- Plumbing: it's the shittiest part about being a homeowner,
and if you have a garbage disposal,
at some point it's gonna get clogged.
So today I'm gonna show you how you can get it unclogged
and running like new.
(upbeat music)
My name's Aaron Massey, and welcome back
to another episode of "Home School'd."
I rate these projects by how many F-bombs
you're likely to drop while tackling the project.
This project is pretty (jackhammer rattles) easy,
but it can vary a little bit
based on the level of clog that you're dealing with.
To tackle this project you'll likely need
some of or all of the following tools,
a little patience, and possibly a strong stomach.
Now, before we get started on showing you
how to unclog the disposal,
I'm first gonna show you how a garbage disposal works,
because I find that if you know
how things in your home work,
it's a lot easier for you to fix them when they break.
If you don't care about how it works
and you just wanna skip ahead, no worries.
Just the time code links in the description to jump ahead.
Otherwise, here we go.
Now, following is an illustration
of your garbage disposal under your sink.
Your pipes and your configuration might vary a little bit
based on whether you have a single or dual sink,
a standalone disposal, or a dishwasher attached,
but the principles are still the same.
The major components of the disposal are the motor,
a drive shaft that spins the cutting disc,
a drain outlet, and a reset button on the bottom.
Now, if it's working properly,
the food waste goes into the cutting chamber
which spins and cuts the waste into small pieces.
It then combines with water
and is carried out through the drain pipe
to the sewer or septic system.
However, when the disposal isn't working properly
because of an obstruction or waste buildup,
it can back up into your sink and create a mess.
So let's take a look at how to fix
the various levels of clogs.
First of all, if you have another sink
in addition to your disposal,
make sure the water drains from that drain
to isolate the problem and make sure the issue
is tied to the disposal itself.
If both don't drain,
there's likely a larger clog going on farther down the line
that will likely need to be worked on,
and the disposal itself is not clogged.
If you have standing water in your disposal
that won't go down despite turning on the disposal,
you'll first need to remove the water with a shop vac.
Make sure you remove the filter from the vacuum
and dump out any debris in the vacuum
before you use it to suck up the water.
Once the water's removed,
use a flashlight or your cellphone light to make sure
there are no visible obstructions in the disposal.
If you do see something,
unplug the disposal before attempting to retrieve it.
A set of long-nosed pliers or tongs
can be helpful in removing obstructions.
If there's nothing visible in the disposal,
you can still use the shop vac
to try and suck out any obstructions in the cutting chamber,
but keep in mind that the cutting chamber
blocks you from accessing the actual drain line.
If you tried those steps and nothing has happened,
you can try to add a little bit of water back into the sink
and then use a plunger over the disposal
to try and dislodge the clog.
I recommend just giving it three or four light plunges
and seeing if the water drains.
Don't aggressively attempt to plunge it,
or you risk damaging your pipes if they're old or plastic.
If the plunger doesn't work,
the next step is to actually go under the sink
and take a look at the drain pipes.
Since the other drains
attached to the disposal flow properly,
I know that the clog is likely in the outlet pipe
or the disposal itself.
Using a pair of Channellock pliers,
remove the slip nut on the discharge pipe,
and a screwdriver or a wrench to remove the flange piece
that mounts the pipe to the disposal.
Once removed, inspect the pipe for clogs
and thoroughly clean it.
Now, you may gag a little bit here, but that's okay.
Also look at the discharge port on the disposal
to make sure it is clear of debris as well.
Before reinstalling the pipe,
replace the discharge gasket on the drain pipe
if it looks like it's worn or damaged.
You can buy a new gasket for a couple dollars
at the hardware store.
If everything looks good, reinstall the drain pipe
in the reverse order of how you removed it
and check to make sure the disposal drains properly.
If, however, the discharge port on the disposal
is severely clogged, like this one,
you can try to free it up underneath the sink,
or you may need to remove the disposal
in order to try and clear the clog.
The metal mounting ring is actually a quick release,
so if you use a screwdriver you can spin it a quarter turn
and release the disposal so you can remove it.
Unfortunately, this disposal is about 14 years old
and it's in really bad shape.
Not only is it severely clogged,
so it's very difficult to clear out,
but the metal around the discharge port
is also all rusted and rotted out.
While I would like to save it,
it's actually not worth it and not salvageable,
so unfortunately I'm going to be replacing the disposal.
If you get this far,
you officially have my blessing to call a plumber,
because the project does get
a little bit more (jackhammer rattles) difficult.
However, it is something
you can do yourself if you choose to,
so now I'm gonna show you how to get rid of the old disposal
and install a new one.
Since we've already removed the disposal
from the quick release,
the next step is to remove the mounting flange
by loosening the three mounting screws.
Once loose, the next step is to remove the snap ring
that holds the pieces together.
You can do this with a thin flathead screwdriver.
It can be a little tricky to get out,
but just take your time with it.
Once you remove the components on the underside,
you should be able to pull out the sink flange on the top
by lifting it out.
Thoroughly clean up the old plumber's putty
around the sink hole.
Once clean, apply a solid half-inch bead
of new plumber's putty
around the underside of the new sink flange
that came with your new disposal
and press it in place inside the sink.
Use the new disposal or some weight to hold it in place.
Back on the underside of the sink,
assemble the new mounting flange
by installing the gasket first,
followed by the flange ring,
and then the mounting ring.
Lastly, add the snap ring
to hold all the components in place.
From there, tighten the mounting screws
to secure the mounting flange in place
and squeeze the upper sink flange down into the sink hole.
Trust me, I know: it's a lot of flanging.
Once tight, you should have a noticeable amount
of plumber's putty that has squeezed out around the sides,
which you can wipe up with a rag.
Next, you're ready to mount the disposal itself.
Lifting it in place, secure to top to the mounting ring
and turn it a quarter turn to lock it in place,
the opposite way you removed the previous one.
From there, mount the drain pipe assembly
to the side of the disposal
and connect it to the drain assembly
with the slip nut and washer assembly.
Keep in mind that if you install
a different-size unit like I'm doing,
you may have to modify the drain pipe
using some 1 1/2" pipe fittings
in order to make everything fit together.
Finally, plug in the new disposal,
run some water, turn it on,
and check the whole assembly for leaks.
If there's no leaks,
you're finally finished with this project.
Personally, I think garbage disposals
are one of the dumbest inventions
we have in modern kitchens,
and are all but assured to clog up on you at some point,
so I'd suggest you consider composting
your food waste instead.
Not only can you use it in your yard or garden
as an excellent soil additive,
but it's also better for the environment
and it won't end up clogging up your pipes.
But if you don't feel like composting
and you wanna hang onto your disposal anyway,
at least now you know how to fix it when it backs up on you.
So that's it for this video, I hope you guys liked it,
and I hope you learned something.
If you did like it,
please consider hitting that like button down below
and also subscribing to the channel
for more DIY home improvement projects.
And as always, you can find all my how-to tutorials
on my website at MRFIXITDIY.com.
Thank you guys so much for watching. I'll see you next time.
(upbeat music)