Dishwasher Door Sticking

[philt89]

Not sure where to post this as not specifically the dishwasher that's the problem here but please move it if I'm in the wrong place.

I had a kitchen fitted last year, it's all good except the integrated dishwasher door is sticking because the cabinet carcasses either side have been fitted poorly, there's not enough room for the door to open without some force, more a problem when the room is colder. I assume over time compressing the door between the cabinets will ruin the door. Is there any way to adjust the cabinets either side? The one to the left is our double sink unit and there is some dead space to the left of it but there's a quartz worktop on top.

Cheers

 

[Deluks]

You'll have to get your head in the cupboard and see what fixings are in there, it might be screwed the the back wall, the worktops, or adjoining cabinets. Then you may be able to shift the carcass over, with some grunt and some care.

Is it the doors that are in the way or the carcass itself?

Could you bring the DW forward slightly?

Could you poke something in the gap between DW and carcass to provide enough space?
Maybe a plastic packer poked in there with a wallpaper scraper.

 

[philt89]

You'll have to get your head in the cupboard and see what fixings are in there, it might be screwed the the back wall, the worktops, or adjoining cabinets. Then you may be able to shift the carcass over, with some grunt and some care.

Is it the doors that are in the way or the carcass itself?

Could you bring the DW forward slightly?

Could you poke something in the gap between DW and carcass to provide enough space?
Maybe a plastic packer poked in there with a wallpaper scraper.

Definitely the carcass in the way. It's the bottom of the DW door that has to squeeze in between the two carcasses when opened, really annoying as it pushes the dishwasher back at the same time. I did a quick 'fix' cable tying the DW legs to the legs of the adjacent carcasses to stop it moving at least to stop it moving.

Trouble with moving an adjacent carcass is that it's a G shape kitchen and there's a whole load of knock on effects in moving doors etc. I imagine.

 

[Deluks]

Try the packer idea. Temporarily raise the nearest legs (assuming they are the plastic screw kind) on the carcasses either side before doing so, you might just have enough play.

If you haven't got any plastic packers, improvise. I used a disposable wooden stirring spoon the other day to pack up a floorboard.

 

[philt89]

Try the packer idea. Temporarily raise the nearest legs (assuming they are the plastic screw kind) on the carcasses either side before doing so, you might just have enough play.

If you haven't got any plastic packers, improvise. I used a disposable wooden stirring spoon the other day to pack up a floorboard.

Sorry, forgive me if I'm being daft here, but how would the packer work exactly? This is an integrated dishwasher so it's the face panel that's catching and is too wide for the gap the fitters left if that makes more sense? Cheers!

 

[pto]

well the answer is simple get the so called fitter back dont mess with it

 

[Deluks]

well the answer is simple get the so called fitter back dont mess with it

Yes, this should be your first port of call. But you may be waiting ages for them to fit you in to come and have a look, there's no money to be made in snagging once the cheque has cleared.

The Packers thing. I mean slide in or force something in between the dishwasher and the unit to open up a gap, try and get a Stanley knife blade in there, then a filling or stripping knife, then poke something in there to keep the gap open. If the DW door is slightly wider than the DW body then obviously this won't work.

The DW shouldn't move back. There is sometimes a hole at the top of the dishwasher on the front edge, for screwing it into the worktop above.

You could try pushing the double sink unit over a fraction.
The top part will most likely not move at all, but if you empty it, take out all the shelves, loosen the legs and try shifting it left, then lower the legs back down.

For a door to be catching but still openable, you are probably looking at about a mm or 2 of adjustment needed.