it's easy and if it takes you more than 30 minutes you are slow (I don't bother to replace the sink drain if the new one is the same brand as the old)
Keep turning until it turns easily. Do both directions. There are no gears, belts, etc. that would slow down or stop the turning. A garbage disposal is essentially just a motor with a few spinning blades attached to it. You turn on the electric, it energizes some magnets in the motor, and the internal motor coil spins freely from their forces. If you don't have electric on that motor should spin freely in either direction with only very minor resistance from the magnets. I'd be very surprised if your garbage disposal isn't perfectly fine. If not, hour job. Just grab some wood or books to prop the new one up while you install it.
A disposal costs $100-$150 at Home Depot. It takes no more than 30 minutes to install if you can use the same sink hole. The most time consuming part is removing the power cord from the old unit and installing it on the new unit.
Don't forget to punch out the plug that goes to the dishwasher drain.
I highly recommend disconnecting the power from the garbage disposal and installing an outlet that you can then plug the disposal into.
As said, a fairly easy job. But the more powerful & better insulated models are incredibly heavy & you have to lift them & turn fairly precisely.
I've done this twice, the last time I was both older AND sprung for a more powerful model, and because of the tight awkward space it was a real bioch.
It still took under 30 minutes and I took a 10 minute break to rest when my first attempts failed.
To do it yourself you need a certain level of arm strength. A helper can hardly help since space is tight. As said, a handyman can do it & will be quick with it.
I assume the price as quoted probably included the disposal too.
I've done this twice, the last time I was both older AND sprung for a more powerful model, and because of the tight awkward space it was a real bioch.
It still took under 30 minutes and I took a 10 minute break to rest when my first attempts failed.
To do it yourself you need a certain level of arm strength. A helper can hardly help since space is tight. As said, a handyman can do it & will be quick with it.
I assume the price as quoted probably included the disposal too.
I haven't seen hard wired disposals. The (minor) problem is that new disposals are sold without a power cord. You can buy a new cord separately or you can use the cord from your old disposal.
I think the reference may be to the outlet being switchable? If not, then both of you are correct. One would want wire a power cord, then install an outlet.
Not necessary, but convenient. If there is already a dishwasher the two can run off of the same outlet. Just make the garbage disposal part switchable.
https://www.nachi.org/garbage-disposals.htm
They are super easy to replace. I just did my Badger. Just make sure you tighten the damn thing the entire way. I apparently failed to do just that. I got a quite unpleasant phone call from my wife saying it fell off and water was all over the kitchen.
Thankfully it didn't break any plumbing.
Also, make sure you transfer the noise insulator case to the new one if they are compatible. It should just snap off.
If you are going to try to manually turn the motor, make sure you have a pan or bucket under it. If your motor is truly seized, it may start leaking rusty water out the bottom.
Thankfully it didn't break any plumbing.
Also, make sure you transfer the noise insulator case to the new one if they are compatible. It should just snap off.
If you are going to try to manually turn the motor, make sure you have a pan or bucket under it. If your motor is truly seized, it may start leaking rusty water out the bottom.
I dunno, disposals ARE cheap. The Insinkerator Badger (the most popular model in the U.S. for decades now) is like $70 for the 1/3 hp model and $100 for the 1/2 hp model. Not much price difference but really for most people 1/3 HP is plenty.
It's generally advisable not to use your disposal as a substitute for a trash can anyway -- especially for root vegetables that might like to try to attach themselves to your sewage pipe and grow. I.e. if you're peeling potatoes or trimming onions, use your trash can and use the disposal for the little stuff you can't quickly grab with your hands.
We learned this lesson many years ago when my wife got rid of a jar of pickles by putting them through the disposal. The disposal handled them fine but then they plugged up our aging sewer line. Just use the trash can.
There may be more durable models than Badgers but I doubt there's much difference -- a Badger will typically last 10-15 years, not bad for an appliance. And when you do need to replace it, it's less than an hour of your time.
It's generally advisable not to use your disposal as a substitute for a trash can anyway -- especially for root vegetables that might like to try to attach themselves to your sewage pipe and grow. I.e. if you're peeling potatoes or trimming onions, use your trash can and use the disposal for the little stuff you can't quickly grab with your hands.
We learned this lesson many years ago when my wife got rid of a jar of pickles by putting them through the disposal. The disposal handled them fine but then they plugged up our aging sewer line. Just use the trash can.
There may be more durable models than Badgers but I doubt there's much difference -- a Badger will typically last 10-15 years, not bad for an appliance. And when you do need to replace it, it's less than an hour of your time.
You must be better at training your spouse than I am. I can't get mine to hear me on anything until I'm proven right -- when something breaks in the way I predicted.
Try the wrench again. It should turn 360 degrees freely if it is clear of obstruction. If the wrench does not turn it is obstructed. It sure sounds like you do not need a new one. If you cannot turn the wrench, turn the breaker off and stick you hand inside the disposal to see if you can feel and obstruction. I have had: bottle caps, chicken bones, cherry and peach pits, etc. If it is humming and then blowing the reset fuse -- like you say -- it is likely obstructed. You do not need a new one.
It depends what the obstruction is. My tenant did her crafts in the sink. She thought one of her rocks got stuck. I pulled it, checked it out and it was like she put concrete in the sink, ran some water and left it harden. I'm not sure how water got down the drain as jammed up as the disposal was.
That's exactly what happened for us. Jar of pickles down the disposal > clogged sewage line > had to pay for a weekend visit from Roto-Rooter. That teaches you. Especially for older houses, you want to be very kind to your 60- or 70-year-old sewage pipe because if you have to dig, you can get to $20,000 or $30,000 really fast.
Very good advice. Sometimes a very small object (cherry pit or tiny piece of plastic or metal) is enough to jam the thing. Vigorously wiggle back and forth with the wrench, then turn it on and off, rinse and repeat. Sometimes it takes a few tries. If it hums and you can hear the motor pushing, the disposal is probably OK, you just have to free it up.
I've never had a disposal die by becoming jammed. The common way a disposal dies is it starts to leak water.
This^^^^^
And if you do need a new one just go with the same brand and you can have it off and new one in under 30min. Super simple!!!
I'd be careful with the low priced models with a 5 year or less warranty as they rust out almost like clockwork once the warranty expires. You want something with a fairly thick stainless steel construction. My advice, check Amazon for a better model and price.
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Update: I tried the wrench thing for a good 10 minutes yesterday and was getting a good bit of resistance. I tried running it after and still - just a hum until it re-set. Get home today, and on a whim turn it on and BOOM - works like a charm.
Did you evict her?
No. I didn’t know until she moved out and I was inspecting things. She also washed something other than dishes in the dishwasher. Left a mess in it that took me several hours to clean.
This MIGHT be the most interesting thing I've read all day. Maybe it was just a bone fragment or tiny piece of plastic and it finally gave way. Or your disposal is just dying.
Update: I tried the wrench thing for a good 10 minutes yesterday and was getting a good bit of resistance. I tried running it after and still - just a hum until it re-set. Get home today, and on a whim turn it on and BOOM - works like a charm.
Sounds like it's jammed with something if the was motor humming. If you don't have the disposal wrench then get an allen wrench and underneath the disposal you can try to unjam the disposal turning right or left putting the wrench in the socket. There's also a reset button underneath if the motor stops humming. It might just be that simple and you wouldn't have to replace it. Good luck.
My garbage disposal seems to have sprung a couple of leaks on the bottom. Appears to be two tiny holes. Is this normal? What causes that? Fixable? Or just replace it? I’ve replaced a couple in my lifetime so no big deal. But always because they stopped running. Never due to a leak.
yeah- replace it- the seals around the blade shaft are worn out, it happens
I've had two start leaking like that. They're trashed at that point. Time to head to Lowe's
I picked up a 1 HP Moen with a 10 year warranty. Has a motion detector light which is cool for as long as it works. Came wired with a plug, so I still have to rewire the switch to turn on the outlet I need to add. It’s under the sink and is in a double box so just need to buy an outlet and a new cover for the box. Simple. Then it will be there when I replace the dishwasher too.
The toughest part of the job was removing the old unit. It was rusted solid so I ended up getting it as loose as possible then bent the lip that holds it in place in the sink so I could drop it down through the hole.
The toughest part of the job was removing the old unit. It was rusted solid so I ended up getting it as loose as possible then bent the lip that holds it in place in the sink so I could drop it down through the hole.
Make sure you get a stainless steel one. Quality has really dropped and if it has a 5 year warranty it is most likely carbon steel, which you can pretty much expect to get a hole from rust at 5 years and 1 week.
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Don't you live in Manassas?
https://www.homeadvisor.com/tloc/Manassas-VA/Garbage-Disposal-Installation/
