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Leaking Garbage Disposal Repair

The garbage disposal is a home appliance that many homeowners consider to be more of a necessity than a luxury. Running food and grease through the garbage disposal is a big help in preventing clogs in the drains. So when garbage disposals break, many people feel at a loss. Luckily, most of the time, a leaking garbage disposal is not a big deal to fix.

There are several places that the leak could be coming from: the sink flange, the dishwasher connection, a crack in the body of the disposal, or improper seating. To determine which is the offending part, we must go through and check all of these parts. First things first: turn off the power to the disposal. This is a very important first step as you don’t want those blades turning on unexpectedly. If this makes you nervous at all, it is probably best to have a professional take care of it for you. Otherwise, let’s explore all of our options.

Sink Flange
Turn the disposal counter-clockwise to remove it from the mounting flange. Check all of the bolts and make sure they are tight. If they are already tight, it may just be a matter of replacing the plumbers putty. You can put some new plumbers putty around the flange by loosening the bolts, pushing the sink flange above the sink, and forcing the putty between the sink flange and the sink. When the sink flange goes back to the sink surface, tighten the bolts and remove any excess putty. Once this step is done, check for remaining leaks.

Dishwasher Connection
Many garbage disposals have a connection to the dishwasher to transport any food that comes off the dishes into the disposal. The connecting hose will sometimes leak if the clamp isn’t tight enough. If the hose itself has a leak, it will need to be replaced.

Discharge Pipe
The discharge pipe at the bottom of the disposal connects to the sink drain with a flange and a seal. Either the flange or seal can become loose. If it is still leaking after you tighten it, the flange or seal may need to be replaced.

Cracks in the Body
Aging garbage disposals become prone to developing cracks due to wear and tear. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for a crack in the body of the disposal; the entire disposal will need to be replaced.

Improper Seating
Because the disposal extends underneath the sink, it can be knocked around and come unseated. Sometimes disposals are improperly seated from the beginning during installation. This can be fixed by tightening bolts and replacing the putty and sealing ring.

If you are experiencing problems with your garbage disposal and the above solutions are not fixing the problem, turn off the flow of water into your home and contact Pure Plumbing at (702) 710-7388. We can set up an appointment for immediate repair. You can trust us to work diligently to get the job done right.