You may be taking care of your garbage disposal the best way you could, but that doesn’t mean you can completely avoid leaks. They do happen over time. You may not notice it at first and just realize that you already have a pool of water that’s getting bigger under the sink! What makes this situation even more complicated is how you can’t immediately locate where the leak’s coming from.
If you are thinking of investigating the whole thing first before you call your trusted plumber, you should know how to check for the leak’s source and what your options for repair are.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE LEAK’S SOURCE
If you need to perform a test to locate the source of the leak, you should start by drying the exterior of your disposal and sink flange. This way, you will easily notice if there’s new moisture anywhere. After doing it, you should place a stopper in the sink drain. Now fill your sink with water.
Observe your disposal under the sink. Is there any active dripping? If so, it’s a sign that the leak may be coming from the flange. If it’s still dry after a few minutes, take out the drain plug and observe the disposal. Is there water coming from either the drain pipe, the dishwasher hose, or some other part of the disposal? The solution will depend on where the drip is coming from.
SHOULD YOU DIY?
It actually depends on your confidence in your ability to do plumbing repairs. However, know that a simple plumbing concern may escalate, and if there is any doubt at all in your head, it’s wiser to contact a licensed plumber once you have tracked down the source of the leak.
Repairing a leaky sink flange may be easy. You may just have to tighten the bolts holding the flange onto the drain. If that doesn’t work, however, a layer of plumber’s putty might have to be applied to seal the flange into place. Loosen the mounting bolts and have enough space between the drain and the flange where you can apply a fresh layer of putty all around the drain. Re-tighten the bolts and just wait for a couple of hours for the new layer of putty to form a seal.
If the leak is from the dishwasher hose, you’ll have to know whether or not the hose is cracked. Otherwise, it may just be a little loose. Of course, a cracked one will require a replacement. A loose one can often be fixed by a simple tightening of the hose clamp.
A drain line leak may also be fixed with a wrench to tighten the connection. However, you should also check the seal inside the connection that may have already failed. If this is the case, a replacement is needed.
If the leak is coming from a seal or a crack in the disposal itself, the only thing you should do is call your reliable plumber from Hayes Plumbing to check if the problem is still repairable. In most cases, however, it’s more cost-effective to replace the disposal.
