Your garbage disposal is supposed to help you save time and reduce waste. If it is leaking water through its sink sleeve, then it wastes water and can damage the items you store beneath your sink. To find the cause of the leak, look to the parts involved in fastening the sleeve to your sink. Does this Spark an idea?
Sink Sleeve
The sink sleeve secures your garbage disposal to your sink. It has a rim that sits in your sink bottom; the rest of it lines the exterior of the drain and extends down below the bottom of the sink to attach to the garbage disposal unit. When it leaks you will have water dripping from the sink into the space beneath, wetting the exterior of your garbage disposal as well as anything you store in the cabinet under your sink.
Causes
If the garbage disposal sink sleeve leaks, then the issue is either a problem with a gasket and mounting ring in the sleeve, or in the plumber's putty used during installation. The gaskets and mounting rings are supposed to keep the unit from leaking. If they are not properly installed, water will find gaps between them and leak out. You should use plumber's putty when installing the sleeve. It helps fill the space between the sleeve's flange and the bottom of the sink, sealing any gaps between them so water can't get through. If you don't use it or don't use enough, water will leak out of the sink.
Solutions
Reinstall your garbage disposal to stop the sink sleeve from leaking. Scrape away all traces of old plumber's putty, then use a generous amount when you guide the sink sleeve into place. Don't be concerned about extra putty oozing out from under the flange; wipe it away later. Put the gasket, mounting ring and back up mounting ring into place. If your unit came with one, use a snap ring on the back up mounting ring to be sure the sleeve is securely installed.
Considerations
Always follow all instructions supplied by a garbage disposal unit's manufacturer when troubleshooting, installing or reinstalling a unit. After putting the sleeve and rest of the disposal back into place, plug the sink with a drain stopper and run water into it. Look for a leak. If you don't see one, remove the plug and let water flow into the disposal unit. If you still don't see any water, then the leak is repaired. If you do see water, contact a professional to find out if one of the sleeve's parts is damaged.
