The Dishwasher Disaster
The Dishwasher Disaster
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Today’s adventures….
So when we moved in here last July, we had to buy a shitload of appliances. We didn’t have a washer, dryer or dishwasher. No laundrymat within 45 minutes, and you ain’t gonna see ME outside with a washboard, so we needed those! We also had to buy a hot water heater as the one that was here was zzzz-zapping & tripping the breaker. The dishwasher was an indulgence.
Yeah. New appliances.
So today’s story is about the dishwasher. In August, we finally got around to installing the dishwasher. Yep. All installed. It’s not hard to install a dishwasher…..water line goes in, drain line goes out, same color wires get connected. Binga, banga, boom. One hour, done.
Only problem is the house wiring is all frakked up, and the breaker trips. We didn’t wire it wrong. I double checked. We went in the basement & found the electrical line up in the drop ceiling had been spliced here, and there, and who knows where. My guess, since the dishwasher didn’t even get the chance to get turned on, is that the wires are flipped. Black/white. Ugh. Yeah. I’m not gonna try & wire it backwards just in case. We’ll wait ’til we can higher a real electrician. I mean, we also have a sub-panel that has to be re-wired correctly so that we have working outlets in the exercise room & outside. *sigh*
So anyway, this means that the dishwasher has been sitting there, installed, but never powered on. Just sitting there. The water wasn’t even turned on.
For the last few days, we’ve been complaining about a rancid smell in the kitchen. I’ve been checking everywhere….under the sink, under the stove, garbage area, etc. Couldn’t find it. Today, I pin-pointed it to one area….the dishwasher. So I opened it up, just to see. OMG! There was a big scum coated puddle in the bottom of the dishwasher. And it REEKED! That was our smell.
How the hell? It’s never been turned on. The water is shut off. …………
Then I saw it. The drain hose. The drain hose from the dishwasher runs to a little side spout thingie (I know, so technical) on the garbage disposal. It seems – and to which it had never occurred to me – that for the last eight months, whenever the disposal would get filled with nasty water (from un-churned & chopping the food), it would go into the drain hose, and into the dishwasher to sit. Eight months! Nasty, food contaminated water, sitting in the base of the dishwasher getting rancid. Never draining.
So, I/we removed the hose, the water line, the electrical wires, and pulled it out. We took the dishwasher outside & let it drain. Let me tell you, that is a simple explanation as to what happened. It wasn’t that simple. The damn thing barely fit in there….getting it out was hell!
But it is done. The whole area has been sprayed with bleach, ‘cuz the nasty water leaked a bit in the kitchen.
The worst of it…..knowing we were up close & breathing this nasty stuff. We were working on it for about an hour, up close & personal. Hubby kept joking that we could get airborne botulism from the foody-water. Yeah, found out he wasn’t exactly kidding. There’s a number of things in this whole scenario that could have made us real sick. Still may.
No one has puked yet, but we’re still waiting to see if anyone gets sick. I’m wondering if the moldy water is what has had my throat feeling like it’s being squeezed for the last month….not the chickies. Hmmmmmm