Food disposers are standard equipment in the modern home, and most of us have come to depend on them to macerate our plate leavings and crumbs so they can exit the house along with waste water from the sink drain. If your existing disposer need s replacing, you’ll find that the job is relatively simple, especially if yo u select a replacement appliance that is the same model as the old one. ] n that case, you can probably re use the existing mounting assembly, drain sleeve, and drain plumbing.
A disposer is hard wired to a switch mounted in an electrical box in the wall above the countertop. If your kitchen is not equipped for this, consult a wiring guide or hire an electrician. The actual electrical hookup of the appliance is quite simple (you only have to join two wires) but you can hire an electrician if you are not comfortable with the job.
Tools & Materials
Screwdriver
Channel-type pliers
Spud wrench (optional)
Hammer
Hacksaw or tubing cutter
Kitchen drain supplies
Drain auger
Putty knife
Mineral spirits
Plumber’s putty
Wire caps
Hose clamps
Threaded Y~fitting
Electrical tape
How to Install a Food Disposer
Step1: Remove the old disposer if you have one. You’ll need to disconnect the drain pipes and traps first. If your old disposer has a special wrench for the mounting lugs, use It to loosen the lugs. Otherwise, use a screwdriver. If you do not have a helper, place a solid object directly beneath the disposer to support it before you begin removal. Important: Shut off electrical power at the main service panel before you begin removal. Disconnect the wire leads, cap them, and stuff them into the electrical box.
Step2: Clear the drain lines all the way to the branch drain before you begin the new installation. Remove the trap and trap arm first.
Step3: Disassemble the mounting assembly and then separate the upper and lower mounting rings and the backup ring. Also remove the snap ring from the sink sleeve.
Step4: Press the flange of the sink sleeve for your new disposer into a thin call of plumber’s putty that you have laid around the perimeter of the drain opening. The sleeve should be well-seated in the putty.
Step5: Slip the fiber gasket and then the backup ring onto the sink sleeve. working from inside the sink base cabinet Make sure the backup ring IS oriented the same way it was before you disassembled the mounting assembly.
Step6: Insert the upper mounting ring onto the sleeve with the slotted ends of the screws facing away from the backup ring so you can access them. Then. holding all three parts at the top of the sleeve. slide the snap ring onto the sleeve until it snaps Into the groove. Tighten the three mounting screws on the upper mounting ring until the tips press firmly against the backup ring. It IS the tension created by these screws that keeps the disposer steady and minimizes vibrating.
Step7: Make electrical connections before you mount the disposer unit on the mounting assembly. Make sure the power is still turned off at the service panel. Remove the access plate from the disposer. Attach the white and black feeder wires from the electrical box to the white and black wires (respectively) inside the disposer. Twist a small wire cap onto each connection and wrap it with electrical tape for good measure. Also attach the green ground wire from the box to the grounding terminal on your disposer.
Step8: Knock out the plug in the disposer port if you will be connecting your dishwasher to the disposer. If you have no dishwasher, leave the plug in. Insert a large flathead screwdriver into the port opening and rap it with a mallet. Retrieve the knock plug from Inside the disposer canister.
Step9: Hang the disposer from the mounting ring attached to the sink sleeve. To hang it. simply 11ft it up and position the unit so the three mounting ears are underneath the three mounting screws and then spin the Unit so all three ears fit into the mounting assembly. Wait until after the plumbing hookups have been made to lock the unit in place.
Step10: Attach the discharge tube to the disposer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is important to get a very good seal here, or the disposer will leak. Go ahead and spin the disposer if it helps you access the discharge port.
Step11: Attach a V-fitting at the drain stubout. The V-fitting should be sized to accept a drain line from the disposer and another from the sink. Adjust the sink drain plumbing as needed to get from the sink P-trap to one opening of the Y.
Step12: Install a trap arm for the disposer in the open port of the V-fitting at the wall stubout. Then, attach a P-trap or a combination of a tube extension and a P-trap so the low end of the trap will align with the bottom of the disposer discharge tube.
Step13: Spin the disposer so the end of the discharge tube is lined up over the open end of the P-trap and confirm that they will fit together correctly. If the discharge tube extends down too far, mark a line on it at the top of the P-trap and cut through the line with a hacksaw. If the tube is too short, attach an extension with a slip joint. You may need to further shorten the discharge tube first to create enough room for the slip joint on the extension. Slide a slip nut and beveled compression washer onto the discharge tube and attach the tube to the P-trap.
Step14: Connect the dishwasher discharge tube to the inlet port located at the top of the disposer unit. This may require a dishwasher hookup kit.
Step15: Lock the disposer into position on the mounting ring assembly once you have tested to make sure it is functioning correctly and Without leaks. Lock It by turning one of the mounting lugs With a screwdriver until it makes contact with the locking notch.
