A garbage disposal can be set up in either one kitchen sink or on just one half of a double sink with a strainer basket in the drain of the second half of the sink. Installing a disposal on one sink is a far easier task, as you wo not need to contend with the tie-in for your second sink. It’s possible to install a garbage disposal in one sink in a couple of hours with some simple hand tools.
Turn off the breaker for the circuit featuring the garbage disposal switch in the breaker panel. Then hold a noncontact electrical tester against the wires for the trash disposal under the sink. If the tester light comes on, turn off additional breakers until the Legislature affirms that the power is off to the circuit.
Loosen the two couplers that hold the bottom of the P-trap and the extension pipe of the drain set under the sink using a large pair of slip-joint pliers, and also place the drain parts aside. Tuck a rag to the exposed drain line to prevent any smells from your drain in bay.
Loosen the nut across the bottom of the drain coupling using slip-joint pliers, and unthread the nut. Then push up on the coupling, lifting the drain flange from the bottom of the sink.
Scrape away any old plumber’s putty from the drain hole with a plastic putty knife.
Place a bead of plumber’s putty around the sink flange of a brand new garbage disposal kit, and place the flange evenly to the hole hole. Slide the gasket and backup ring onto the flange’s exposed chin under the sink, then slip onto the mounting ring followed with the snap ring. Tighten the three screws evenly until the entire assembly is securely fit to the bottom of the sink drain. Wipe away any extra plumber’s putty that squeezed from the combined in the sink.
Knock out the dishwasher knockout plug on the face of the system of the disposal using a screwdriver and hammer if you’ve got a dishwasher that needs to be joined to the disposal.
Loosen the screw and remove the wiring compartment cover. Insert about six inches of electrical cable from the wall switch to the cable clamp in the disposal wiring compartment, then tighten the clamp using a screwdriver to fasten the cable. Remove the outer sheathing of the six inches of cable inside the wiring compartment using a utility knife. Then strip off 1/2 inch of insulation from the white and black wires using a pair of wire strippers.
Connect the black cable from the cable to the black cable from the disposal using a wire nut. Combine the white wires in comparable style, then wrap the end of the bare wire around the green grounding screw and tighten the screw with a screwdriver. Then tuck the wires to the compartment, and replace the cover.
Slide the disposal unit to position from the mounting ring. Rotate the body of the disposal so that the outlet is facing the drain tube, then rotate the mounting ring tightly to secure the disposal unit to the bracket.
Connect the disposal discharge tube to the outlet on the disposal, and also tighten the coupler by hand. Then eliminate the rag and install the P-trap and extension pipe to the drain line and the discharge tube. Tighten each of the couplers using a pair of slip-joint pliers.
Connect the dishwasher drain line to the fridge knockout (should you have one to join), and tighten the coupler to guarantee the line to the disposal.
Flip on the circuit breaker for the disposal circuit. Turn on the sink’s water tap and analyze the disposal unit using the wall switch.