What do you need to install a dishwasher?

Dishwasher installation in Singapore: the three connections

A dishwasher needs water in, water out and power. The inlet hose connects to a tap point, the drain hose runs to the sink drain, and the plug goes into a power point. If all three are within reach, the job is mostly connecting hoses and plugging in. If one is missing, who does the extra work depends on which connection it is.

On the water side, PUB's simple plumbing works list includes replacing or removing accessories connected to a tap, and one of them is a connecting hose to a washing machine or dishwasher. A handyman may do these works without a PUB licence. New water pipes or a new tap point are different. Laying or installing water pipes, taps and fittings in the drinking water supply is water service plumbing work, and it must be done by a PUB Licensed Plumber. Since 2018 it has been an offence to engage a plumber not licensed by PUB for regulated works.

On the power side, the cord needs a socket within reach, as the maker's manual shows. If there is none, a new power point is electrical work, covered below.

Water inlet and drain

Most dishwasher plumbing comes down to two hoses. The inlet hose goes to a tap point near the sink and the drain hose goes to the sink drain, as the maker's manual shows. Follow the manual for the hose length and the drain height it allows, and keep both hoses free of kinks where they run behind the cabinets.

If the bottle trap under the sink has to be changed, PUB lists installing, replacing or removing any washbasin or sink, including the bottle trap or fitting trap below it, among its simple plumbing works, so a handyman may do it without a PUB licence. If the sink is also being changed, see basin installation.

Power point and load

If there is no socket within reach of the dishwasher, a new one has to be added. EMA lists the addition of power points such as socket-outlets as work to be carried out or supervised by an LEW. EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA.

HDB says additional 13amps power points need no HDB permit, but wiring may not be embedded in walls, plaster or other finishes, and SP Services Form CS/5H endorsed by HDB must be submitted for testing of the new wiring. There is no limit on the number of points, subject to the existing main switch rating, and appliances rated above 15amps are not allowed. Power points should not be installed within bathrooms or toilets.

New wiring therefore runs in surface trunking, above a false ceiling or behind carpentry, so read planning electrical points before renovation before the cabinets go in. Ask your LEW whether the circuit suits the rating in the dishwasher's manual, and compare companies for socket installation.

Water efficiency label

PUB's guidebook for the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) says the mandatory scheme includes dishwashers intended for household use. All dishwashers offered, displayed or advertised for sale and supply in Singapore must carry the water efficiency label, so look for it before you buy.

Ratings are given in ticks. PUB's WELS requirements rate dishwashers by water consumption per place setting, from 1 to 4 ticks, and a dishwasher earns 4 ticks at 0.6 litres or less per place setting. More ticks mean less water per place setting.

The ticks tell you about water use, not about fit or connections, so read the label together with the maker's manual for your model. For what each tick level means in practice, see WELS ticks explained.

Cabinet space, costs and who to book

For a dishwasher in an HDB kitchen or a condo, measure the cabinet space against the size in the maker's manual, and check that the door can open fully without hitting a wall or the cabinet opposite.

Published rates for a new power point:

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published power point installation rates

For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published power point installation rates from 7 companies run from S$28 to S$90 per job (middle rate S$75), for one 13A socket point. The middle figure is a real published rate, not an average. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a quote.

See 9 published power point installation rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Skyteam Electrical Pte Ltd	Additional wall sockets (3-pin, 13A)	S$28 per job	skyteamelectrical.sg
AVV Engineering Pte Ltd	Replace Power Socket	From S$30 per job	avvelectrical.com
Electrician24 Singapore	Power Point Installation	S$60 to S$120 per job	electrician24.sg
Yong Jin Solutions Engineering Pte Ltd	Power socket installation	From S$60 to S$130+ per point	yongjinelectrical.sg
Mr Electrician Pte Ltd	Single Power Point	S$65	mrelectrician.sg
Saikon Contractors	Single 13A socket	S$75 per job	saikon.com.sg
Lito Electrical Service	Additional power socket point	From S$80 per job	litoelectrical.com
81 Electrical	Double power point (13A x2)	From S$90 per job	81electrical.com
Spower Electrician Services	Supply and install single or double 13A power socket (non-conceal)	From S$90 per job	spower.com.sg

In the directory, 9 companies publish a power point installation line, and 7 price it per job: their lowest published rates run from S$28 to S$90 per job, with S$75 in the middle (the middle company's own published rate, not an average). Scope as printed: one 13A socket point. Of the other 2 companies, one prices from S$60 to S$130+ per point, and one line, S$65, is printed without a unit. The power point installation cost guide has more detail.

A handyman may replace or remove a dishwasher's connecting hose under PUB's simple plumbing works list; a new tap point needs a PUB Licensed Plumber, and a new power point needs an LEW. Compare plumbers and plumbing costs, and ask each company which parts its price covers.

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