How to Find the Source of a Garbage Disposal Leak
No matter how well you take care of your garbage disposal, there is always the chance that a leak can develop over the course of the system’s life. It is such a sinking feeling to open the cabinet, reach below to grab some detergent or cleaning supplies only to find a growing pool of water coming from your disposal. To make things even worse, it can sometimes be complicated to find exactly where the garbage disposal leak is originating from.
While a leaking garbage disposal may be the type of issue you want to call a plumber to deal with, some may want to do some investigating first to fully understand the problem. Finding the leak can help you better prepare for the kind of repair job that will be needed.
Common Leak Areas
The Sink Flange: This is where the disposal connects to the sink drain.
Dishwasher Connection: This is typically a rubber hose that hooks up to the side of the disposal unit.
Drain Pipe: This is usually plastic or metal and is responsible for whisking water and food elements away from the sewer drains.
Finding The Source of The Leak
You can find the source of the leak by running a test. The first thing you will want to do before conducting this test is to make sure that the outside of your disposal and the sink flange are dry, this way any moisture you see there during the test will be new. Next, place a stopper in the sink drain and fill the basin with a couple of inches of water.
Watch the disposal underneath your sink. If you start to see signs of dripping, you know the leak is in your sink flange. However, if this is still dry, remove the plug from the basin and watch as the water drains. You should see water coming from either the dishwasher hose, drain pipe, or another part of the disposal. Each leak position comes with its own unique fix.
Calling In A Pro, or Doing It Yourself?
Depending on where the leak is coming from and how comfortable you are with your own plumbing skills, you may be able to fix your garbage disposal leak issue all by yourself. However, these issues can often end up going over your head rather quickly, and if you do not fully understand what you are doing, you can very easily end up making the problem a lot worse.
If you found that your leak is coming from the sink flange, you may be in luck because this is typically the easiest of the garbage disposal leaks to fix on your own. It can sometimes be as simple of a task as tightening the bolts that hold the unit to the sink drain. At its worst, this leak can usually be fixed with a fresh layer of plumbers putty. However, as you move down the line, the source of the leaks become increasingly more difficult to fix and may require you to call in the help of a licensed professional plumber.
Calling In The Professionals
contact us today, If you are having trouble locating the source of your garbage disposal leak, or are unsure of how to fix the problem once you have identified it, you may want to call in a professional, licensed plumber rather than risk causing more damage by trying to fix it yourself. You can find professional plumbers and other helpful advice at clogkingsllc.com.
