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Air Gap

It's purpose What it looks like. Underneath. drain plug.

An air gap is a device that acts as a delivery system for your dishwashers drain water. It is there to prohibit any cross contamination from the water that you drink. It is almost impossible for that to happen anyway but with an air gap it is less possible. The greatest amount of problems with an air gap have to do with water shooting out of it. This will happen when there is an obstruction somewhere in the path of the drain from where it starts at the air gap to where it ends inside of your disposer.
If you could lay underneath your kitchen sink and look up at an air gap this is what it looks like. The white hose in this case is coming from the dishwasher and the black hose is going to the disposer. A good plumber will always check the hose to make sure it is clear when replacing the disposer.

I have never seen a disposer that didnt have an inlet to receive the hose from an air gap but I have seen homes without an airgap. That is why the disposer companies always provide the new disposers with a plug. This plug must be removed when an air gap hose is attached to drain. If you have a problem with your dishwasher draining after a new disposer was just installed, guess what? The plug inside of the inlet tube may not have been removed.

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