Do you test "hidden" connections?

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SteveW

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I just installed a new dishwasher in my home. It's an entry-level Bosch which we got on sale at Sears. Anyway, it has a different water hookup than our old unit. You stretch out the copper supply 14" from the left side of the cabinet, and when you slide the unit in, the water line runs in a plastic channel on the bottom of the DW. I tried to do everything right, used a tubing bender to get the tubing bent at just the right places, etc., but realized that I did at least one thing wrong. I used a union to extend the old 3/8th" copper to run it behind and then under the DW as described. I didn't think to temporarily plug the end of the new tubing and test out the union, but now the DW is in place and to check the union, I will have to disconnect the AC, the drain line, and the supply line and pull the DW out to see if the union leaks. I will probably do so tomorrow just so I can not have to worry about this.

What would have been a good way to plug the tubing before placing the DW? In retrospect, I thought I could have used a compression stop and just sacrificed the ferrule, just for testing purposes, but wondered if there were other creative ways of testing out that connection before putting the DW in place. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
 

SteveW

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Yes, there is, but the union is off on the left side of the DW so removing the toe kick panel doesn't help. Also, I noticed that Bosch builds their units very low to the ground -- no clearance to look underneath, except for the channels for the water supply and the incoming electrical line...
 

Winslow

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usually run a new piece of copper tubing to the valve under the sink, slide the dw in and hook it up. No need for a union.
 

SteveW

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I'm glad you said that!

Winslow,
I decided to do just that after reading your post. At first I thought it'd be too difficult due to a semi-blind corner I had to fish the tubing through, but I got around it.

When I pulled the DW, I saw the underlayment was damp from my untested union!

I learned a very valuable lesson here. Won't make that mistake again!
 

Toolaholic

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Another idea

Use a stainless steel flex feed instead of copper. user friendly no restritive
crimps.
 
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