
HA!
The dishwasher's heating element decided to go on strike, so the "clean" dishes really WEREN'T. There were some other annoying things about it I'd been putting up with, but this was the last straw. Sure, we could have replaced the heating element, but the other annoyances would have remained. So...I went shopping - online.
When I looked a couple of weeks ago, I found a machine that would do, put it in my online cart, and went through the checkout rigamarole, only to find that there was NO installation available. Anywhere. So I didn't finish the transaction. Who could we get to install the new machine? A plumber? A handyman? Maybe someone recommended by a friend?
So I kinda sorta procrastinated on it, kinda sorta looked here and there for someone to install a dishwasher. I mean, after all, a malfunctioning dishwasher's not an emergency, right? So I goofed around for a week and a half.
Well...
That Man said, not in so many words, that it can't be THAT difficult and WE should be able to do it ourselves. I figured why not? We replaced our water heater ourselves. A dishwasher should be within our grasp. Oh me.
So I went back online, put the chosen machine in my shopping cart, and proceeded to the checkout. Lo and behold, a reprieve! Installation was back on the table!
However...
There may be some things we need to modify, according to That Man, or some things we may want to take care of while the space in the cabinetry is unoccupied - like maybe do something about the flooring in there or whatever.
Plus, we could save some dough if we did it ourselves. Oh me.
So the day before The New Dishwasher was to be delivered, we pulled out the old one - FUN. That Man descended into the crawlspace to have a look at the drain and the hot water line, shut off the water to the dishwasher, and roll around in the dirt and spiderwebs. When he emerged, I cleaned him up with a broom and compressed air - MORE fun. The crawlspace access is in our hall closet under the stairs, at the end where the stairs start, so not much headroom, and an ordeal for him.
The cats were fascinated by the new unexplored area in the kitchen, of course, and just had to nose around in there, the hairy little heathens.
The dishwasher arrived at 7:42 the following morning, and the old dishwasher departed with the guys in the delivery truck.
I won't go into detail, but sometime in the late afternoon, That Man asked whether I wished we'd paid to have the dishwasher installed. I didn't have the energy to answer right away, and besides, it was too late for that! We soldiered on and finished about 12 1/2 hours after the new machine was delivered, including two quick meals (I get testy when I'm hungry) and another trip into the underworld for That Man to turn on the water. More broom and compressed air.
The last test of my patience came when it was time to close up the toe kick. There was a huge amount of insulation to force into that space, and I got down on the floor and pushed and tucked and shoved, looked at the directions, and pushed and shoved some more, and looked at the directions, and stuffed it all up and around and in the toe kick. I took a few breaks, lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, and occasionally groaning.
THEN...
The toe kick panel had to be screwed into place. So I rolled around on the floor some more, pushing that piece of stamped sheet metal against the insulation I had just stuffed into the undersized cavity while the insulation did its darnedest to expand and spring back out and cover the holes I was trying to get the machine screws into. Plus the threads on one of the screws were messed up. More breaks and groaning.
One screw finally found its home, but the other just plain refused until That Man took pity on me. He got down on the floor and rolled around awhile, and eventually the final screw behaved.
The trim along the floor had to be put back. Of course, most of the nails were bent beyond redemption, so some more were exhumed from the depths of a cabinet in the garage.
By the time we finished everything, it was after 8:00 in the evening, and we were limp rags.
The following day, my body had mysterious aches here and there, but when I unloaded the small load of dishes I'd run overnight, they were CLEAN and DRY.
Totally. Worth. It.
And then That Man said, "The NEXT time we do this..."
ACK!
