The short answer: swap yes, first-time install maybe
To install a new garbage disposal, you shut off the power at the breaker, remove the old unit from its mounting ring, mount the new one to the sink flange, connect the drain and the dishwasher hose, and test for leaks before you restore power. If a disposal is already under your sink and wired to a switch or outlet, most careful homeowners can do this in an afternoon.
A first-time install is harder. It may need a new outlet or switch, a changed drain, and a permit conversation with the city. Those are the jobs to hand to a licensed plumber and, where wiring is involved, a licensed electrician.
Check these before you buy anything
Most failed installs start in the store aisle, not under the sink. Look at the cabinet first and write down what you find.
- How the old unit gets power: a plug into an outlet under the sink, or wires hardwired into a junction box
- Whether a wall switch controls it, since a unit with no switch needs one added
- Whether a dishwasher drains into it, which decides if a knockout plug must be removed
- The sink flange size, because most sinks take the standard opening but some do not
- Clearance below the unit, since a deep disposal can hit the trap or a shelf
- A label showing the unit is listed to the UL 430 standard, which the Florida code text requires for domestic food waste disposers
Take a photo of the old setup before you disconnect anything. It saves guessing at the drain angle when the new unit is in your hands.
Cabinet open and not sure what you are looking at?
Call and describe the wiring and drain setup, and a dispatcher will book a licensed plumber.
Install steps in order
These steps describe a like-for-like swap. Follow the maker's instructions where they differ, since the code text says the installation must follow them.
Kill the power and remove the old unit
Switch off the breaker, then confirm the unit is dead with a non-contact tester. Unplug or disconnect the wires, loosen the drain and dishwasher connections, and twist the old unit off its mounting ring.
Mount the new flange and ring
Remove the old flange, clean the sink opening, and press plumber's putty under the new flange. Tighten the mounting assembly from below so the flange sits flat and the excess putty squeezes out.
Knock out the dishwasher plug
If a dishwasher drains through the disposal, open the inlet on the new unit and knock out the plastic plug with a hammer and screwdriver. Fish the plug out of the chamber. Skipping this step is a common mistake, and the dishwasher will not drain.
Hang the unit, connect, and test
Lift the disposal onto the mounting ring and lock it. Reconnect the discharge to the trap, clamp the dishwasher hose, and wire or plug in the power. Restore the breaker, run water, and check every joint with a dry paper towel.
Replacing a unit versus adding the first one
Swapping an existing disposal
- Power, switch and drain connection already exist
- Work stays inside the cabinet and takes a few hours
- Main risks are a poor putty seal and a missed dishwasher knockout
- Whether a permit is needed is not stated on the Ocoee pages we read, so ask the city
Installing where there was none
- May need new wiring, a switch and an outlet, which is electrical work
- The drain may need a new fitting and a recheck of its slope
- A dishwasher drain has to be connected the way the code allows
- Plan on a permit conversation before you start
The Florida code text says the disposal must connect to a drain at least 1-1/2 inches in diameter and must not add to the drainage fixture unit load. A dishwasher drain can tie in at the disposal, at a wye fitting on the sink tailpiece, or through an air break to a standpipe. The dishwasher drain line must also rise and be fastened to the underside of the countertop or sink rim.
What Ocoee asks you not to send down the disposal
The City of Ocoee's New Resident Grease Control Letter tells residents not to put greasy foods down the drain or in the garbage disposal. It says to pour cooking fats into a container, let them cool, and put them in the trash, and to scrape plate scraps into the trash or compost.
A disposal grinds food but does not stop grease from coating the pipes downstream. The city sewer serves close to 30,000 Ocoee residents, and grease that sticks in your own line can back up there first. Scrape pans before they go in the sink, even after a new unit is installed.
Source type: City of Ocoee New Resident Grease Control Letter
When to stop and call a plumber
Stop if the old drain fittings are corroded and crumble when you turn them, if the cabinet floor is soft, or if the sink drains slowly before you start. Those are signs the problem is bigger than the disposal. Our garbage disposal repair visits cover jams, leaks and units that hum but will not spin, and a repair can make more sense than a new unit.
While the cabinet is open, check the shutoff valves and supply lines too. A weeping valve is easier to fix now, and our faucet repair work includes the supply side of the sink.
We dispatch licensed plumbers to Apopka and Pine Hills as well as Ocoee, and we give a clear price before work starts.
Disposal install questions, answered for Ocoee kitchens
No. The city's grease control letter lists greasy foods in the disposal as something to avoid. It lists examples such as meat fat, butter, cooking oil, gravy, salad dressing, dairy and mayonnaise.
Let grease cool, then put it in the trash.
The 2023 code text we reviewed says a disposal connects to a drain of at least 1-1/2 inches. The unit must be listed to ASSE 1008 and UL 430 and must not increase the drainage fixture unit load.
The 9th Edition takes effect December 31, 2026, so confirm the current text with the city.
We could not find an Ocoee page that says. The Florida Building Code requires permits for plumbing and electrical work in general, so the safest step is a call to the Building Division at 407.905.3104 before you start.
The most common cause is the dishwasher knockout plug left inside the disposal inlet. Disconnect the dishwasher hose, open the inlet, and remove the plug.
If the plug is out and the hose is clamped but it still will not drain, check that the hose rises and is fastened under the countertop.
That usually means something is jammed. Shut off the power first. Many models have a hex socket underneath that you turn by hand to free the blades, and a reset button near the bottom.
Never put your hand in the chamber.