The PVC pipe connection from the garbage disposal is leaking. I have hand tightened the washer on the PVC and then did a 1/4 turn wrench tighten. Still leaking. It looks like the PVC has a little lip on the end and butts up to the disposal outlet instead of fitting inside the opening. What kind of connection should it have?
When installing a garbage disposal what kind of PVC pipe connects directly to the disposal
disposal
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Are you in the USA? The green screw should be Ground (green or bare wire), not Neutral (white).
Generally:
- Line is "hot", with the active AC voltage present.
- Neutral is the return path for the current. All current should travel from Line, through the load, and then back through Neutral.
- Ground is there for safety only. It should only carry current in the case of a fault.
In a standard circuit there is no indication that current is flowing through ground, as long as it's not enough to trip a breaker. However, your garbage disposal unit is connected to a GFCI breaker. This kind of breaker is specifically designed to open up when there is ground current.
It sounds like your circuit's Neutral is tied to the junction box. The junction box is also likely grounded. This ground connection is generally made by a bare copper wire attached to the back of the junction box.
At the same time, your disposal has a big motor in it. When you turn off a motor it creates its own current for a small amount of time as it spins down. Since this current can't return through the switch , it returns through ground. This trips your GFCI.
First, verify the wiring connections. It is possible that the ground was wired correctly, but that someone did it with white wire (instead of green or bare wire) just to confuse everybody. Ideally, there should be one connection from the green screw to the junction box, and a totally separate connection between the white wire from the breaker box and the white wire to the disposal unit.
If, in fact, all the white wires are tied together then you should disconnect your white wire from the green screw. Then run a wire from this screw to the grounded junction box.
You can hook up the dishwasher to the garbage disposal - that is a normal installation. There should be a location on the disposal - typically a plastic part that gets knocked out to connect the dishwasher hose. You will probably need an adapter for the disposal - this often comes with the disposal but is probably long gone. If you post the model of the disposal, we can provide more info.
"Drilling" sounds like you may be referring to a traditional air gap in the top of the sink. Dishwashers can be connected that way, but they can also be set up with a high hose loop. Basically the drain hose from the dishwasher loops up to just under the counter, effectively forming an air gap (the only way sewage could get backwards into the dishwasher would be if the sink filled up to the same height as the top of the hose loop). The other end can go into the disposal. If you do this then the old air gap can be removed and the hole used for water purification or soap dispenser or whatever you want. See one of my other dishwasher answers for a diagram.
Best Answer
The common disposal unit drain pipe connection looks like the following picture:
There may be some variation in the design of the tail pipe assemblies from manufacturer to manufacturer but the ones for the above type connection generally follow the form shown here:
These tail pipe pieces are generally supplied with the disposer. It is possible to purchase manufacturer specific tail pipes at appliance parts outlet stores and from online sites. It may also be possible to purchase a generic replacement at some hardware and big box home stores. If you purchase a new one make sure to include a new rubber gasket.
It has been my experience that a common cause of leaks at the disposer outlet is the corrosion of the body housing of the unit around the drain hole. In the cases I have dealt with it was time to replace the disposer unit with a new one. One thing to check is if the lower part of the disposer housing is wet or showing signs of rust and corrosion separate from the drain pipe attachment. If so this is often an indication of the sealed bearing inside the disposer starting to leak and is another reason for replacement. On disposers that I have replaced I have noticed leaks from both the bearing and the drain pipe area.