Owens Corning
How to Replace a Food Disposer
If your food disposer has ground to a halt recently, you'll be happy to know that replacing it is not a major chore. In fact, replacing an aging disposer is almost always your best option. Disposers that are past warranty can be fixed, but the repair will often exceed the cost of a moderately-priced new disposer. If you do the work, and you certainly can, you will easily save $40-60 on the installation.

Shopping for a Better Buy

If you shop around, you will find that disposers are offered in several basic price categories, starting at around $50 and exceeding $200. This range of prices reflects variations such as the size of the motor (1/3 to 3/4 hp), the quality of the metal in the upper body, and whether the motor spins in one direction or changes direction each time it is turned on. Disposers with alternating motors are less likely to be stalled by hard or stringy food scraps.

While all manufacturers guarantee their disposers, service should always be a consideration. Some manufacturers contract with local appliance repair companies to provide on-site service, while others will ask you to send the disposer in to be reconditioned.

How you use your disposer should influence the choice you make. I have seen many disposers last 10 years and others give up in a year or two. The deciding factor seems to be the difference between use and abuse, and of course, luck is always involved. If you don't expect your disposer to replace your trash can, a low-to-medium priced model should serve you well.

Removing Your Old Disposer

Start by shutting off the power to the disposer at the breaker panel. Then, loosen the screw that holds the access plate to the electrical box at the bottom of the disposer. Pull the wires from the box and remove the wire nuts. With the wires loose, thread the box connector from the disposer slot and pull the wires free.

Next, undo the disposer waste kit and p-trap all the way back to the wall or floor connection. You should then be ready to remove the disposer from its sink connection. One brand of disposer is held held to its drain by a large stainless-steel turnscrew clamp. Just loosen this clamp and the disposer will fall.

Other models use a mounting-ring connection. There are several kinds of mounting rings, but in all cases, a lower ring on the disposer is drawn-up to an upper ring on the drain assembly. Some are drawn together with bolts and others with locking rings. Either undo the bolts or turn the locking ring counterclockwise by inserting a screwdriver in the ring tabs. Be sure to support the disposer so that it doesn't come crashing down.

With the disposer body out, use a screwdriver to undo the drain assembly. If your disposer also has a retaining ring holding the bottom of the assembly to the flange, loosen the screws and snap this ring from its seat. The drain assembly should then fall apart.

Installing Your New Disposer

Start by mounting the drain assembly in the sink opening. Press a roll of plumber's putty around the flange before setting it in place. Then, slide the drain fastener onto the drain spud from below. Snap the retaining ring onto the spud and tighten the bolts to draw the two halves of the drain assembly together. When most of the putty is squeezed from under the drain flange, (in the sink) and the bolts feel snug, the assembly is tight enough. Trim the excess putty from the top side of the drain flange. Before mounting the new disposer to the drain assembly, make the electrical connection. I find it easier to turn the disposer upside down when hooking up the box clamp and wires. If you intend to drain your dishwasher through your disposer, you'll also need to break the knockout plug from the dishwasher fitting. This is easily done with a hammer and an old screwdriver, but don't forget to shake the plug from disposer drum before moving on.

With the electrical connection made, lift the disposer up to the upper mounting ring and turn the lower ring firmly onto it, until it locks. Your disposer should be snug, but not necessarily rigid.

When installing a new disposer, it's a good idea to install a new disposer waste kit as well. These plastic drain kits consist of 2 flanged tailpieces, a baffled tee, and various nuts and compression washers. Because one size is made to fit all sinks and disposers, you'll need to trim both tailpieces to fit. Just hold them in place to mark the cut and use a hacksaw to trim them to length.

With the waste kit trimmed to size, slide the disposer drain flange onto the longer tailpiece. Insert the rubber washer into the disposer drain opening and tighten the flange bolts. This will draw the tailpiece firmly against the rubber washer to make the seal. Then connect the rest of the kit joints and hook the p-trap to the kit tee.
Be careful not to over-tighten the trap and kit nuts. Hand-tight is good enough on plastic. Hand tight plus one turn on chrome nuts will usually do it. If you discover leaks, tighten each nut only enough to stop the leaks.

With the plumbing connections made, restore power to the disposer and test your work. And last but not least, remember to save the hex-wrench that came with your disposer. You may need it to free a stuck disposer someday.

Written by Merle Henkenius
Reprinted with permission. Copyright HouseNet, Inc.

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