Garbage Disposal Plumbing, I'm stumped and needing help!

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frankis843

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Hi,
I installed a new sink about 18 months ago and it was a deeper basin than the old sink. This lowered the level of the garbage disposal and I'm not sure how to proceed.
This is a picture of the pipes under the sink.
As you can see, There is a gap between the connections in the p trap. The right part of the "J" connection is fully seated on the outlet to the garbage disposal and I need another 2.5 inches to make it work.
For the past 18 months the "J" connection was actually flipped around and installed incorrectly and somehow I got it to work. The time has come that the short end of the J piece won't grab the outlet to the disposal tight enough to not leak and I'm not sure how to get it fixed?

Does anybody have any suggestions on how I can bridge that gap?

Thanks,
Frank

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Redwood

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You have 3 options:

  1. Cut open the wall and lower the drain in the wall.
  2. Get a shallower sink and install it.
  3. Eliminate the Garbage Disposer.

Extending the trap and making it deeper will cause the disposer to remain full of water creating poor drainage, odors, and a shortened service life.

Pick your option...
 

frankis843

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Redwood,
Thanks for the reply.
Backing the photo out a bit, would it be possible to tie the disposal in with the other basin of the sink which is leaving the wall at a lower height?
Thanks!
Frank

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Redwood

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By the way that old blue/gray disposer you have has probably seen better days.
It's at least 10 years old and I doubt it has any grinding teeth left.
It is probably pushing unground waste into the line which will cause a clog, and fail altogether soon.
I recommend a new Insinkerator Evolution Series Disposer with a stainless steel grind chamber. The unit you have has galvanixed steel teeth and they only last about 4-5 years in most cases.

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The PRO Insinkerators we sell and install have longer warranties than the Evolution Series
 
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frankis843

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Absolutely!

Use a center outlet continuous waste or, end outlet continuous waste whichever fits your application better.

Additional clearance can be obtained by using a straight tailpiece out of the disposer into the continuous waste baffle tee.

Put a cleanout cap on the unused line.

sink_dw.jpg

Is it possible that joining the two sink basins into one outlet is against code. The lady at Lowe's said it was probably against code. From what I could find, my city uses the Uniform Plumbing Code 2006 as their guidelines.

Thanks,

Frank
 

Terry

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Washington State has been using the 2006 UPC code, and will be adapting the 2009 this Fall.
The drawing above has been used here for decades.

The lady at Lowes? Has she "ever" done plumbing?
 

frankis843

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I'm not sure what her background is. She said they can't really discuss code as a store policy, but mentioned that most plumbers in the area say there must be a separate P trap for each drain.

I ended up leaving with a longer outlet for the disposal and hope that I can get it to some seal off while attached to the lower end of the "J" fitting.
It doesn't seem to want to seal very well....
 
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hj

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Just be sure to turn the trap on the sink around the correct way. Whoever did the job had a fixation about using the traps backwards, even when it was not necessary.
 

frankis843

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Just be sure to turn the trap on the sink around the correct way. Whoever did the job had a fixation about using the traps backwards, even when it was not necessary.

Do you mean make sure to put this piece on this way and not flip it around like it was?
If i switch the tall and short side I can bridge the gap, but I can't get it to seal....is it time to call a plumber?
The last picture is my current setup, but the right half of the "J" won't quite seal off
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Terry

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If you want to run separate traps, at least reverse them.
Use the low trap arm for the disposer and the high arm for the extra sink.

I imagine they don't discuss code there, because non of them are plumbers. I don't know any plumbers that would take that kind of pay cut.

One of the local "plumbing experts" at a big box got the job because he helped Jamie dig two ditches in High School.
Working for me a few days with a shovel and pick was all the qualifications he needed for big box.

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frankis843

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If you want to run separate traps, at least reverse them.
Use the low trap arm for the disposer and the high arm for the extra sink.

I imagine they don't discuss code there, because non of them are plumbers. I don't know any plumbers that would take that kind of pay cut.

One of the local "plumbing experts" at a big box got the job because he helped Jamie dig two ditches in High School.
Working for me a few days with a shovel and pick was all the qualifications he needed for big box.
Do you see any potential problems for re-routing of the disposer to the lower trap and the sink to the upper? I'm hopeful that I can go to a big box and I can get all of the pvc pieces and connectors and do it without having to open up the back wall. Do I have any chance? The bottom trap is angled toward the left sink and the top is angled to the right, will this be an issue?
How long would the job take a pro?
 

Terry

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Do you see any potential problems for re-routing of the disposer to the lower trap and the sink to the upper?

Problems? No plumber in their right mind would have plumbed it the way it was.
The disposer was always meant to be plumbed to the lower drain.

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hj

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THe average plumber would do it the easy, and correct, way by tying the two drains together and then using a single trap at the lower opening. In fact he would have done it on the original installation instead of using two traps. That installation was either done by a DIYer or a handyman, NOT a plumber. The upper one would have a plug for use as a cleanout.
 

frankis843

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Problems? No plumber in their right mind would have plumbed it the way it was.
The disposer was always meant to be plumbed to the lower drain.

sink_dw.jpg

The upper drain was lower than the disposal until I got a deeper sink. It is my mistake 100%.
What I meant by problems was, do you see any potential things to look out for if I try and tie the two together myself?
 

frankis843

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I was thinking of using an end outlet continuous waste by hooking up the right end (as pictured below) to the disposal and tying in the left end to the metal drain coming out of my second basin and joining it to the trap on the lower drain.
Does that make sense?
Am I way off? I don't want to make another mistake if possible.
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