It worked fine for a while, but then I noticed a weird smell under the sink. Turns out, some water was pooling back.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually seen high loops work just fine in a lot of setups—especially if the sink’s got good drainage and you’re not dealing with ancient plumbing. Not saying it’s always perfect, but sometimes “doing it right” depends on the house. Ever notice how some local codes are totally fine with high loops, while others insist on air gaps or dedicated lines? Guess it really comes down to what you’re comfortable risking and how much hassle you want to avoid later.
I’ve run into this debate more times than I can count. High loops are like the duct tape of dishwasher installs—sometimes they’re all you need, sometimes they’re just masking a bigger issue. In older buildings, I’ve seen them fail because the drains just can’t keep up, and then you get that lovely “mystery smell.” Air gaps are a pain to install but honestly, they’re the only thing that’s never come back to haunt me with a call at 2am. Local code is king, though… if the inspector wants an air gap, you’re getting an air gap, no matter how well the loop’s working.
Air gaps are a pain to install but honestly, they’re the only thing that’s never come back to haunt me with a call at 2am.
Couldn’t agree more—air gaps are ugly and annoying, but they just work. High loops are fine until you get that one call where everything’s backed up and you’re knee-deep in mystery water. Local code wins every time, like it or not.
I get the frustration with air gaps—they’re not exactly winning any design awards, and sometimes you have to get creative to make them fit on a crowded sink deck. But I’ve seen too many high loop setups fail, especially in older homes where the drain line isn’t vented right or there’s a garbage disposal involved. It’s always the “shortcut” jobs that end up with callbacks.
Dedicated drain lines are nice in theory, but unless you’re roughing in new plumbing, most folks are stuck with under-sink hookups. And like you said, local code is king. Around here, inspectors won’t even look at a dishwasher install without an air gap. I’ve had homeowners grumble about it, but after explaining the potential for backflow and cross-contamination, most come around.
Funny thing—last winter I got called out to a place where someone had “upgraded” to a high loop and skipped the air gap. Sure enough, after a big freeze, the backup was epic. Sometimes ugly and functional beats sleek and risky...
Been there with the air gap gripes—never looks great, but it does the job. I tried the high loop route once, thinking I could keep things tidy, but after a couple years, I ended up with a mess under the sink and a minor flood. Not worth the hassle. At the end of the day, I’d rather have something ugly that works than a sleek setup that’s just waiting to cause trouble. Local code’s a pain sometimes, but it’s usually there for a reason. Sometimes you just gotta pick your battles and move on.