A garbage disposer can be a great convenience but shouldn’t be used as a trash can. Overloading can lead to frequent drain clogs and , if you have a septic sys tem, can clog and ruin the leach field. Many kitchen drains function perfectly well with no disposer at all. As you install your disposer, keep these factors in mind:
Mounting assembly. Disposers are held in place by a mounting assembly that takes the place of a strainer basket in the sink. This mounting assembly is installed separately from the disposer. Setscrews tighten the assembly by pushing against a setscrew plate, pushing the mounting ring against a split ring to pull the flange tight against the sink.
Drain systems. The disposer discharge opening must be at least 3 in. (8 cm) above the drain stub-out in the wall for proper drainage. A disposer-replacement project is also a good time to replace and simplify the sink drain. A single P-trap system, shown below, works well and often frees up valuable space. Just make sure the tee fitting has an internal baffle to help prevent discharge backup into the other sink bowl.
Electrical requirements. Make sure your disposer is on a dedicated circuit not shared with any other outlets or light fixtures. If the disposer is hardwired rather than plugged in, the electrical cable or wires should be protected by flexible-metal conduit. If the old disposer has a plug-in cord in good shape, save it for use with the new disposer.
What’s included. The new disposer will include detailed installation instructions and a new mounting assembly and stopper. Use the new assembly because the old one may not precisely fit the new disposer. Most new disposers will not include an electrical cord or the straight discharge tube shown below.Are you looking for a GARBAGE DISPOSER (Disposal) ... or parts and accessories for one you already have?
1. Shut off power. Disconnect disposer drain and dishwasher
drain hose. Use blocks and shim to slightly wedge up disposer for easier
removal. Lightly hammer on mounting ring lug to knock ring loose. Remove
disposer.
2. Follow manufacturer’s wiring instructions to install electrical cord. On a flat, three-wire cord, ground is in the center, positive has smooth sheathing and neutral has raised ridges or indentations on sheathing.
(continue ...)Recommended Reading
Book Description:
Having a house can be a hassle. But thanks to timesaving, trouble-preventing strategies from these nationally recognized experts, now anyone can keep his or her palace in regal repair and have plenty of time left over for the fox hunts. This friendly book covers everything from plumbing to painting, with handy calendars to ensure nothing falls through the cracks -- including the cracks!
From the Publisher
In Home Maintenance For Dummies, readers will find out how to prevent
costly repairs and safety hazards with handy calendars and checklists
that will ensure nothing falls through the cracks -- including the
cracks! Home Maintenance For Dummies covers everything from plumbing
to painting with special tips on preparing for freezing winter conditions and sizzling summer days.
From the Back Cover
Keep up with upkeep using the seasonal maintenance schedule Praise
for Home Remodeling For Dummies® "[One of] the ten best real
estate books of 1998…. The wise advice … cover virtually all aspects
of home improvements." — Robert Bruss, San Francisco Examiner "Whether
you do it yourself or contract it out, you'll find useful advice
for fixing up in Home Remodeling For Dummies." — Associated
Press
Let the Carey Brothers give you the scoop on home maintenance Your
home is probably your biggest single asset. This friendly guide shows
you step-by-step how to preserve its value — and prevent costly catastrophes.
Room-by-room, system-by-system, and season-by-season, the Carey Brothers
explain and illustrate the routine tasks that'll keep your home looking
great and running smoothly.
Discover how to: Perform seasonal upkeep Maintain the roof, foundation, and exterior Keep major home systems and appliances running smoothly Care for stone, masonry, and wood
Get smart! www.dummies.com Register to win cool prizes Browse exclusive articles and excerpts Get a free Dummies Daily e-mail newsletter Chat with authors and preview other books Talk to us, ask questions, get answers
About the Author
James Carey and Morris Carey have a radio show, a newspaper column, and Web site, all called On the House, and appear regularly on CBS
News Saturday Morning. They're also the authors of Home Remodeling
For Dummies.
Topics include:
automatic pool cleaner, waterline tile, dryer duct, rinse with fresh water, stiff nylon brush, fireplace face, construction screws, flat pry bar, spark arrestor, swim season, liquid chlorine bleach, surface skimmer, sprinkler valves, strainer basket, basket strainer, water professional, pressure washer, concrete patch, energy envelope, patching compound, patch material, seam sealer, dip tube, window film, floor insulation
Reviews:
The book is well organized and has two main sections, indoor maintenance and outdoor maintenance. The book also includes nice graphical guides for those of us (me!) that need more than your basic instructions. Another great feature of the book are montly to-do's, to keep you on track throughout the year.
However, by far, the best thing about the book is it has saved me money! There are things outlined in the book that I thought I would have to pay someone to do, but realized how simple they really were and was able to do them myself!
Having purchased my first house last year, I thought this guide would
be great with dealing with the problems that arise when living in a
house. I'm very disappointed with it though.
Some examples:
It has a whole section on plumbing fixtures, going in to detail about
how to clean a faucet. But it doesn't mention a word about how to deal
with a dripping faucet! I'd think this would be a pretty basic thing
to add to a book... you can't expect that people buying this guide would
automatically know how to replace a washer.
It goes into detail about fireplaces and how to maintain a fireplace. Except it fails to mention gas fireplaces at all. As far as the book is concerned, they don't even exist. Am I supposed to clean it the same way as a normal fireplace? Do I have to worry about cleaning the chimney if its a vented fireplace? What yearly maintainance and safety precautions must I consider? Help me out a bit here people...
Yet the book seems to have plenty of time to go over landscape irrigation and swimming pool maintainance, which, although perhaps useful, seem to be more appropriate in one of their other books; e.g. "Landscaping for Dummies".
Overall, the book could be considered "a good start". But
given what the book is lacking, I think most customers would be better
off borrowing it from the library for free...
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3. Knock out plug inside dishwasher hose inlet, if necessary. Wedge new disposer in place and partially tighten lugs.
4. Attach tailpiece and drain tee. Slope the discharge tube slightly toward the drain. Mark and cut the discharge tube to length. Slide retaining ring and gasket over discharge and secure to disposer and drain tee. Tighten mounting ring.
