Garbage disposal plumbing. Done wrong

[Emily]

Hi!
We had a guy come and do some work on our house, including installing a garbage disposal (badger 1/2 hp). All looked great until I was washing dishes, flipped the switch, and water came through the other side of the sink, pretty strongly.

We don't want to have the guy come back to fix it because we weren't happy with his work. I'm pretty handy and think I can handle it on my own. I haven't done a lot of plumbing though, so please take pity and use layman's terms for me!

 

[Terry]

For starters, on the end away from the disposer, he installed what's called a "baffle tee".
But.............upside down. So anytime you use the disposer, it's going to divert water upward.

Next, you has two p-traps when you only need one.
The p-trap should be directly under the second bowl. You will need to pipe over from the wall for that to happen.
Remove all of the accordian piping. Any hardware store will carry normal straight looking pipes. Use a saw to cut the sections to the correct size.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Emily]

For starters, on the end away from the disposer, he installed what's called a "baffle tee".
But.............upside down. So anytime you use the disposer, it's going to divert water upward.

Next, you has two p-traps when you only need one.
The p-trap should be directly under the second bowl. You will need to pipe over from the wall for that to happen.
Remove all of the accordian piping. Any hardware store will carry normal straight looking pipes. Use a saw to cut the sections to the correct size.

Thank you! So helpful. Can you clarify which piece is the baffle tee? And I just need to flip it?

 

[Terry]

The tee is right under the far sink.

 

[Emily]

The tee is right under the far sink.

Ok, got it.
Follow up- does the horizontal pipe from the disposal to the tee need to slope downwards? Right now it is just straight.

 

[Terry]

All piping should slope downwards.

 

[Emily]

Thank you! I think I've got it... Just have to put the pieces all together.

 

[hj]

I don't know if Terry is looking at a different picture than I am, because your photo does NOT show any "P" trap, just part of one on its side. Where did you get this "plumber", because I am not sure how he even got all that mess to stay together once the disposer was turned on. You also have to check the "joint" in the horizontal piece to make sure he glued it together. I have to wonder WHAT the drains looked like BEFORE he installed the disposer.

 

[Terry]

The lower left has a p-trap, and then the funky looking trap with the accordian piping attached used as a bend.

 

[Emily]

I don't know if Terry is looking at a different picture than I am, because your photo does NOT show any "P" trap, just part of one on its side. Where did you get this "plumber", because I am not sure how he even got all that mess to stay together once the disposer was turned on. You also have to check the "joint" in the horizontal piece to make sure he glued it together. I have to wonder WHAT the drains looked like BEFORE he installed the disposer.

Don't worry, he is never coming into our house again! It was a waste of money to pay him to do any work since I'm going to go behind him and fix it all. I see your point about the P trap, and I will be fixing that along with the other problems. Fingers crossed I can get it all put back together with no leaks.

Just out of curiosity, what's the problem with having two P traps?

 

[FullySprinklered]

Was his name Salvador Dali, by any chance?

 

[hj]

With 2 "P" traps the sink will either NOT drain, or will drain very slowly, at least at first, and then MIGHT start draining faster but there is no way to tell until you try it.

 

[oldanbo]

I have a septic and wonder, shouldn't the D/W drain into the disposal. I'm probly confused a little chemo brain here.

 

[Terry]

I have a septic and wonder, shouldn't the D/W drain into the disposal. I'm probly confused a little chemo brain here.

They say you shouldn't have a disposer with septic, but people do. Just add some Bio-Clean every so often.
In all of these pictures above, the dishwasher is draining into the disposer.

Chemo? How are you doing on that?

 

[hj]

I don't know of ANY homes in this area, septic or not, that does not have a disposer, few are Disposals, however, and if you tried to take them away the housewives would rise up in rebellion.

 

[oldanbo]

They say you shouldn't have a disposer with septic, but people do. Just add some Bio-Clean every so often.
In all of these pictures above, the dishwasher is draining into the disposer.

Chemo? How are you doing on that?

Thanks for that info, Terry. I think the doc is moving me to a bi-monthly infusion schedule. Should know in about three weeks. And thank you for asking.
Dan

 

[Hated DIY & engineer]

Thanks for the picture, Terry! Had to re-plumb due to larger diameter of new garbage disposal. I copied that image, rather than what was there. Works great,and have easy access for cleanouts down the road.

 

[Terry]

The handyman way was so weird that it just had to come out. He made it way harder than it needed to be.

 

[hj]

It's amazing what "idiots" can do with accordion drain lines.

 

[Plumber69]

That's the weirdest plumbing job ever