Pro Handyman Blog

If you look down into your garbage disposal, you should see a black rubbery gasket. This is a splash guard. This blocks debris from flying out of your sink when you use your garbage disposal. Every once in a while, you will need to replace this part. They shouldn’t wear out, but people seem to like pushing food down into the disposal with utensils that can damage the part. I guess the message is don’t use a fork to push eggshells into the disposal. Replacing the splash guard involves removing the disposal.

Unplug the disposal and remove the bolts that hold the discharge pipe to the side of the unit. You can loosen the slipnut at the discharge pipe to retract it, which will make removing the disposal easier. You might be able to remove the disposal with the dishwasher drain line still connected, but if there isn’t enough slack it it you will need to remove it. Use a screwdriver and slip it into the collar and loosen it. The lugs will disengage and the disposal will drop off of the sink…so support it while you turn.

With the disposal off, simply pull the splash guard from the top of the unit and push the new one on. The splash guard gets compressed between the disposal and the sink flange. Remounting the disposal is a reversal of the steps that you took to remove it. Once you lift the disposal up to the collar, tighten the lugs partially until you align the discharge opening with the discharge pipe. One you connect the piping back, you can fully tighten the lugs that hold the unit to the sink. Then just plug in the cord.