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We just ordered a new Bosch dishwasher from Home Depot, including third-party installation. The installer they sent looked under the sink and said that because our stop valve is too old, that he could not do the installation "through the company". I said that I could hop over to the hardware store to get a new valve, but he would not allow me to do that. He said that he could do it off the books if I gave him $100.

Instead of accepting this offer, I rescheduled the installation for next week-- I will buy the $10 valve and put it on myself. However, I don't see what the problem is with the valve that we have (visible in the center of the picture). Is the type of valve that we have simply not used any more? If there is an issue, I'd like to fix it correctly before another installer comes.

Under the sink

Machavity
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homejoker
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6 Answers6

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Capsule summary of the comments:

  • Your old valve should probably be replaced with a new quarter turn ball valve version. Those old valves wear out and break your heart when it really matters.
  • Report the installer to Home Depot. There's a strange, outside chance that they are limited in what they are allowed to do, but I sincerely doubt it.
TylerH
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Aloysius Defenestrate
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You should update this valve now that you are in there installing a new dishwasher.

The dishwasher purchase, "with installation" correctly does not include updating your plumbing.

It is extremely easy to replace this valve yourself. The pipe is exposed and in good shape and the old valve uses a compression fitting. Buy a Sharkbite quarter turn dishwasher valve (straight, not 90 degrees) and a Sharkbite pipe reamer. Unscrew the old one, shove on the new one and you're done. 5 minutes.

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If you want someone else to do it, I'd accept the offer from this guy. It's reasonable and you don't have to find someone else and coordinate.

jay613
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Let me take this from the value proposition angle (I am assuming you own none of these)

  • A scoring tube cutter is about $15.
  • A simple metal file is $10 or less (or you can buy a de-burr/reamer tool for more than that).
  • A Sharkbite 3/8" ball valve itself (just shove it on) is maybe $12 (and it's as close to goof-proof plumbing as you can get)
  • A water shutoff key is less than $10 in most cases

So about $50 in hardware. Takes about 10-15 mins to turn your water off, cut the pipe, deburr it, shove the Sharkbite on and turn the water back on. By the time you add all that up, the average homeowner is probably not going to spend that time and money when you can pay some guy who has it on his truck and all the tools to do it right there. Add in the convenience factor, and $100 isn't exactly unreasonable, but you could spend that money to have the tools yourself to replace, say, the other valve under your sink. Or the rest of the valves in your house. And you come out ahead from not paying the installer some $90 to do it. This is a DIY site and... well, we're gonna tell you to buy the tools and do it yourself.

The reason HD likely has a policy like that is these older mutli-turn stop valves do wear out over time. My house is some 40+ years old and I've been steadily doing this over time because some of them just stopped working properly (some needed a wrench to get them to cut off). I recently replaced my kitchen sink and the gaskets inside disintegrated when I tried to turn them off. It's worth your time to buy the tools and replace both valves there (and any others you can reach).

Machavity
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I had the same issue with a Bosch dishwashwer. HD 3rd party installer told me the same thing, except that he wasn’t willing to do anything “off the books”.

The issue in MY case is that the thread on the existing valve is different from the “more modern” compression valves. While everything looks perfectly fine, the thread on the “water from the outside male connection” isn’t “a reduction thread” while the fitting on the dishwasher line from that fitting TO the dishwasher IS “reduction thread”.

I bought a new valve/fitting from Ace, will turn off the water and replace the existing valve with the new one, which SHOULD allow the dishwasher line to connect without me having to jump through hoops otherwise.

BMitch
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Ivy
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It is a modern income source for Home Depot and other vendors. I recently purchased a washer and dryer from Home Depot and they would not install them without all new connection equipment ( hoses, wire, ducts, etc). You could consider it profit or covering the cost of install labor. Not all a bad idea as I can imagine some of the equipment is old and worth updating. I had previously installed all my own stuff including furnaces, roofing and central AC , but I am older and tired now, so not a bad deal.

blacksmith37
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My house is six years old. I got a Samsung Dishwasher from Lowes and the installer refused to install, said I needed this Valve replaced because something would not fit. He said $100, so I agreed but wanted to charge to my Lowes card. When he called Lowes to take my payment they said it was $144. I wasn’t happy at all. The other thing is Lowes sold me the “install kit” which included an electrical plug (not sure why) and not sure if the installer used it. Also sold me brackets which were not used, taking those back. Rip Off and I feel like I was robbed of $144 after looking up this information. For reference my other was GE that broke down.

Nina
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