There you are, cooking for a large family get-together.  You just finished prepping one of the side course meals when you noticed scraps of waste in your sink.  No problem, you run the water, turn on the garbage disposal, and nothing.  The garbage disposal does not turn on. In this article, we will discuss installing a garbage disposal, including what tools you need and how to stay safe.

Purchase A New Garbage Disposal

A new garbage disposal can run anywhere from $50.00 to over $500.00.  Before purchasing brand new disposal, you will want to research and make sure you are buying the right kind for your needs.  The disposal that is on the low end of the price structure will be a small unit that may not be very powerful and possibly very loud.  On the other hand, a more expensive unit that is designed for a commercial restaurant may be impractical in your home and end up costing you more money on energy consumption.  For the average home with an average size family, the best disposals will cost around $100.00 with many manufacturers offering a rebate of some kind.

What Kind Of Tools Do You Need?

The tools needed to install a garbage disposal are common tools that most anyone has lying around their home.  The most common tools that will be needed are as follows:

  • Flathead screwdriver
  • Philips head screwdriver
  • Pliers
  • Hammer
  • Flashlight or lantern
  • Plumber’s Putty

Safety First

Before you removing the old garbage disposal and installing the new one, you will want to turn off the power to the general area.  First, you should unplug the garbage disposal unit from the electrical outlet.  Then you should turn off the circuit breaker that feeds power to the electrical outlet.  If you are unsure which circuit provides power to the outlet, you can shut off all the power to the home to be on the safe side.

Installing the Garbage Disposal

Although some models of garbage disposals might have some slight variations in the installation process, for the most part, the following is the basic installation for a new garbage disposal.

  1. Unscrew the discharge pipes from the garbage disposal. If the dishwasher is connected to this disposal through a discharge hose, disconnect the hose as well.
  2. Unscrew the disposal from the mounting ring.
  3. Remove the old mounting bracket.
  4. Push up the sink flange to remove it. The sink flange is a ring that surrounds the opening of the drain and garbage disposal.
  5. Install the new sink flange using the plumber’s putty. The flange should be pressed into place so it covers the sink drain opening.  Wait until the plumber’s putty hardens.
  6. Attach the new mounting bracket.
  7. Screw in the new disposal into the mounting bracket.
  8. If there is a hose to connect the garbage disposal to the dishwasher, connect it to the disposal.
  9. Connect the discharge pipe to the garbage disposal.
  10. Run the water to ensure there are no leaks. Plugin the garbage disposal and restore power from the circuit breaker.

Contact Us

You can always contact the professionals at Conyers Plumbing to remove and install a garbage disposal.