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Kitchen garbage disposers are designed to grind up leftovers and other food waste so that you can flush the debris safely down the sink drain. The sink that you are adding the disposer to should have a normal, full-size drain opening. To power the new disposer, you should ideally run a dedicated circuit from the breaker panel. If that is not possible, tie into another circuit that you have access to, but be sure to check that the load will be acceptable for that circuit. Garbage disposer systems come with various options for you to choose from. For example, they may have different horsepower capabilities (1/4hp, 1/3hp, 1/2hp), reversing capability, and varying warranty terms. Pricing for a disposer unit can range from $50 to $400. Choosing the one that meets your needs is a great way to maintain clean and bright living area in the kitchen!
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| BEFORE You Start... | |
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Skill Level & Time to Complete |
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| • Beginner - 3 hours | |
| • Intermediate - 2 hours | |
| • Advanced - 1 hour | |
| - Make sure electric circuit is off before making any electrical connections. | |
| - Do not run the faucet during installation of the disposal. | |
| - There are products available for cleaning your garbage disposal and the drain, which you should use every 1 to 2 months to keep things running smoothly. You can often find these at your local grocery. | |
| - You will require an electrical connection with a dedicated switch to operate the new disposer. Make sure this connection is available before you start this project. | |
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| 1. | Disconnect the down drainpipe coming from the sink and the connection that attaches it to the p-trap. Large channel-lock pliers or a pipe wrench work well to loosen the nuts holding the pipes together. When both connections are free, remove the parts. |  |
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| 2. | To remove the strainer body from the sink, unscrew the large nut that holds it in place underneath the sink. Then clean off the old plumber's putty that surrounds the edge of the drain opening. | |
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| 3. | Place a 1/4” bead of plumber’s putty around the drain opening in the sink. Drop the new sink flange into the drain opening and press it into place. From under the sink, slide the fiber gasket and backup ring onto the sleeve. Hold these pieces in place. Next slip on the mounting ring and snap ring. | |
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| 4. | Tighten the three mounting screws. Alternate tightening each screw a few turns at a time until the mounting assembly is evenly and tightly seated against the bottom of the sink. | |
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| 5. | Lay the disposer on its side under the sink so you can make the electrical connections. Make sure the circuit breaker is off. Remove the plate on the bottom of the disposer to expose the wiring. Using wire nuts, connect the white wire from the disposer unit with the white wire from the power supply. Follow the same step to connect the black wires. Finally, connect the ground wire from the supply to the ground on the disposer unit. Replace the plate to cover the wires. | |
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| 6. | If using a dishwasher, you will need to tap out the dishwasher knockout plug. Lay the disposer on its side and use a screwdriver and hammer to tap it out. | |
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| 7. | Align the disposer with the three mounting ears on the sink mounting assembly. Holding the disposer in place, turn the lower mounting ring until all three mounting ears are locked into the mounting assembly. | |
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| 8. | Install the discharge tube and its gasket to the disposer. Turn the disposer until the discharge tube aligns with the drain trap. If the discharge tube is too long, it should be cut to fit. If it is not long enough, you need to purchase extension pieces to make up the difference. | |
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| 9. | Connect the dishwasher tube to the disposer. | |
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| 10. | Now that everything is installed and in position, lock the disposer to the sink mounting assembly using the special wrench that came with the unit. Finally, you should test the disposer for leaks and turn on the electrical breaker to test its operation. | |
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