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When your food waste disposal starts making unpaired noises or halt act upon in all , it in all likelihood mean it ’s time to replace it . you could hire a professional pipe fitter to palm the caper or you could hold open money and take on this labor yourself .
vary out an old garbage garbage disposal with a new one is n’t difficult as long as you carefully follow the steps and use a few pro tricks of the business deal to secure a escape - liberal install . We enlisted the help of master plumber Roy Barnes , cobalt - owner ofService Force Plumbingin Rockville , MD , for guidance on how to install a garbage disposal .
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Tools & Materials
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Project Overview
Working Time : 2 hoursTotal Time : 2 hoursSkill horizontal surface : IntermediateEstimated Cost : $ 150 to $ 200
How do you know when it’s time to replace a garbage disposal?
you could generally expect to use a refuse garbage disposal for around 10 to 12 eld , assuming you stick to the rule ofwhat not to put in a drivel garbage disposal . If you ’re wondering how long your disposal has provide , here are some clear warning signs .
What type of garbage disposal do I need?
Garbage disposals come in ⅓- , ½- , and ¾-horsepower stop number . Barnes says 1/2 HP is more than enough for most hoi polloi ’s needs . He also propose purchasing a scraps garbage disposal with a untainted steel basket .
“ Most garbage garbage disposal bankruptcy are due to the inner basketball hoop eat out and provide water to get into the motor , so investing in a unit with a stainless steel field goal will increase the expected service lifetime , ” read Barnes .
When frequent for a garbage disposal , you ’ll find both uninterrupted provender and sight mannequin .
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Continuous feed food waste disposalsaccount for the vast legal age of drivel disposals found in place . This case of garbage disposition stopple into a three - prong outlet locate under your sink . To become it on , flip over a electric switch situate either under the sink or on the wall behind it . Once on , you may unceasingly flow solid food rubbish into it as you rinse dirty dish , reach them convenient to use .
With abatch - feed food waste electric pig , you load quite a little of nutrient into the grinder then put a stopper in the first step to start it . Since these garbage disposals wo n’t operate without the stopper in place , they ’re less convenient to use but dependable than uninterrupted garbage disposals . Since batch exemplar do n’t require a switch , they ’re the best garbage administration for sump areas that are n’t wire for a garbage administration .
If you decide to go with a continuous feed garbage disposition , ascertain to see if it come with a office cord . If it does n’t , you ’ll need to bribe one . They ’re typically sold in the same section as the refuse disposal .
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Before You Begin
Before getting started , give the owner ’s manual a read - through . Doing so will give you an idea of what to expect during the garbage electric pig replacement and reserve you to gauge whether you feel comfortable taking on the job yourself . Also , keep in mind that once you begin , your kitchen sink will be out of mission until you complete the garbage disposal installation .
Step 1: Cut power to the garbage disposal.
Before you get started on the instalment , ensure you disconnect the old drivel electric pig from the electric outlet or , if you have a heavily - wire garbage electric pig , cut off power to the drivel electric pig at the breakers to eliminate the risk of electrical shock . Use avoltage meterto make trusted there is no electricity running to the garbage disposal after alternate the breaker off .
Step 2: Remove the old garbage disposal.
unplug the waste pipe and dishwashing machine discharge tube from the garbage disposal . Next , receive the lock ring holding the scraps disposal to the drainage . Disconnect the garbage electric pig by cohere a Phillips headscrewdriverinto one of the bracket on the lower mounting ring and grow it anticlockwise .
Turn the refuse disposition upside down and position it on the story of the storage locker . If the garbage disposal is hardwired , remove the garbage disposal ’s electrical cover plate to reveal the garbage disposal wiring and disconnect the telegram .
Next , polish off the administration drain mount ring from the cesspit by removing the three climb up screw with a Phillips head screwdriver and crop up off the snap gang holding it in topographic point . Finally , remove the old disposal ’s sink rim from the sink waste pipe pickle and houseclean away any old pipe fitter ’s putty from the sink .
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Pro tip : A drivel disposal can consider up to 15 pound sign , so employ book , an old paint can or some other object to help support it — and foreclose it from follow crashing down — while you unplug it from the upper bestride ring .
Step 3: Prepare the new garbage disposal.
If your new garbage administration does n’t hail with a power corduroy , unscrew the alloy covert on the bottom of the new unit of measurement to reveal its electric connections . Wire the new power cord to the garbage administration by attaching white to ashen and black to black and attaching the green wire to the ground screw . Reinstall the metal covering . If you ’re uncertain with how to telegraph a refuse electric pig or do n’t experience well-fixed working with electrical , you may want to call in a pro for assist .
If you have a dishwasher , remove the spark plug from the disposition ’s dishwasher enfeeble . Do n’t skip this dance step or your dishwasher will flood when you take to the woods it . you could strike hard out the drain plug using a flathead screwdriver and a hammer .
Step 4: Install the sink flange.
produce a watertight seal between the raw cesspit rim and the sink to preclude leaks . Barnes advises roll a 12 - column inch - long roll of putty in your hands to the thickness of about a pencil then press it against the underside of the rim to check a watertight seal . Drop the rim into the sink ’s drain yap and push down on it .
Step 5: Attach the lower adapter.
Slide the snap gang over the sink flange and bust it into situation . Tighten the three piece of tail on the mounting ring using a Phillips head screwdriver . Make certain to constrain it until the plumber ’s putty start to squeeze out of the seam between the drainage adapter and the cesspit .
Step 6: Attach the garbage disposal.
campaign the garbage disposal up into place against the upper mounting gang . verify you line the garbage disposal up in the same position as the last one , so you may make the necessary bathymetry connexion .
And , harmonise to Barnes , the “ number one cause of escape from a garbage disposal is the lock ring not engaging on all three lockup points . ” So , insert a Phillips head screwdriver into one of the three brackets on the lower bestride ring to turn the lock ring clockwise and lock it into station , make indisputable to rent all interlock point .
Step 7: Connect the plumbing.
Now that your garbage administration is secured to the cesspit , it ’s time to make the plumbing connexion . Attach the sink trap to the drivel disposal waste pipe pipe , then join the dishwasher drain hose to the disposal using a hose clamp . Once both are in place , endure the water and check for leakage .
Step 8: Test the garbage disposal.
restitute power to the food waste disposal by switch the circuit ledgeman on the electrical panel . With the piss break away , turn the garbage disposition on to verify it works properly and does n’t leak .
Once your scraps disposal is installed , Barnes say using it slenderly is key to getting the most out of it . “ Despite the name , your garbage disposal is not a wish-wash can , ” he says . “ houseclean your plate as well as potential in the trash can . This will tighten the amount of debris that goes down your garbage garbage disposal that can ruin your garbage disposal and can direct to a blocked sewer pedigree . ”
Final Thoughts
give that the cost of labor to install a garbage disposition can range between $ 150 and $ 350,installing a new garbage disposalis a worthy DIY project if you have the sentence and feel well-to-do with what the occupation mean and how to replace a drivel disposition .
That said , this job does come with some challenges . refuse disposals can count upwardly of 15 pounds , which can make them challenging to put on in the tight space under your cesspool . This chore also involve electric wiring , which brings with it the inherent danger of electric shock . If you ’re not comfortable deal this Book of Job yourself , then consider hiring a pro to manage it .
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