01-31-2010, 12:41 PM
I work with a lot of stainless sinks and if you're using thin gauge steel, it's noisy as all heck. Those pads glued to the sides are sound dampeners and are necessary unless you want a sink that "clangs" all the time.
That paste you are asking about is "plumbers paste" and can be used in lieu of teflon tape (things used to seal threads). However, the typical dishwasher connection is is made with braided stainless hose with 3/8 compression fittings (or copper compression fittings) - in either case, teflon tape or paste should not be necessary and I'm guessing that the previous install was done by the owner and not a plumber - because these are plumbing basics that I expect any plumber to know.
That paste you are asking about is "plumbers paste" and can be used in lieu of teflon tape (things used to seal threads). However, the typical dishwasher connection is is made with braided stainless hose with 3/8 compression fittings (or copper compression fittings) - in either case, teflon tape or paste should not be necessary and I'm guessing that the previous install was done by the owner and not a plumber - because these are plumbing basics that I expect any plumber to know.