When DIY Goes Sideways

YouTube has a special kind of magic: it can convince you that a messy, awkward home repair is basically three simple steps and a victory lap. Then you’re on your back under the kitchen sink, holding a melon-sized garbage disposal with shaking wrists, wondering where your confidence went. That’s where we start, with the honest over-40 truth that sometimes the best DIY skill is knowing when to pay somebody and save your time, your body, and your sanity.

We walk through a full garbage disposal installation that should’ve been easy. I match the model at Lowe’s, take tips from a helpful employee, watch multiple tutorial videos, and still manage to hit every speed bump: alignment issues, fatigue, a “bam, I got it” moment that turns into a hard drop, and a broken pipe that sends me right back to the store. Yes, there’s also a Coke and a Snickers involved, plus a little Rick and Morty energy to reset the mindset.

Then comes the real kicker for anyone searching “garbage disposal install dishwasher not draining” or “dishwasher leaking after new disposal.” The dishwasher drain line often connects to the garbage disposal, and many units have a knockout plug you must remove. Miss it, and you can end up with backed-up water and a near flood. We break down what to look for, what went wrong, and how to avoid the same mistake.

If you’ve ever been humbled by a “simple” home improvement project, you’ll feel seen. Subscribe, share this with a fellow DIY warrior, and leave a review. What’s the one home repair that taught you the hard way?

Family, friends, frenemies, pull up. This is your invitation to laugh, reflect, and speak your truth. No edits. No filters. Just grown-folk conversation. New episodes every week. Your comments shape the show. #unscriptedafter40 

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Transcript

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Why DIY Looks So Easy

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Okay. Sometimes you just need to pay somebody to do something. You know, um, you look at YouTube and YouTube make it look so easy. I mean, extremely easy. It is like, hey, you know what? Step one, do this, step two, do this, step three, do this. And the guy, gal, that be explaining to you, they voice is so convincing that you can do it. And you get such confidence until you actually do it, and then you realize at that moment that you fucked up.

When Paying For Help Makes Sense

SPEAKER_00 0:54

And I I'm gonna get to the story, but but let's give you some context, okay? Or give you some examples. It's like, for example, cutting the grass, right? Cutting the grass is an easy task. But sometimes you just need to get somebody to cut that motherfucker for you. Because either it's hot outside, or you, you know, the task that you're about to take is a little too big, or you might be sick that week, you know, and you need a little assistance. You know, like I say, this podcast is about being over 40. And, you know, when you're over 40, some days going out in that hot sun to cut that goddamn grass is a goddamn struggle. I mean, and then me, unfortunately, I'm a little allergic to grass now, these days and time. Now, when I was younger, playing football and stuff, I had no problem with grass. Now, grass is my enemy. I love the way it smells or the way it looks, but it's a goddamn enemy now, okay? It used to be a friend, now it's an enemy. You know, sometimes you have friends, then it turns enemies. So that grass is one of them for me, okay? Um, painting a wall in your house, you know, sometimes you know, you just need to pay that motherfucker, okay? Just it's not even hard. Painting, believe it, is not hard at all. It is, you know, you get your little blue or green tape or whatever color tape your tape is, you know, you tape all your edges off, you know, you make sure you get your wall clean. See how I'm gonna split it to you? I'm making it sound easy, right? Just like the people on YouTube when they talk to you about something, you know. And I know it's a lot of us that go out there and stuff. I guess, yeah, D-UI your stuff. Do it yourself. That's what the phrase is, okay. Do it yourself, you know. And I commend that because I'm one of those people. I go out there and, you know, I read the instructions, kind of set the stage of how I need to get this stuff done, and I do it. But like in my statement earlier, sometimes you just need to pay somebody to do it, you know.

The Garbage Disposal Plan

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Um, so to go to my prime example, I most houses these days, you know, I didn't grow up with a garbage disposal in my house, but most houses these days have a dishwasher and a garbage disposal, okay? So most of y'all who listen to this already know where I'm about to go at with this, okay? So I went to install a garbage disposal. So, what I did, like I said, like I said, I it's not the first time I went in my house and did something myself, but this is the first time I ever changed out a garbage disposal. So I watched a YouTube video. And on the YouTube video, the lady, when she explained it, she explained it so well. And I I I'ma see if I can find a link to her video and put it so y'all can see what I'm talking about. But when I say she explained it, she broke it down Barney style to like any idiot can do it, except this idiot, okay? Because apparently, yeah, I I I guess I'm a bigger idiot than I thought I was. Um get that checked out. But it looked like it was gonna be extremely easy. So I followed her video, I went to Lowe's with my old model that I already took off because the thing was broke anyway. It couldn't even be used, it broke. So went my old model, made sure I got the correct model size that he gave me. So the man in the store helped me out, and he said, Yeah, do this right here, the following instruction in the back. And he even said, guess what? It got an instructional video that goes along with it to help so you can watch, so you can make sure that you put it on. Because I told the man I was doing it myself, and this is my first time doing it. And he gave me a couple of good tips, you know, and after watching the YouTube video, getting his tips, then I came back to the house, right, and watched the video that came with the garbage disposal. Because it was on YouTube as well, and it was another, um, it was a man, um, white white man looked like um Al from off Home Improvement. I know most of y'all never bought Home Improvement, Tim Allen, but it's an old show that talks about home improvement. I and in this case I was Tim Allen because Tim Allen be fucking up everything. Um so anyway, I look at the video and even he explained the same way the video that I watched earlier with the lady explained it, and he made it sound so simple until I got up on the goddamn sink. I don't know if you ever tried to squeeze up on the sink. And the sad part, what kills me, it came off so easy. Like when I took it off, it was a little like on the pipes of one there, like a little um horseshoe ring there with some screws. I screwed off, boop, came off, you know, to the apart, boop, it came off, a little water came out and stuff like that. Kino had water and stuff, a little water and food. So I already had a towel down there and clear everything out. So it hit the towel and everything got up and the thing, you know, no mess. I mean, when I say it came off easy, it came off easy.

unknown 6:18

Boop.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

So now I'm putting this new one on, right? And it's one important thing that none of these videos said that I'm gonna tell you that really made the struggle hard, right? So anyway, I'm on there squeezing, trying to put this, it

When The Install Drops Apart

SPEAKER_00 6:38

can't be no more than half a pound. But when you trying to put up a garbage disposal that's pretty much about big as about big as a melon, and you trying to hold up there, that thing started to get heavy. And you know, my little pull of wrists, it started to shake while I'm trying to sit here and screw the stuff on. And for some reason, it wouldn't line up properly. And I'm like, okay, it got aligned up properly, right? Because it's the same one that I took off. And I verify after I put it there and try to give it one line up properly. I was like, you know what? I might have got the wrong one. You know, that happens. You know, sometimes you might get the wrong one, but I had some help. So I like, I didn't do this by myself. I had help with this failure here. So I wasn't feeling too bad at this point. Okay, so I put it down, I compared both of them and looked at it and said, you know what? Okay, they're the right model, the same thing. You know, the one I had was an older model, but it was just made by the same people, and it was the same size, same attachments, everything. Literally everything was the same. It was just one was just an older model, and one was just a newer model, which is understandable. I guess because the garbage spores I had in my house most likely was maybe five or six years old. And then the one, you know, like I say, five or six younger, so brand new. So it's like, it should be a little, some difference. You can't, I couldn't, I I couldn't probably I probably could have found one from like five or six years ago, but most likely, sometimes you don't. So I didn't. But it that doesn't matter because like I say, both of them's pretty much identical. Just one was made or made probably that year or this year. So I said, okay, I must be just a little tired or irritated. So I took a breather, went down, sit in the couch, you know, look at a little Rick and Morty, and got my spirits back up. So after I got my spirits back up, I said, you know what? I'm gonna go back at it again, because I gotta get this done, okay? Because the kids are about to come home, and you know, the garbage disposal broke because of them anyway. So I might make sure that I actually fixed the garbage disposal this time, so at least it can survive the summer for them. You know, I just need to survive the summer because I don't really use the garbage disposal that much. I cut it on to make sure it works at least once a week, but I I don't use it that much, it's for them. So I get back there, I finally get the top part of the part that connects to the sink. I got that on, okay? So that's step one, because that's pretty much the one, the pipe that really don't move that much. The pipe that connects into the side. I can angle down a little more different versus the one at the top. So I finally got top on and got in it correct, right? So I made sure I checked the thing, I hold it, got in there, and I even got a little Swifty there. I got one of my little small bottle jacks that I use on my motorcycle, you know, little small tiny ones that help assist me to hold it up so my wrists won't reach muscle failure. See? Using that noggin, using that noggin. So I was a little smart this time. Um, and that because I watched Rick and Morty. You know, when you watch Rick and Morty, Rick, that smartness from him gets you. I just didn't get the alcohol in this one with him. But anyway, um, I got up, the top went up, the rings up, got them all lined up, so yeah, used the second one, get the second one tied in there and stuff that took a little difficulty, so I had to unloosen the one, the um the pipe to the other sink, because you know it's a two-saint thing. And then once I loosened up and got it all together, shifted it, put up, squeeze it, tighten everything down, looked at it, said, Yup, bam, I got it. So I took off my little um pipe, uh my bottle, or not my pipe, my um jack. And as soon as I took off my jack, okay, the whole thing fell. Apparently I didn't tighten it as tight, so I thought I tied the top one. Because everything else just fell. So when it fell, it broke the pipe to the other side. So once it broke the pipe to the other side, I I didn't panic, I didn't get mad, I didn't think. I just got the pipe, um, got my keys to the car, went back to Lowe's, you know, got me another pipe. So it took me about maybe about Lowe's was made about 15 minutes from my house, so about 15 minutes, came back. Now while I was at Lowe's, now I had to give me another pick-me-up, you know. So I got me a Coke and a Snicker. You know, I had to make myself feel better, you know, thing. And talking to the man that I was getting a pipe of, he was very encouraging. He said, look here, that happens. Sometimes um, you know, the pipes are old. You you need to change your mind anyway. So he he made me feel better about myself when I got there. So I appreciate him. So, so so thank you. I think his name is Ray. Ray, yeah. Older white man. I mean, he was there. I'm glad he didn't call me an idiot. He probably saw he probably said I was an idiot when I was leaving, like how you break some pipes, changing out the um garbage disposal. But while I was there, he gave me very good encouragement. And when I on my drive back, while I was drinking my Coke and eating my Snickers on the way back, you know, getting that energy so I won't be like Betty White, um, I felt good. So I got back in the house, you know, remember everything I did, put all the pipes and stuff back on, made sure everything was tightened proper this time before I moved the jack. And guess what? Bam, everything was good to go. Now I'm happy now. Like, oh yeah, I done did this, I done got this done, you know, thing. So I turned it on and boom, turn it off thing, everything working just fine, right? At least I think. Okay.

The Hidden Dishwasher Drain Plug

SPEAKER_00 12:08

So like I say earlier, most houses got a dishwasher and a you know, garbage disposal. I did not know that the dishwasher and the garbage disposal pipes and stuff was all linked together. So, in that theory of things, I kind of noticed water leaking as I'm turning the dishwasher on. And apparently, the pipe from the dishwasher goes directly to the garbage disposal. Inside your garbage disposal, it's a little hole that you're supposed to knock out. It's a little plastic, it's real that you're supposed to knock out. Did not know that. So now I'm using my dishwasher late on that night. I I got a bigger issue. Because when the dishwasher drains out, that's supposed to drain out until the garbage disposal piping is blocked because I did not knock the hole out of the new garbage disposal so that the water can drain into the garbage disposal pipe and going down. So to keep the story going, I had to drop that goddamn garbage disposal thing again. Cause I didn't know why I did that. I YouTube it and asked them what could possibly be the problems, and they told me that was a problem. Now remind you now, I watched two videos and they didn't say nothing about this little hole that's on the side. I mean, granted, I I probably should have noticed. But like I said earlier, I I never installed a garbage disposal before into this time. So I got an important lesson that I want all y'all to learn. It's a hole, a little plastic cutout hole inside a garbage pole where all the pipes and stuff fill in that you're supposed to knock out so the water can still flow through that pipe so that you can make sure that you don't drain water all over your sink. Because I almost caused the Noah flood in my kitchen because of that hole. Um, but it it happens, it happened to the best of us. So I'm I'm don't stop doing your DUI projects inside of your house. Just um make sure you do all your research thoroughly. And that's that's the lesson I'm gonna take from this right here. I'm I need to work on make sure my research is thorough and precise, and make sure I actually pay attention to everything, and then take my time and talk to some people, some real people, about the job, and then make sure I get a snicker on the way. And a coke, and a coke, and a coke, and watch some Ricky Morty. So those those are things I

Lessons Learned And Thanks

SPEAKER_00 14:53

gotta keep going on. So when I do my next job thing, because I'm gonna go paint again. Um and if you ever paint a house, it's it's a task. I'm gonna use some bear paint this time, though. Hopefully it works better. But until next time, thank you for all your comments. Thank you for passing and sharing my stuff on Facebook. It's very appreciated. Um, please keep sending the comments, and I'll make sure I keep making making episodes that you will keep watching and listening to. Until next time. Unstripped it after 40, the podcast.