Leaking Garbage Disposal

[Rocky]

Dear Font of All Home Repair Knowledge:

My garbage disposal under the sink - a Badger 5 - is over 10 years old. It has sprung a slow leak. It is seeping from a small hole in the bottom (the output joint would be too easy).

What do I do? Should I expect more life from this mundane but essential appliance?

Is it repairable? Do they have a kit of replacement seals with badly translated but incomprehensible instructions from the original Korean?

Should I just replace it? And if so, what to buy?

Is it a DIY or do I throw and extra $5-100 into the pot for professional installation?

Or should I just put a pie tin under the sink and empty it every few days?

Sign me,

Despondent in Del Mar

[LazyPup]

There is a small weep hole on the bottom of the motor housing to drain water out in the event the main motor shaft seal leaks water into the drive motor.

It is possible to change the motor shaft seal, but given that your disposal is ten years old, it is already past its life expectancy and more than likely the pot metal castings that make up the grinder section body are severely corroded as well. The best solution would be to replace the unit.

Some people will argue that Badger disposals are cheap and unreliable, thereby trying to convince you to buy a more expensive one, but in my experience the Badgers seem to work as good as any of them and dollar for dollar they are a good buy which is evidence by the ten years you have got out of the one you have now.

Installing a badger disposal is really not difficult if you carefully follow the enclosed step by step instructions.

A new disposal does not come with a power cord, but you should be able to remove the cord off your existing unit and attach it to the new one.

Also, you will find a disposal wrench packed in the box with the new disposal. Some have a little vinyl pouch with a sticky tab so you can attach the wrench to the disposal when you install it. If is has the pouch use it, if not, tape the wrench to the power cord so you will know where it is in future if you should happen to have a jam that requires the wrench to clear it.

[Rocky]

quote:Originally posted by LazyPup

There is a small weep hole on the bottom of the motor housing to drain water out in the event the main motor shaft seal leaks water into the drive motor.

It is possible to change the motor shaft seal, but given that your disposal is ten years old, it is already past its life expectancy and more than likely the pot metal castings that make up the grinder section body are severely corroded as well. The best solution would be to replace the unit.

Some people will argue that Badger disposals are cheap and unreliable, thereby trying to convince you to buy a more expensive one, but in my experience the Badgers seem to work as good as any of them and dollar for dollar they are a good buy which is evidence by the ten years you have got out of the one you have now.

Installing a badger disposal is really not difficult if you carefully follow the enclosed step by step instructions.

A new disposal does not come with a power cord, but you should be able to remove the cord off your existing unit and attach it to the new one.

Also, you will find a disposal wrench packed in the box with the new disposal. Some have a little vinyl pouch with a sticky tab so you can attach the wrench to the disposal when you install it. If is has the pouch use it, if not, tape the wrench to the power cord so you will know where it is in future if you should happen to have a jam that requires the wrench to clear it.