Why does nobody talk about how I was tightening my garbage disposal flange wrong for 4 years?

I used to just hand tighten the flange under the sink and hope for the best, but it always leaked after a few months. Last spring, I finally watched a 10 minute YouTube video from a plumber in Ohio who showed me you need a special wrench to get it truly snug. Now I use a basin wrench and a rubber mallet to tap it into place, and it's been bone dry for 8 months straight. Turns out I was just making it tight enough to feel good, not tight enough to actually seal. Has anyone else found a simple tool that totally changed a common fix for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver81120d agoOG Member

Used to roll my eyes at anyone who busted out the specialty tools for basic plumbing jobs. Figured if my dad could get by with grit and swear words for 30 years, I could too. Then I spent a weekend swapping three sink drains and realized the right tool makes the difference between a clean job and a soggy cabinet floor.

harris.aaron20d ago

Are you really telling me you've never had a sink leak work itself out after a few days? I've had plenty of those hand-tightened jobs hold up just fine for years.