I have done posts in the past about improper wiring to disposals.  It is a defect that I see so often that repetition is warranted. 

     Anyone can go to the Big Orange Tool Box or similar types of home maintenance stores and buy a garbage disposal.  How difficult can it be to hook up a disposal?

     The part of the installation that I find wrong the most is the electrical hook-up.  This is especially true when there is no plug-in type cord, and instead the disposal is "hard-wired."  All "hard-wired" means is that the unit can't be unplugged----and instead is wired continuously all the way to the breaker panel.  When wired this way it is important that the wire that runs from the wall to the disposal be of proper type and be properly protected from mechanical damage.  Often this wire is run in flexible conduit from the connection at the wall. 

     Installers that don't know proper connection methods (aren't electricians) sometimes just hook the wire that comes through the wall directly to the disposal.  In this picture we can see where the wires have been run inside flexible conduit but the conduit is badly damaged at the wall in the background and is not connected properly to the disposal in the foreground.  Notice also that the ground wire is not connected to the disposal.  It is important for disposals to be properly grounded to prevent persons contacting the disposal from being the shortest path to ground in the event of a short in the unit.

     In this case it would seem that the installer knew the wiring should be in conduit but they just didn't know how to make the connections at the ends of the conduit----more like "I cantduit."

Charles Buell  

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DeCroe, is my "certiflied" home inspector assistant and occassionally flies into my blog to offer assistance.  To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.