All Retail Food Establishments and Wholesale Food Establishments must have an air-gapped 3-compartment sink for warewashing. A 3-compartment sink is still required even if you have a dishwasher. If the dishwasher breaks, the 3-compartment sink ensures you can still properly clean and sanitizer your dishes.
This sink allows for the safe and effective cleaning of items used in food preparation and service. The three compartments provide a designated area for washing, rinsing and sanitizing, which help to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria.
A dishwasher should be in close proximity to a sink and cabinets where dishes are stored with proper access to water hookups. Ideally, it should also be distanced from areas where cooking and food preparation take place to help maximize your creative potential through a thoughtful kitchen design.
In some cases, it is indeed possible for a dishwasher and sink to share the same drain.
In the diagram above, you'll notice that the dishwasher drain makes a high loop underneath the kitchen sink. This is the minimum requirement for every dishwasher drain installation; it's required by every dishwasher manufacturer, as well as section P2717. 2 of the International Residential Code.
So any clog or blockage within that main drainage line can cause water to backup and overflow into your kitchen sink. These clogs typically occur in four places: the dishwasher, the garbage disposal, the sink, and the air gap.
All Retail Food Establishments and Wholesale Food Establishments must have an air-gapped 3-compartment sink for warewashing. A 3-compartment sink is still required even if you have a dishwasher. If the dishwasher breaks, the 3-compartment sink ensures you can still properly clean and sanitizer your dishes.
Do not exceed 10 feet distance to drain. Do not connect drain lines from other devices to the dishwasher drain hose. Dishwasher must be connected to waste line with an air gap (not supplied) or 32" minimum high drain loop, depending on local codes and ordinances to prevent back flow into the dishwasher.
Choosing and Placing the Dishwasher
If you have a choice for which side of the sink to place it on, I recommend you ask your client if they are right or left handed. If your client is right handed, the dishwasher should be placed to the left of the sink.
The 3-compartment sink must drain to a floor sink (or other equivalent receptacle) via an indirect connection with a one inch air gap space above the top rim of the floor sink.
As indicated in the name, the 3-compartment sink method requires three separate sink compartments, one for each step of the warewash procedure: wash, rinse, and sanitize.
Each compartment of the sink is used for specific tasks: washing in the first, rinsing in the second, and sanitizing in the third. The FDA recommends water temperatures of at least 110°F for washing and 171°F for sanitizing to ensure the removal of food residue and pathogens.
Three compartment sinks should have TWO AIR GAPS.
The same rules apply if wiping cloths are washed in the sink. Regardless for which purposes it has been used, each section of the three-bay sink should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before each dishwashing session, and it should also be completely emptied and cleaned every 4 hours.
How a Dishwasher Drains. The dishwasher is connected to a drain hose that runs water into the pipes under or into your sink. Sometimes the plumbing connections in your sink begin to deteriorate and need to be replaced. Or there may be excess debris clogging the bottom of your unit.
P2717. 2 Sink and Dishwasher. The combined discharge from a dishwasher and a one- or two-compartment sink, with or without a food-waste disposer, shall be served by a trap of not less than 11/2 inches (38 mm) in outside diameter.
The maximum length for a dishwasher drain hose will vary depending on the manufacturer of your dishwasher. However, most manufacturers recommend that the drain hose doesn't exceed 10 to 12 feet in length.
If this sounds like you, the solution is to attach your washing machine, dishwasher or both to a combined waste outlet that stems from your sink waste. This guide will explain the benefits and process of plumbing your dishwasher and washing machine into one waste pipe at the sink waste outlet.
Even though you have a dishwasher, a dish drying rack can still be a valuable thing to have in your kitchen. Having a dish rack at your disposal allows you to do a quick clean and rinse of your dishes, cups, and cutlery in between meals.
The three sink method is the manual procedure for cleaning and sanitizing dishes in commercial settings. Rather than providing additional workspace to perform the same function, the three compartments allow kitchen staff to wash, rinse, and sanitize dishes.
Drain Clogs
As the dishwasher pumps out water, the clog can cause a backup, resulting in water filling the sink. Solution: Start by using a plunger to attempt to dislodge the clog. If that doesn't work, try a drain snake or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to break down the blockage.
Run your dishwasher AFTER using your garbage disposal. Dishwashers and garbage disposals drain into the same pipe, so using the garbage disposal beforehand will ensure the pipe is clear.
A dishwasher air gap is a cylinder fitting that connects the kitchen sink drain to your dishwasher, preventing dirty water from flowing into the dishwasher as well as out of it during a wash cycle.