Replacing garbage disposal

westlbcyclone

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Jun 28, 2010
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I'm looking to replace the garbage disposal in my home. The current one is at least 10 years old, and now it's continuously getting jammed. I've done a little price shopping and think I can get a decent one for around $100.

Has anyone ever replaced one on your own before? I'm watching a few videos online, and asked around at work, but no one here has done it before. It doesn't look super difficult, but potentially more time consuming than anything.

TIA
 

KnappShack

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May 26, 2008
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I have replaced one. If you knew me personally you'd know just how simple the job is if I did it.

Actually I've done it multiple times. Piece of cake
 

chuckd4735

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I'm looking to replace the garbage disposal in my home. The current one is at least 10 years old, and now it's continuously getting jammed. I've done a little price shopping and think I can get a decent one for around $100.

Has anyone ever replaced one on your own before? I'm watching a few videos online, and asked around at work, but no one here has done it before. It doesn't look super difficult, but potentially more time consuming than anything.

TIA

Im not that handy of a person, and it was incredibly easy for me to do. Probably took me 20 to 30 minutes, and most of that was figuring out how to get the old one out.
 

coolerifyoudid

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Feb 8, 2013
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I'm looking to replace the garbage disposal in my home. The current one is at least 10 years old, and now it's continuously getting jammed. I've done a little price shopping and think I can get a decent one for around $100.

Has anyone ever replaced one on your own before? I'm watching a few videos online, and asked around at work, but no one here has done it before. It doesn't look super difficult, but potentially more time consuming than anything.

TIA

I just replaced mine last month. Super easy. They just screw off and on. The minimal wiring takes the longest part. I didn't get the quietest disposal, but I went one notch below it. I can barely hear it running. Well worth the extra $30 to get a quieter model in my opinion.
 

chuckd4735

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Punch out the knockout hole.

Also make sure the knockout for the dishwasher is currently hooked to the disposal, and not the other sink. I presumed mine was hooked to the disposal, only to find it was on the other sink drain, and had to go back to Menards to get a new pipe for the other sink. Not a huge deal in the end, but a little frustrating.
 

carvers4math

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Mar 15, 2012
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I'm saying any idiot can do this as my husband successfully did it.

As a reference point, he and his "handyman" brother messed with the toilet in our master bathroom to the point that it was out of commission for two days until a real plumber could show up, all when I was within a week of having a nine pound baby.
 

JP4CY

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I'm saying any idiot can do this as my husband successfully did it.

As a reference point, he and his "handyman" brother messed with the toilet in our master bathroom to the point that it was out of commission for two days until a real plumber could show up, all when I was within a week of having a nine pound baby.

I love everything about this post.
 

3TrueFans

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I'm saying any idiot can do this as my husband successfully did it.

As a reference point, he and his "handyman" brother messed with the toilet in our master bathroom to the point that it was out of commission for two days until a real plumber could show up, all when I was within a week of having a nine pound baby.
Usually the toilet isn't out of commission until after I pass a 9 pound baby.
 

JP4CY

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Usually the toilet isn't out of commission until after I pass a 9 pound baby.

hqdefault.jpg
 

roundball

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Piece of cake, especially if there's already one there. Four things:

1) Punch out the knockout plug. Don't do this if you don't have a dishwasher, though!

2) The drain hose from the dishwasher needs to make a loop above the inlet on the disposal.

3) The drain out from the disposal needs to slope downward to the p-trap.

4) Like chuckd said, you'll spend most of the time getting the old one out. Hopefully the old one has a plastic mounting ring...metal ones can get stuck to the threads on the outside of the sink basin's drain basket pretty easily, and take a lot longer to remove if you need a hacksaw.
 

cycloner29

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The hardest part is getting under the damn sink and back out without knocking yourself out.
 

ISU_phoria

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Super easy - take your time and pay close attention to how you disconnect the old one. That will help with the new.

Also, if you're connecting a dishwasher to the port on the side, make sure you knock out the plastic plug in there first. Will be a huge mess otherwise, the first time you run your dishwasher.