Repairing Sink Disposal

Troubleshoot and do garbage disposal repair with these handy tips from our guide.

Repairing sink disposal.

Usually the fix involves disassembling the drain trap and discharge pipe and removing any food waste clogging the pipes. Place an old towel under the weight so you don t scratch the sink. If the disposal is leaking from where it goes through the sink replace the drain gasket or the unit s mounting screws. If your new disposal is the same model as the old unit you won t need to replace the mounting hardware.

Remove the existing mounting assembly and drain. Pedre getty images. Scrape off any old plumber s putty from the sink. If the unit is unreasonably noisy check whether something has entered the unit that shouldn t have.

Slow draining of a garbage disposal can be caused by a number of problems but it s usually caused by the same kind of clogging that can slow any sink drain. In addition to disrupting your cleaning routine when the disposal stops working it opens up the potential for sink clogs from unprocessed debris that might slip down the drain. After you replace your garbage disposal check out 100 kitchen and bath updates that destroy a home s value. Unscrew the mounting ring and push the drain flange up through the drain hole.

Finally inspect your disposal for leaks at least twice a year using the dyed water test to catch and repair minor leaks before they lead to water damaged sink cabinets or kitchen floors. If the bottom of your sink is quite concave the old disposal might not contact the flange.