[MountainMan2000]

Hello,

I've finally gotten around to a project that has long been on my to-do list. I'm redoing the kitchen faucet and sink accessories as the old faucet had bad sink clearance and often leaked at various joints.

I have a dual basin 4 hole stainless sink (Elkay). I installed the new single hole faucet today, a Kohler K-596 and I'm pretty happy with it so far. It has an integrated down hose sprayer and lever on the side of the body. Still working on getting the brass weight and sprayer hose to work nicely but the overall fixture quality feels great.

The second hole is used for an In-sink-erator dual hot/cold fixture with instant hot and RO. Unfortunately some kind of mineral build up in the lever arm joint or valve is causing the hot valve to stick open but that's another story! I'll ask for advice on that one later. :)

Today's challenge is that I'd like to install two soap dispensers (dish & hand) in my remaining two holes. Right now one of these holes is occupied by a dishwasher air gap vent. I'd really like to remove this vent and put a second soap there. But I don't want to do anything dumb and unknowingly suck dirty water from the sink/disposer into the dishwasher. Yuck. I once lived in a rental where a toilet would clog and raw sewage would fill the kitchen sink and bathtub! Anyway.. .

So, my question is how can I best remove the dishwasher air vent? Or should I not remove it? I previously read a post by Speedball1 that he always loops the dishwasher discharge line up to the highest point under the sink and then down to the disposal with no vents. I guess the height keeps anything from ever getting pushed/sucked back into the dishwasher? Speedball1's post referenced photos but it was from 2006 and I couldn't find the photos so maybe they got deleted.

Speedball1, if you happen to read this, could you please repost the photos or provide some more detailed instructions?

Do you suggest I just insert the white plastic dishwasher drain hose (currently attached to one side of the vent) into the larger black disposal hose (on the other side of the vent) and use a metal clamp to hold them together?

Do you literally mean that I should form a full circle loop at the highest point or do you just mean that I should run the hoses up to that height and attach them there somehow, running straight with no loop, maybe using a metal hose clamp with a screw into the cabinet wall?

Thanks!
-Dan

[speedball1]

Speedball1, if you happen to read this, could you please repost the photos or provide some more detailed instructions?

If local codes allow, you may forgo installing an air gap and install the drainage hose with a large loop between the point where it discharges from the dishwasher and enters the sink drain. Think of a bell-shaped curve. Make sure to attach the drain hose as far up in the cabinet as you can, using hose clamps or a pipe strap to secure it, when you run it between the dishwasher and the disposal or a branch tailpiece,(seem image)

[MountainMan2000]

Thanks Speedball1.

I live in Santa Clara County, CA which uses the 2007 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code.

I looked this question up and paragraph 807.4 says:
"No domestic dishwashing machine shall be directly connected to a drainage system or food waste disposer without the use of an approved dishwasher airgap fitting on the discharge side of the dishwashing machine. Listed airgaps shall be installed with the flood-level (FL) marking at or above the flood level of the sink or drainboard, whichever is higher."

So I guess my county is still requiring the dishwasher airgap device. I looked in their exceptions list to see if they specifically excluded this paragraph but I don't think they did.

I guess most areas using the UPC require the dishwasher airgap device?

Regardless of what the code says, I'm probably going to remove the dishwasher air gap device and follow the diagram above to connect the dishwasher drain to my garbage disposal. I wouldn't do this if there wasn't a widespread proven track record of a valid alternate approach as I generally like to comply with code. But I suspect the laws of physics operate similarly in my county to others so this should be okay.

Thanks for your help.