You nailed it with the adhesive brackets—sometimes they’re rock solid, other times they’re like a sticky note in a steam room. I’ve had a bracket peel off mid-cycle and the dishwasher tried to make a break for it. Mechanical brackets might be a pain, but at least you don’t wake up to find your dishwasher halfway across the kitchen. Appreciate your real-world take—makes me feel better about my own “creative” installs.
Yeah, those adhesive brackets are a gamble. I tried them once thinking it’d be the “eco” choice—less hardware, less waste—but ended up with my dishwasher at a weird angle after a steamy cycle. Mechanical brackets might use more material, but they’re way more reliable in the long run. Sometimes the greener option is just making sure stuff stays put and lasts longer, you know?
I hear you on the adhesive brackets. Tried those once when I was in a rental and didn’t want to drill into the cabinets—figured it’d be a quick fix. Ended up with the dishwasher slowly creeping out every time I opened the door. Not my proudest DIY moment.
On the drain line debate, I’ve actually done both setups in different houses. The under sink hookup is definitely easier if you’re just swapping out an old unit or don’t want to mess with plumbing too much. But I ran into a clog once because the shared drain line with the sink got gunked up with food scraps and grease. The dishwasher started backing up and, well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
When I remodeled our kitchen last year, I went for a dedicated drain line. It took a bit more work (and a couple of YouTube tutorials), but I haven’t had any issues since. No weird smells, no backups, and it just feels more “right” somehow—like the dishwasher finally has its own lane on the highway. I get that it’s not always practical, especially in older homes, but if you’re already redoing plumbing or have easy access, it’s worth considering.
Funny thing is, sometimes the “eco” or “easy” route ends up causing more headaches (and waste) in the long run. I guess it comes down to what you’re willing to tackle and how much peace of mind you want. If your sink drain is already a bit slow or prone to clogs, I’d lean toward the dedicated line. Otherwise, the under sink hookup works fine—just keep that P-trap clean and maybe skip the adhesive brackets next time.
Totally agree on the adhesive bracket fail—been there, done that, and the dishwasher shuffle is no fun. For anyone still debating the drain line thing, here’s how I usually break it down when I’m working on a kitchen:
1. If you’re in an older place or just swapping out a dishwasher, under sink is the path of least resistance. You’re not tearing into walls or re-routing pipes. Just make sure you’ve got a high loop or air gap to keep dirty water from backflowing. And yeah, keep an eye on that P-trap—if you’re seeing slow drainage or weird smells, it’s time to clean it out. I’ve pulled out some truly disgusting stuff from those before.
2. Dedicated drain line is the gold standard if you’re already redoing plumbing or want to future-proof your setup. It’s more work upfront—cutting into the main drain, running new pipe, maybe even opening up walls—but you’re way less likely to get backups or cross-contamination with the sink. I did this in my last reno and haven’t had a single issue since. The peace of mind is real.
One thing I’d add: if you cook a lot or have a big family, the sink drain can get overwhelmed fast. Grease, food scraps, coffee grounds... all that stuff adds up. Sharing that line with a dishwasher just increases the odds of a clog. I’ve seen folks try to “eco-hack” their setup by running everything through one pipe, but it usually ends up being more hassle than it’s worth.
If you’re on the fence, think about how often you want to be under the sink with a bucket and a snake. If the answer is “never,” and you’ve got the chance to run a dedicated line, I’d go for it. Otherwise, just stay on top of maintenance and you’ll probably be fine.
And yeah, skip the adhesive brackets—unless you like playing dishwasher bumper cars every time you do the dishes.
Had to laugh at the “dishwasher bumper cars” bit—I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. The last place I worked on had the classic under sink hookup, and it was fine until the homeowners started hosting big family dinners. After a couple months, they called me back because the sink was draining slow and the dishwasher started leaving gunk on plates. Turned out the P-trap was packed with grease and coffee sludge. Pulled it apart, cleaned it, but honestly, I kept thinking a dedicated line would’ve saved everyone the headache. If you’re already opening walls, it’s worth the extra step. Otherwise, just be ready for regular cleanouts.
