I have a dedicated 15amp line running to my garbage disposal. The line did not run to an outlet, but was hard-wired straight to the disposal. I was installing an outlet under the sink so that I so I could plug in one of those little hot water tap water heaters. My plan was simply to cut the line and run the part coming from the panel to an outlet (GCFI) under the sink. I would then, inside the box, pigtail the wire and pick up the hardwire to the disposal as well.
When I completed this process, nothing worked. Not the outlet, not the disposal. The disposal had worked before. Now, when I test the line, the line from the panel is not live at all…nothing. I took the outlet off, and the line is still dead. The breaker doesn't seem to be loose, I've taken it out and put it back in. I actually even swapped it with another breaker I knew was working and it worked in the other spot on the panel while the working breaker wouldn't work in this spot.
I guess I'm just not sure how the line could go dead so easily. I've gone into the crawlspace and tested all the wires running through there that could be the right one, they are all live. This seems then like the disposal line somehow goes dead between the crawlspace and the actual spot it comes out under the sink. Is that possible, for a line to go dead at some point without shorting the whole thing?
Is there something I'm missing, or would I need to run a new line? Any help would be greatly appreciated?
Best Answer
Usually there is a switch before the disposal. You push a button, or flip a switch to turn on the disposal. Did you turn the switch on? If this is the case, then this was not the best option for this installation. As well as the undercounter heater may require a dedicated circuit.