Electrical – Dishwasher electrical connection up to code

code-compliancedishwasherelectrical

When I removed my dishwasher in order to level the floors and install new flooring, this is what I found:

ripped drywall

ripped drywall closeup

It looks like the electrician just left the wire sticking out of a hole in the wall, but not enough, and then whoever installed the dishwasher pulled and ripped the wall until they got enough cord.

I live in Rock Hill, York County, SC. Is this up to code? How do I find out? Do I need to call an electrician? Can I fix it myself? Or should I leave it like it is?

Best Answer

For a hardwired appliance, either one of two things are true in order for the connection to comply with Code:

  1. The appliance provides a junction box on itself where the field wiring connections can be made, or
  2. The appliance provides a "whip" of cordage or wire-in-flex that has bare ends -- this is intended to be terminated in a field-installed junction box.

If it's the former, then the drywall damage is pure sloppiness (and wouldn't qualify as "neat and workmanlike" if you ask me -- some sort of LV bracket could be used for cable routing purposes I suppose?). If your dishwasher does the latter (which is my suspicion), then you need to install a box and NM clamp for the cable (a surface mounted "handy box" would do, as would an old work box cut into the wall) and then use a faceplate with a knockout on the front along with a cable clamp or bushing to route the appliance whip into the box.

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