Indisposed

Honestly that is how I felt after this project...at one point during this project I ended up on the floor in the fetal position. Pro tip: don't smell old pipes that were once connected to a garbage disposal. 

Upon our home inspection we learned that the garbage disposal under the sink was not working – we purchased the home as-is but included an inspection clause just to make sure that there were not any serious structural issues or other significant problems that we would consider “deal-breakers” to give us a chance to walk away from the sale. The broken garbage disposal was not deemed a deal breaker and after some research we determined it was something we could tackle on our own. After determining that the reset button did not fix the problem and after trying to use a hex wrench to get the blades moving we decided to replace it and do it on our own.

We first did some research on what kind of disposal to purchase and ultimately went with the Badger 5

 (find out more about the disposal and listen to their sounds here: Insinkerator)

It was determined to be an economical choice while also not being the loudest disposal on the market – honestly I don’t really care if it is loud or not. At Home Depot they have buttons you can press where it mimics the sounds of each make and model. They all sound the same to me except for the model that is the most expensive which is pretty quiet but really I could care less since it is a garbage disposal.  I can’t justify spending hundreds of dollars on a garbage disposal.

Also most garbage disposals, including the one we purchased, come ready for hardwiring into the house but the old one we removed had plugged right into an outlet in the cabinet so we purchased a kit to turn the disposal into a plug-in kind. I figure we will eventually hardwire it but in the interest of time and money it plugs in for now.

After getting our disposal delivered (we ended up buying it online to save a few bucks) I watched a guy install a garbage disposal step by step on youtube at least twelve times. 

Once I felt comfortable and somewhat confident I told RC it was time….

The first thing we did was remove the old one which was actually the hardest part – finding that to be a common theme at this house. The pipes were totally stuck and would not loosen for us to remove it. After spraying copious amounts of WD-40 (the BEST invention EVER) on the pipe joints and borrowing a pipe wrench we were finally able to get the old disposal off.  That is after I was in the fetal position on the kitchen floor sobbing uncontrollably because I was upset it wasn’t coming off. I was having a bit of a rough week...

Once it was off and out from under the sink and I threw it in the garbage (literally I threw it which helped get rid of my pent up aggression against the project) we went step by step with the guy in the youtube video. I of course had the laptop in the kitchen on the floor- seriously though the guy makes it look super easy. We installed it and had it operable in about 30 minutes. It actually works – pretty well I might add – and we are still married so I guess we can count this project as a success.

It is amazing how much smoother these projects go when you have the right tools...guess who got a pipe wrench for Christmas?!? When it comes time to add a dishwasher I think we might need to remove it to connect the dishwasher to it so I am glad we now know how to do it and have the proper tools.
I wish I would have captured more pictures - this was a 2 man job so I didn;t have the ability to take any progress shots.

This is one of those posts where I like it put it out there that we are not professionals but most of the time we learn how to do things around the house by doing a little research and watching some youtubes to realize that we are capable...and so are you. Like I always say, if you can read directions you can probably do it!

Just Call Me Joe the Plumber

We have had quite some issues with plumbing the last few months… including a cracked shattered tank that required the replacement of the entire toilet twice - not pleased. I couldn’t bring myself to call another plumber to come out and fix our loud toilet (different than the one that was replaced). Every few minutes it would fill the bowl with more water even though it had enough – it was very confused. It was just annoying to me that I would hear water running every few minutes so I took matters into my own hands. After doing some research online I decided the best course of action was to replace the fill valve which is the thing in your tank that rises as water comes into the tank. I’m not a plumber …but I’m not afraid of fixing toilets either. So I picked up this Korky’s replacement fill valve at the local hardware store for $10 and kept it in case HB’s dad (the master of DIY) stopped by.



When I couldn’t take it anymore I asked HB’s dad if he thought I could fix it myself – his exact words “you have a master’s degree in accounting – if you can read the instructions and look at the pictures I think you will be fine.” That was just the encouragement I needed. It took me about 30 minutes to disassemble the old valve and install the new one and a week later it is still working fine; the best part is that there are no more random bouts of running water. Talk about empowerment – I’m still doing the happy dance!

I am putting this out there for anyone who is afraid of repairing toilets – the simple stuff of course. If you can read and understand the pictures then you can tackle projects like this. I promise the scariest part is putting your hands in the water for the first time – well at least it was for me and when I realized that my hands didn’t fall off I kept going (N.B. I definitely got a manicure after). I do however recommend the Korky's brand of plumbing supplies not because I work for them or anything but because their supplies are made in the USA - gotta love that.
See ya old fill valve....