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Out with the old, in with the new: Removing your garbage disposal

Wear and tear of a garbage disposal is common, and as soon as it starts becoming loud, it is time for you to replace it with a new one. The entire procedure is quite simple.

Safety for the plumbers is important when the replacement of the garbage disposal is done. The power for the circuit for the garbage disposal unit should be shut off from the main circuit breaker, before they start working on it.

Clear the area below the sink, so that there is enough room to work on the plumbing fixtures. Disconnect the wires leading to the garbage disposal by loosening the screws which are holding the panel in place, removing the wire nuts and electrical tape at the end of the wires. The terminal screw where the green or bare copper is connected should be loosened as well.

After the wires, the plumbing has to be disconnected. Sometimes there may be more than one plumbing connection, of which the first connection or the larger pipe is generally to the drain pipe. This could be rigid or flexible. The coupling on the end of the pipe needs to be loosened with a wrench, and removed completely. The second connection is generally the dishwasher connection. At the end of the drain hose there is a hose clamp and this should be pulled off the disposal nipple.

On the lower edge of the disposal you will find a Phillips screw or an Allen crew, which needs to be loosened. As soon as that is done, the garbage disposal can be removed by turning it in a clockwise direction. It is possible that there is another locking ring too which needs to be loosened, so that the unit can come off. Remove installation rings and remove the entire unit to replace it with a new one.

Since garbage disposals can be quite dangerous if not handled properly, it is best to leave their repair in the hands of experienced plumbers.

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