If you don’t know how to install a garbage disposal, it would feel practically impossible. The truth is you don’t need any special tools to install one. In fact, this article will show you that anybody who knows a few DIY basics can install it in about an hour. Read this article to get a hassle-free guide on how to install a garbage disposal.
There are many garbage disposals to choose from. If you haven’t decided on one for your home yet, then I am going to recommend the Insinkerator Badger 1 model. It is ⅓ horsepower, which is plenty of power for your home’s kitchen. Click the link below to take a look at it.
Installing a garbage disposal is easier than you might think. This article is going to show you how to install one if you have electrical power under your sink. There are two forms this power can come in. The first is for there to be a power outlet that is available under the cabinet. The second is for it to have a hardline connection directly to the garbage disposal.
- Quiet and efficient motor
- Easy installation as listed in this article
- Power cord included
- 1 year full service warranty
- Dishwasher attachment option included
Required Tools
How To Install a Garbage Disposal in a Double Sink
The steps outlined here include how to install a garbage disposal with and without a dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher connected to your existing garbage disposal, you will follow the steps outlined below for that. If there is no dishwasher connected, skip those steps.
Turn Off The Power
The first step for any job that you are working on anything that has electricity running to it is to turn off the power at the breaker box. This can be easy if you have a well labeled panel. But if it isn’t labeled very well it might be a guessing game.
Test if the power is off before you make any assumptions. The easiest way to do this is to flip on the switch for the garbage disposal. It is safe to begin if it doesn’t come on. Remember to flip it off though, because you don’t want the new garbage disposal to turn on when you turn the power back on.
This is also the right time to remove any products that are in the way. Find a place to put as many of them as possible. You want to have as much working space as you can. For the installation.
Disconnect The Old Garbage Disposal
There will be two screws attached to the discharge pipe. Back those out all the way and set them aside. If there is a dishwasher attached to the disposal this is a good time to remove the hose that attaches it. To do this turn the screw on the pipe clamp counterclockwise until the clamp is loose. Then pull the connection off the garbage disposal.
There are also three screws facing upward just beneath the sink. Loosen each of these about half way. If you use a screwdriver for two of them, the third should be able to loosen by hand. You want to back them out enough to lift the bottom of the bracket up towards the sink.
Once these screws are loose and the drain pipe is disconnected from the garbage disposal, hold the bracket steady with one hand and twist the garbage disposal to the left with the other. This should pop it loose.
After it is movable, take a flat screwdriver to pop off the metal ring that is holding the pieces of this bracket together. To do this first slide all the parts upwards towards the sink. This will allow the ring to be visible. While holding them up with one hand, use a flat screwdriver in your other hand to slide the ring downward.
It should pop off pretty easily. Once you have this ring out all the pieces of the bracket should be able to be removed. There is one piece that will need to be slid upwards into the sink. After the sink is cleared you will want to wipe any leftover plumbers putty away from the hole.
Remove The Electrical Cord
Is the garbage disposal plugged into a wall outlet, or is it hardlined in? If it’s plugged in you can simply pull the plug out and the garbage disposal will be free to move. You will need to attach a power cord to the new garbage disposal, and may need to reuse the old cord. Both methods are the same from this point on.
If it is hard lined in, you will need to remove the wires before you can lift the disposal away.
To do this simply turn the disposal upside down, or lay it on it’s side with the bottom facing you (whichever one is easier for you). There is a small metal plate with one screw in it near the location the wires go into the bottom. Remove this screw.
There should be two wire nuts, and one grounding wire screw. Remove the wire nuts, and loosen the screw. Once all three wires are free you should be able to pull them out. You may want to clip them close to the location they were twisted if this is easier.
Disclaimer: Only clip them if you have plenty of length on your wire left. Also only do this if you have a wire stripper handy and are comfortable with stripping the wires later. It can be a larger problem if there isn’t enough length to hook up the new disposal.
You also want to remove the connector the wires are going through. There are a couple of screws that can be removed. Once the wires are pulled out you can turn this connector counterclockwise to remove it.
How To Install a Garbage Disposal With a Dishwasher
This step is ONLY for a garbage disposal that will have the dishwasher tube attached. If there is no dishwasher, or the dishwasher is attached directly to the sink drain then this step can be ignored.
The small opening on the side of the garbage disposal is for the dishwasher discharge line. If you look into this opening you will see there is a plastic barrier inside.
Lay the garbage disposal on it’s side, and stick your screwdriver into the hole. Hit the screwdriver until it breaks the plastic piece loose. You may need a hammer for this step. Make sure you get this plastic piece out of the garbage disposal. Reach in and pull it out.
Attach The Wires To The New Garbage Disposal
The steps to do this are the reverse order of what we just did. Feed the wires through the connector, and remove the screw and cover plate. Push the wires through the hole and out of the opening.
Attach the wires in the same order you removed them. White is connected to white, and black is connected to black. Screw on the wire nuts. I like to put a piece of electrical tape around the base of the wire nuts, holding it onto the wire more securely. If you don’t have any electrical tape you can skip this part.
Attach The Mounting Flange
Start by looking at how all the pieces of the flange are attached. This is how you are going to set it back up after you take it apart.
Back down the three screws with a flathead screwdriver. You don’t need to remove them completely, but get them as low as possible.
Slide the pieces together, exposing the mounting ring. Use the flathead screwdriver to pop the ring off. This will allow all the pieces to be separated.
The sink mount flange is the cylindrical piece that the mounting ring was attached to. You are going to want to put a bead of plumber’s putty around the underside of the ridge of this flange.
Take a chunk of putty and roll it in your hands until it is like a long snake about half an inch thick. Press the putty around the flange where it is going to make contact with the sink (not the side with the words).
When this is done you want to stick the flange through the hole and press it onto the sink. It is good to line up the words as you do this to make them easier to read.
When it is firmly pressed on you will go back under the sink. Feed the pieces up onto the flange the same way they came off. Start with the cardboard, and then put the two mounting flanges in the same order and orientation they were when taken out of the box.
Holding all the pieces up, but being careful not to bump the mounting flange loose, pop the mounting ring back on. This may take a moment to do.
Once all the pieces are on it’s time to tighten the screws up by hand. Don’t make them super tight yet, but get them evenly tightened. You want these pieces to still be able to rotate.
Attach The Garbage Disposal
There are three little lips on the top of the garbage disposal that go into the three grooves on the bottom of the mounting flange. Lift the disposal up and secure it to the flange by turning it clockwise. You want to get it pretty firmly in place.
Once it is attached to the flange, spin the disposal so the discharge hole is lined up with the discharge pipe. Once the screw holes are lined up, attach the two screws.
Push on the dishwasher discharge line and tighten the pipe clamp.
Tighten the three screws on the flange equally. Once these screws are tight, you can remove the excess plumber’s putty from inside the sink. There is some putty that is pressed out between the sink and the flange. This can be wiped away by hand and thrown in the trash.
The garbage disposal is now installed. If it has a power cord that needs to plug into the wall, do this now. If not, it is ready for the next step.
Turn The Power Back On
Go to the breaker box and turn the power back on. Test your work by turning on the faucet and flipping the switch to the garbage disposal.
Congratulations on installing your new garbage disposal. Your work is done!
How To Install a Garbage Disposal in a Kitchen Sink That Never Had One Before
Start by removing the drain assembly. Loosen the nut on the bottom of the assembly. Also loosen the nut at the top of the p-trap. Once you remove the drain, and the section of pipe connecting it to the p-trap, you are ready to start.
The steps for installing the garbage disposal are the same as the ones outlined above. The main difference is you will need to connect the discharge pipe to the p-trap.
Attach the discharge pipe to the garbage disposal before mounting it. Follow the steps outlined above, but don’t tighten the flange all the way down yet. Just hang the garbage disposal and rotate it until the discharge pipe is lined up with the p-trap.
When lined up, take notice of how far below the top of the p-trap it hangs down. You want it to go below the nut, but not past where it begins to bend. There is a section of the p-trap that is slightly wider than the rest of it. This is the location the end of the discharge tube will sit.
If the discharge tube goes beyond this section, you will need to mark and cut it using a sharpie and a hacksaw. Make the cut as straight as possible. It’s easiest if you mark it, then take the disposal off the flange and lay it flat. Clean off any burrs that are left on the pipe.
Remove the nut and plastic washer. Slide the nut and washer up the discharge tube in the same orientation as they were when you removed them. After this is done it’s time to put the disposal back on the flange.
Once it’s on and the discharge tube is placed in the p-trap, tighten everything down. Start with the p-trap nut by sliding it down the tube and seat it on the threads. Make sure the threads are lined up as you turn it by hand until it’s tight.
Tighten the three screws at the top of the flange with the screwdriver. Make sure they are tightened evenly, but you don’t need to overly tighten them.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can you replace a garbage disposal yourself?
You don’t need to call an expensive plumber to install a new garbage disposal. It only requires a few simple hand tools to replace one. It’s even easier if there is one that’s already in place. But if not, don’t worry. The installation process for either case is outlined above.
How easy is it to replace a garbage disposal?
I would rank it as one of the easier home repair jobs there is. It only requires a few hand tools that every homeowner should already have. A phillips and flat screwdriver, wire strippers, and possibly a hacksaw are the only tools you need. Plumber’s putty is the only product you need to buy aside from the new garbage disposal itself.
Do I need a plumber to install a garbage disposal?
You do not need to pay for a plumber to install a garbage disposal. This article shows you step-by-step how to install it. Save your money, and do it yourself.
Conclusion
The installation process for a new garbage disposal is simple and straightforward. The steps to remove an old unit is the reverse order to the steps to install a new one. The only situation that might be a little harder is to install one on a sink that doesn’t already have one. But that isn’t much more difficult.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope it helps you with what you are looking for. Here at Castle Remodel I am devoted in helping you turn your home into a sanctuary!
Happy Remodeling,
Kevin