Garbage Disposal is an essential tool for the kitchen. Having garbage disposal will relieve you from dealing with the foul odor of food waste in the bin.
When getting one is convenient for your kitchen, a leak in the garbage disposal can have your day ruined.
In this article, we are sharing with you the best fix for garbage disposal leaking from the bottom, top, and side.
What is Garbage Disposal?
Garbage disposal is a grinding machine designed to dispose of food wastes by grinding them into particles. This machine is found under the kitchen sink.
This electrically powered machine grinds almost any kind of food waste into particles. After that, the particles go to the septic tank with the flow of water.
Why Garbage Disposal Leaks?
There are hundreds of reasons for which a garbage disposal unit can leak. You can have a broken pipe, a loose seal, or a broken disposal unit.
Loose seals or screws are easily fixable and need less time and money but if you have a broken disposal unit, that is something to be worried about.
You have to check everything when you find that your garbage disposal is leaking from the bottom. Although you see the unit is leaking from the bottom, it can be leaking from the top or from the side.
When the leak is tiny and a very small amount of water can pass through the leak, the water will flow with the external surface of the disposal to the bottom.
It is important to find out the leak before you get into the work. Otherwise, you will end up wasting money and time in the wrong place.
How to Find The Garbage Disposal Leak?
Here are a few simple steps by which you will be able to find out the leak-
- Turn off the disposal unit and unplug it from the electric line
- Take a bucket of bright colored water. You can use any type of temporary or food color here.
- Fill up half of the disposal machine with the colored water
- Now, look into the joints and other places for the appearance of colored water.
- The color should appear on the leak as soon as the water starts leaking. The best way to find out the leak fast is to see in the joints and the bottom of the garbage disposal.
How to Fix Garbage Disposal Leaking From Bottom?
When garbage disposal leaks, it is very likely that any of these five incidents happened-
- Leak at the sink flange
- Leak at the connection of dishwasher hose
- Leak at the drain line connection
- A leak around the reset button
- Disposal unit is broken
- Garbage disposal is internally damaged
1. Leak at The Sink Flange
A leak at the joint of the garbage disposal and the kitchen sink is easy to repair. Follow these quick steps to fix the garbage disposal leaking from the top-
- Turn off the machine and unplug from the electric line
- Remove the old connecting putty or the sealer from the joint. This should easily be removed with pliers or a flat-headed screwdriver.
- Use a soft microfiber cloth to wipe the surface.
- Look for any remaining putty in the joint.
- If you have a clear old sealant less joint, apply new putty around the joint.
- Let the putty to cure for a day.
- Do not use the sink for a day after you apply the new putty.
The leak should be gone now!
2. Leak at the dishwasher hose
To know that the dishwasher line is leaking water, you have to turn on the dishwasher drain when you pour colored water into the garbage disposal.
Now, follow the quick fix for garbage disposal leaking from the side-
- Turn off the machine and unplug it.
- Remove the hose connecting clamp with a screwdriver
- See whether the connecting line is broken or cracked.
- If the hose is all okay, the culprit should be the loose clamp or a damaged gasket.
- If any of these tools are damaged, buy one from the local hardware store and replace the damaged one with the new parts.
- Tighten up the clamp and use a sealing duct tape for ensuring a durable leak-free connection.
- You are done!
3. Leak at The Drain Line Connection
This is another instance where you can see water leaking from the side. The drain line repair is the same as the dishwasher hose connection repair.
Look for damaged parts, and buy a replacement. Replace the old parts with new parts. It can be the clamp, gasket, or the pipe itself.
However, if you do not find any damaged parts there, the clamp or the gasket must be loose. Tighten them up and seal them with duct tape for a durable finish.
4. Leak Around the Reset Button
A leak around the reset button under the garbage disposal is something that would cost you a significant amount of money.
The general life span of garbage disposal is 5 to 10 years. If your unit is old enough, you should consider buying a new one when the unit is leaking from the reset button.
If you have a new one, it will be worth repairing the reset button. Since the reset button repair needs professional hands, we are not covering this here.
You should claim the warranty as soon as you see leaks at the bottom in a new garbage disposal. The manufacturer should send a guy to solve the issue for you.
5. Garbage Disposal is Broken or Internally Damaged
This is non-repairable damage. If your unit is leaking from the body where you see some small cracks appearing, this unit is gone. Prepare yourself to buy a new one.
The same thing goes for internal damage. Unless you are covered with a good warranty the unit you are using is ready to be decommissioned.
There are very few instances where you can repair the internal damage to the garbage disposal. So, you can try it out with the manufacturer or a repair shop.
Garbage Disposal Usage Tips
- Do not use a garbage disposal without running cold water into it. Using the unit without cold water will clog the grinder and the pipe ending up costing you a significant amount of money and time.
- Go through the user manual of the garbage disposal. There should be some indication of what can be disposed of and what not with the unit you own. Strictly follow the guideline to avoid internal damage.
- Never put bleach or chemicals into the garbage disposal unless the manufacturer specifically mentions.
- When installing a new garbage disposal, seal all connections carefully so that you do not end up having a leaky garbage disposal.
- Not using the garbage disposal for a long period can harm the grinding ability of the disposal. So, run it regularly for a properly functional experience.
Final Words
Fixing garbage disposal is not an easy task to do. Especially for its installation place. You can’t see the whole of it unless you remove the machine from its place.
When you see a leak in the unit you have, do not panic. In most cases, it is the connection between the sink and the disposal from where the water leaks.
Since we have covered almost all the places where garbage disposal can leak, you should be able to make a solution to your problem now.