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I have had the usual symptomatic water overflow out of the dishwasher air gap on the top of my sink countertop. After replacing the countertop with granite and relocating the air gap hole, I replaced the hose from the air gap to the disposal and insured there was no blockage in the disposal and new hose. Yet I have so much water pressure coming from the dishwasher that it shoots out of the air gap vent. I confirm the water is draining into the disposal from the air gap vent but it seems there is so much water or the pressure is so great the system can't handle the amount of water being discharged and backs up into the air gap. I've even looped the extra amount of hose from the dishwasher to the air gap above the disposal drain height to see if that would solve this. It did seem to take some of the pressure off of the water coming out of the air gap but it still spews out. After searching and reading all the posts regarding this usually common issue, I'm at a loss. Anyone have any ideas?
I hadn't thought about it, but it is logical that the pump would not get all of the water into the drain from the dishwasher and would retain some water between usage. I have made some other conclusions from reading this forum which may be right or wrong!? I have concluded that the real purpose of the air gap is to direct water away from the dishwasher into the sink when there is a problem with the disposal/sink drain. Also, if the dishwasher drain is looped high to the underside of the countertop then there is little likelihood that the water would ever drain back into the dishwasher.
Is my thinking correct? Sorry to be a bother. Uncle Dewey
PS: My neighbor had granite countertop installed and their plumber told them they did not need the air gap. d
I have concluded that the real purpose of the air gap is to direct water away from the dishwasher into the sink when there is a problem with the disposal/sink drain.
Almost but not quite! The discharge hose directs the water from the diswasher to the sink while a air gap, ( loop or counter top) provides a interval (gap) in the hose to prevent any back siphonage from the disposal or the sink back to the dish washer.
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if the dishwasher drain is looped high to the underside of the countertop then there is little likelihood that the water would ever drain back into the dishwasher.
True! The very top bend of the hose is the air gap and nothing from the sink or disposal can drain past it back into the DW.
egards, tom
Geez. What a stupid way to prevent siphonage. We had a device on our outside hose faucet to prevent water being siphoned back onto the water system. I got rid of it as it only caused problems with leakage, etc.
I'm going to get rid of the air gap!!!!!!!!!! Uncle Dewey
Geez. What a stupid way to prevent siphonage. We had a device on our outside hose faucet to prevent water being siphoned back onto the water system. I got rid of it as it only caused problems with leakage, etc.
I'm going to get rid of the air gap!!!!!!!!!! Uncle Dewey
BAD IDEA!! The air gap's necessary to prevent all the garbage in the disposal from draining back into the dishwasher.. No matter which one you choose you have to have one or the other installed. Your backflow preventer on the hose bib's not the same thing. Regards, Tom
When reading the original question about water spewing out of the air gap, another problem/solution might be the problem we had in our townhome complex. Washing machine hoses were leaking and in my conversations with one owner they mentioned the insurance agent had measured 180 PSI of water pressure, so they replaced their water pressure control valve. With some investigation I found that the maximum water pressure in a home is 80 PSI. I measured mine and found it would increase to 150 PSI. Then I learned that if you empty your water heater (three showers, a tub of clothes, etc.) that the water heater will need to heat all of that cold water and guess what--heating water causes it to expand. Our homes did not have the solution which is a pressure relief tank (I think that is the name) so we replaced all of our pressure control valves and added the pressure relief tank. Could it be the problem with water spewing out of the air gap is caused by too high water pressure?
Dewey,
When did we stop talking about air gaps and began to dive into excessive house pressure? The average house PSI is 45 PSI to 60 PSI.( That's why water towers are 100 feet high). Anything over that PSI will place a strain on joints, valves and faucets. I hope I've talked you out of doing away with a dishwasher air gap. A air gap's as necessary to a dishwasher as a water supply.
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Could it be the problem with water spewing out of the air gap is caused by too high water pressure?
The house water pressure has nothing whatsoever to do with a air gap. The DW pump determines how much pressure the DW discharges. The reason a counter top air gap "spews" water out all over is a chunk of food blocks up in the small tube in the air gap preventing the discharge from getting to the disposal. Since the high loop hose hasn't got a small aperture for food to hang up in this will never happen. Regards, Tom
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. While everyone is arguing which is better, an air gap or a loop, TSAINTA (Post #40) had it right. I was having the same problem with my newly replaced air gap and by positioning the two vent holes on the plastic cap over the discharge side of the divider, the water stopped spewing out of the chrome cover. Kudos to TSAINTA.
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. While everyone is arguing which is better, an air gap or a loop, TSAINTA (Post #40) had it right. I was having the same problem with my newly replaced air gap and by positioning the two vent holes on the plastic cap over the discharge side of the divider, the water stopped spewing out of the chrome cover. Kudos to TSAINTA.
Art, You had a installation problem with your counter top air gap. Glad you found your problem but we weren't discussing a problem installing a air gap were we? Dave had a problem with the counter top air gap spewing water all over his counter top. He tried three air gaps with no improvement. He finally removed the counter top air gap, replaced it with a soap dispenser and ran a high loop air gap.
Problem soloved! No more spills! May I repeat my earlier convictions.
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Natural applications, such as a high loop or a vent through the roof will out last, will give less problems and will give you less service calls then mechanical applications such as a counter top air gap or a Air Admittance Valve. This is exactly what I've been saying since day one.
TSAINTA fixed my early morning problem. we just moved into a rental home ran the dishwasher and were greeted with a waterfall out of the airgap. i checked it etc, and put the top plug back just like it was, with one tube on each side. After TSAINTA's suggestion, problem solved. THANKS!
Kudos to TSAINTA for coming up with a solution. This should be required reading for air gap installation problems and well worth the time to study it. However, common sense dictates that a mechanical application will fail while a natural application will not.
We don't install counter top air gaps in my area for two reasons.
1) Cosmetics, Some homeowners don't want a air gap sticking up out of their brand new stone or slate counter top.
2) The rate of countertop air gap failures as per against high loop ones.
TSAINTA took the mystery out of some of the problems that counter top air gaps run into upon installation and for that the Plumbing Page thanks you. Thank you TSAINTA! Regards, Tom
Uncle Dewey
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