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A Leaking Garbage Disposal: Where It Leaks Decides Everything

Water in the cabinet is the one disposal symptom worth dealing with today. Where it starts decides whether this is a seal or a machine.

The quick answer

A leak at the sink flange, at the dishwasher hose and from the shell are three different problems. The first two are seals and connections; only a leak from the shell itself means the unit is finished. Where the water starts decides which one it is.

SinkGrind is a referral service, not a contractor. We connect homeowners with independent contractors. Contractors are required to hold whatever credential their state or municipality demands. Every state page sets out who licenses plumbers there and where to check, so you can confirm before work begins. We carry out no work, we sell no equipment, we do not set prices, and we never charge homeowners anything — the contractors in our network pay us when we route them a call.

Find the origin, not the puddle

Water runs along the underside of the unit before it drops, so the wet patch is rarely below the source. Dry everything, put paper down, run the sink briefly and watch where the first drop forms.

From the top, at the sink flange

If it appears where the disposal meets the sink, the flange seal or the plumber's putty under it has failed. That is a reseal, not a replacement, though it does mean dropping the unit to get at it.

From the side

Two connections enter from the side: the dishwasher hose and the outlet to the trap. Both are clamped or gasketed joints and both are repairable. A dishwasher hose that leaks only during a wash cycle is easy to miss because the sink itself is dry.

From the bottom of the shell

A leak from the body of the unit itself is the end of it. The shell is sealed at manufacture and corrodes from the inside; there is no repair, and the leak worsens. Shut the power off at the breaker and stop using the sink until it is replaced.

That is the case where the replace-or-repair question has already answered itself.

Pushed the reset button already?Then it is worth a contractor rather than another ten minutes with a hex key. Tell us what it is doing — silent, humming, leaking or smelling — and we will route you. Free to you, always. Other trouble can be mentioned on this number.

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