How to Replace a Garbage Disposal
By: Beth Knott
I use my garbage disposal a lot. I very much like not having to scrape the plates into the garbage the way we did when I was a kid. So, recently, I was standing at my sink, cleaning off some dishes...and to my horror, when I hit the switch for the garbage disposal, it made a hum...but not the same glorious grinding sound that I've come to know and love when it's devouring the food scraps from my plate.
Now, knowing a thing or two from all my years producing home improvement television shows..I knew to try the reset button on the bottom. But when I opened the cabinet door under the sink, I saw a sight that sent fear up my spine. Not only was it not working, water was running out of the bottom - and it was dirty, stinky water! After I cleaned up the mess, and put a cup under the stream to catch the remainder of the water, I tried the red reset button. When I flippd the disposal switch, nothing happened.
 There is one other easy fix t a non-woring disposal, but I knew that since it didn't sound like anything was stuck, it probably wouldn't work, but I gave it a try anyway. I took the jam wrench, which I had cleverly taped to the pipe next to the disposal so that I could find it at a moment's notice. I put it in the slot at the bottom of the disposal and gave it a turn. Still no glorious grinding.
So I called Brad, our Creative Genius (who also happens to be the resident handyman), who coincidentally was at an event with our favorite plumber Ed Del Grande (check out Ed's Book for more great advice from my friend). Never being one to let opportunity pass me by, I asked Brad to seek Ed's advice. When I described the problem, Ed said those words we hate: "When it gets to that point, it's easier to replace it." So here's how the project went. Since this is new frontier for me, Brad agreed to give me some advice and, luckily for me, the extra disposal he had laying around his partially remodeled house. This project doesn't take much time, or many tools. The only thing that you will need, unless you have more physical strength than I, is a freind to help you hold the weight of the disposal when you take the old one down, and when you put the new one up.
Here we go...
- Step One: Turn the power off. You do have to work with wires here, and I don't want any of you getting zapped, so turn the
 breaker off that powers the switch for the disposal.
- Prepare to get a little messy...towels and buckets are a good idea to have at the ready for this project. Take a good look at the garbage disposal and how it's connected. It will be hanging directly under the sink, connected by a collar. It will also be connected to a pipe, probably to the dishwasher, in addition to the electrical wiring.
- I loosened the nut that connected the pipe and the disposal so the unit wouldn't hang up on the pipe on the way down.
- Then I decided it was easier to disconnect the rest of the stuff if it was down and I could turn it better. So next, I took it down, and here's how. This is where you'll need a friend. One of you should hold the unit so it doesn't fall
 straight down, and the other frees the unit by using the jam wrench, sliding it into the slot around the collar at the top of the unit. Push or pull until you feel the collar turn loose. Just be aware that any gook in the disposal may come out...that's why you'll need a towel and bucket.
- Once the unit is down, it's a matter of preference what you disconnect next. I disconnected the hose that goes to the dishwasher, which was just kept in place with a collar that was held tight by one screw.
- Then, I took the access plate off of the bottom of the disposal to expose the electrical connectons. I pulled the
 wires out, and unscrewed the wire nuts, which left me with two exposed white wires and two exposed black wires.
- Next, I loosened the collar for the conduit that brought the electrical wires into te unit. Yours might not be in conduit. There may just be an electrical wire going into it. Either way, you need to pull them out at this point.
- THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT...SO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS STEP! If this is a new unit, before you install it, you need to knock out the plug where
 the hose from the dishwasher connects. I did NOT do this when I installed it the first time. My dishwasher wouldn't drain, and I had water under my sink! I learned my lesson the hard way - so you don't have to! This plug is not that easy to knock out, and is almost impossible once the unit is installed. You want to put it on the ground, and use either a large, flat head screwdriver and a hammer, or even a socket extension and a hammer. You'll have to give it a few whacks, but you should be able to knock it out.
- Now everything is free, so it's tme to do the reverse and connect the new one. Starting with removing the electrical access plate on the bottom of the new unit and then running the wires from the electrical source to the bottom of the unit.
- Then you connect the white to the white by screwing a wire nut onto the ends of the two wires, and then you do the same for the two black wires. Push the wires and nuts into the unit, and re-attach the access plate. Mine was held on with just one screw.
 
- Next, I went ahead and connected the hose to the dishwaser, since it was on the ground and easy to work with. Just snug the collar on the hose to the disposal and tighten the screw.
- It's now time to call your friend back in to help and while one of you holds the unit up to the drain under the sink, the other lines the collar up and uses the jam wrench to tighten the collar in place.
- Then just tighten the nut of the pipe to the disposal...and you're all done. Go to the breaker box and turn the power back on, then turn on the faucet, flip the switch and see if it works.
You will have a real feeling of accomplishment when you finish this project! Good luck with it. I gave it a 3 Fingernail rating  . It was a little complicated, and a little messy. Send in any questions or comments you have or let us know about any other projects you'd like to see.
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