Trashing the Garbage Disposal

I've been holding out on you. I have a lot of projects in the works that just need the finishing touches on them. However, yesterday we discovered a project that needed our immediate attention. Our dishwasher seemed not to be draining. After a bit of vinegar/baking soda and septic-safe drain cleaner we still had a stagnant little puddle. Running some water in the sink revealed that our garbage disposal (which has never worked) was irreparably clogged.

We purchased the materials to install piping almost a year ago, but the task seemed daunting. Luckily, we were prettttty incorrect (hopefully). We had a garbage disposal in the apartment and never used it. This one has been broken practically since the day we moved in. We had no interest in installing a new and expensive unit, hence the piping.

I played the support role in this endeavor. Jeremy did most of the heavy twisting. The worst part was wrestling the disposal from under the sink. The connectors had all rusted and it required a good deal of force. Once we detached it from the sink we turned off all the power in the house and cut the cord. Because it was hard-wired Jeremy had to disconnect the disposal from its junction box in the basement. Don't worry, we took all necessary safety precautions and Jeremy made sure all now-unused wires were properly capped and un-electrified.

Here's the disgusting disconnected disposal:

I did not photograph the clogged part because it really grosses me out.

Here is what became of under our sink. It was a team effort. I was responsible for the plumber's putty around the drain rim. Jeremy did all the PVC (okay... he did a lot more, but I ran for supplies, lights, and fans when it got warm.)

Here is the remarkable thing: This successful drain system was installed in 2 hours and perfect on the first go round. From removing the disposal to running the water in the sink, we did it all without a single trip to Lowe's, curse word, or leak. Amazing.