Without an air gap contaminated water could be sucked back into the dishwasher dirtying your clean dishes and making you ill.
Dishwasher water comes out of air vent on sink top.
In a properly functioning air gap the dishwasher hose attaches to an input on the air gap and the water is expelled out the end.
When the gap leaks it is normally due to a kink or blockage in the tube from the air gap to the tail piece drain line below the sink.
If water squirts out the air gap s vent holes or you notice a foul smell coming from it it s time to clean it.
Plug the disposal into the wall outlet and turn on the wall switch to drain the disposal and sink and stop water from flowing out the air gap.
Place a bucket beneath the garage disposal if the.
The gap may need to be cleaned or the drain line below the sink may be plugged.
How an air gap works.
Remove any loose food particles then clean with the bottle brush as shown.
The air gap is just that a gap of air in the dishwasher drain line so dirty water can not be forced up out of the sink and into the dishwasher.