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Stesso

Explain Air Gap Mechanism and Code

3:13
11:49
186.1K views

At 3:13 in

Do I Need A Dishwasher Air Gap?...My States Plumbing Code says YES!!

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What happens here

The demonstrator fully disassembles the air gap's internal plastic components, revealing the chamber where water flows. He explains that water from the dishwasher enters the smaller inlet, rises to the top of the internal chamber, and then flows down into the larger outlet. This design creates an air break, ensuring that if the sink drain or garbage disposal backs up, the contaminated water cannot siphon back into the dishwasher. He notes that while many modern dishwashers have built-in backwater valves, air gaps are still mandatory by plumbing code in many states.

Goal: This step details the internal function of the air gap, how it prevents backflow, and emphasizes that its installation is often a local plumbing code requirement.

Tools and materials

  • Disassembled Dishwasher Air Gap

What they say

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When you're going to install this, this piece is going underneath there. I don't really like setting this after the fact. You know, so I kind of gauge it now, and then see what this is going to be. And the material that the sink is, right? We're dealing with an 18 gauge stainless steel sink. It's not that thick, right? So it's not going to have to be that much, right? You figured just that plus this gasket and that sink, we're setting pretty there, right? That right there is a good little depth. I personally like to put this rubber gasket on top, right? Because typically rubber is going to stop water whenever it's on something. If you put this below, all water is going to do is get down to this and then eventually stop or start leaking out. So I feel like if you put it on the top, you prevent it. So you want to check your local code because not every state requires an air gap. So another thing that we're going to use for this job is a disposal hose. We need a hose that actually is going to go from the air gap to the garb disposal, right? And so this one actually is just going to fit right down inside here and it's going to go right there. They actually sell this in a two foot length designed specifically for this. And it is an inch and a seven eighths ID and an inch and a quarter OD, which means inside diameter and outside diameter. Right? And so this is actually outside diameter seven eighths and it's just going to rock and roll. So there's not a lot of parts required to install one of these and there's not a lot of tools either. If you guys like the content, please subscribe to the channel.

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