Waste disposal unit in new house has destroyed me

[Bloodyhellthishouse]

I’ve just moved house. Old owners were very into gadgets (I am not, so I’m struggling as no instructions left for anything) however, they have an “Insinkerator” waste disposal unit.

I used it twice and tonight came home to a pool of water underneath it.

So I googled and flushed it with some hot soapy water thinking it probably had a small blockage.

Certainly did, and the weight of the water meant the fucking thing literally fell off the bottom of the sink. So now the sink and dishwasher can’t be used because there is just a sink hole where this fucking thing used to be!!

I want to just get it taken off. I don’t even know (beyond a plumber) what to do about it! I don’t know how to unblock it, don’t know how to attach it and don’t know why it was blocked anyway.

Long and the short of it is I’ve cried. I can’t make any sense of the hive heating here, I’ve got no internet for another week and they removed the tv aerial so I’ve got no telly, a pipe under the utility room sink pissed water everywhere a day after I got here and now this stupid, bastard waste disposal has fallen off, very nearly taking all the plastic pipes with it.

This was a new start for me and it’s just been one thing after another since the day I moved in.

So, does anyone know anything about these units? It’s full of water so that’s why it fell. Clearly sooner or later that was going to happen.

So regarding Hive, how do I get it over to me? Do I just go onto the Hive website and change it over to me?

It wasn’t working well to start with, and I actually did put pineapple skin down it because I was told by the previous owner that absolutely everything could go down there and I didn’t realise it needed lots of water.

I think the actual unit needs taking apart and clearing out.

Currently it’s on the floor in the cupboard

https://community.hivehome.com/s/article/I-ve-moved-into-a-house-that-has-Hive-products-installed-what-should-I-do

I have woken up still feeling really upset.
Now I have a waste disposal disconnected in my sink, CCTV that has no instruction, Hive heating that I need to buy a hub for and bit by bit it feels like the tech problems are becoming a bit much (NB I’m a single parent, so I’m trying to do this myself, on top of working and unpacking)
It feels like everything is a problem

On the Hive

I have Hive heating and don't have any subscription.

To get the full options and use the app you will need wifi but your heating should work without it. You do need a hub though. Ours is fitted on the wall near the boiler. This should have been left.

This may help
https://community.hivehome.com/s/article/I-ve-moved-into-a-house-that-has-Hive-products-installed-what-should-I-do

It would be worth noting the sink issue with your solicitor.

Colour changing lights will also need wifi do wait until that is connected. The cctv might be the same.

I agree with above - Hive should work like a normal thermostat without a subscription. If they have taken the hub then note it with your solicitor to recoup the cost.

Similarly, not the issue with the sink. Yes you might have blocked it by not using it correctly, but it shouldn’t have fallen off. You should be able to recoup the cost of a plumber.

For the tv arial, you just need to arrange for someone to fit one. Not unusual these days for people not to have one.

For the lights, do the light switches actually not work at all without an app? Usually there is still a physical switch. If not, get an electrician to change them all for standard switches. You’ll probably be able to sell the smart switches.

FWIW I think it sounds like a pretty normal setup, but I can understand it feeling upsetting if you are not used to any of it, on top of the stress of the move. I hope things feel better once you start to get things sorted.

The lights can be switched on manually. They have these fancy switches that you press, so I can get lights on (although they are all spotlights and appear to be cold white so I feel like I’m in McDonald’s and if they are smart builds they will cost a fortune to replace)

I agree the waste disposal shouldn’t fall off. I’m pretty sure they have removed it to do something and not connected it back properly, the sink should have just backed up with water, not the disposal fall off!!

It sounds like a bodge installation. We've had one for the last 10 years and it's worked ok.

As we've never had any problems with ours I've no advice sorry 😔

Perhaps they've tried to dismantle it to take it with them and failed, but haven't bothered to re fix it securely. I hate gadgets so sympathise with you.

Can't help with the sink, but we moved into a house with no aerial (they used sky), and are currently watching TV off a tiny portable aerial sitting on the window - it was a MN recommendation in a thread.

This: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07P64MWFR?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

It works really well.

I bought one of those but no matter where I put it it finds no tv programmes.
This house is bringing me to my knees

No help sorry op but how one earth are insinkerators compatible with our antiquated waste water systems? You know when you see things about fatbergs and they say you should only put nothing but water down your plug hole? Do they completely liquidise the waste?

I have no idea. I’ve never had (or wanted to have) one. I think they must it all up and it goes out through the drainage, but it’s not really something I will use much.

Have you friends with Hive ? Can thy help or their husbands give advice?

The good news is that once you get your Internet sorted out hopefully the Hive and lights issues can be sorted out - the lights will most likely have a range of hues, I have similar and have set the default to be warm yellow rather than bright white, but they can do both.

Just get rid of the waste disposal. Sounds more trouble than it's worth.

Is there no TV because they previously used cable or satellite? If they did use satellite it might be worth seeing how much it would cost to buy freesat boxes or freesat compatible TVs in comparison to getting an aeriel refitted.

If cable ditto working out what the subscription cost would be.

Don't despair! It's shit now but will get better.
Call a plumber for the sink - can you make friends with a neighbour and ask them for recommendations?
Hive - yes a pain to work out but once you have it's very useful (think freezing cold winters, snuggled in bed and instead of getting up to boost the heating you just have to reach for your phone...) Bliss.
Lights - only a week to go for your WiFi and then you can change the colour to a nicer one! The test/default is always super bright and cold. (To go with my previous scenario, imagine Christmas and being able to have red, green and gold lights fading around the house.)

I'm by no means an expert OP, but on the smart switches / bulbs if the switch is 'smart' then the bulb I think will be normal.

We had normal switches but smart bulbs, when I was looking at them it seemed it was one or the other, not both at the same time.

If the switch does dimming you'll need to make sure the bulb is dimmable. Do the lights change colour or just the panel things? If the lights change colour, maybe you can adjust the 'tone' and make it warmer?

Can you post a pic of the light switch, does it have a brand name on it or anything? We could maybe find you some instructions?

Sorry, meant to say if the lights change colour (rather than the panel things) then you will need special bulbs. Although it might be that normal ones would be compatible, just not have all the functionality.

We had one years ago - something has def blocked it as certain things you can put down. Def need a plumber I would’ve thought

I sympathise too OP. This house isn't too bad but it's still so much more complicated than my out of date rental. I had to get a friend to help me pair my phone with the fancy central heating here. And there is a fan heater in one room - it is remote controlled, with a thermostat and various timer settings. I just want "on" and "off"! Had to Google the instructions to figure out how to achieve that, and now I've forgotten so will have to repeat next year.

I think you are overwhelmed and catastrophising op!

The sink disposal sounds like user error even though it shouldn't have fallen off.

Does anyone have an aerial anymore? Ours was cut before we moved in 15 years ago. Get a plug in aerial.

You can override Hive.

Do you want / need the cctv?

How long ago did you move in? I know here in Scotland if anything breaks or doesn't work within the first period after you buy a property (I think usually a week or two, but sometimes a bit longer) it's the sellers responsibility to fix it unless it was explicitly excluded in the missives. Is that the same elsewhere in the UK?

yes they churn the food into teeny bits that then get flushed through the pipework. But you need to have the tap run first, then turn on the insinkerator, it needs water to work.

I have an Insinkerator waste disposal which we fitted ourselves. I don't actually use it for putting all food into it, but it is a godsend when I use a juicer to clean the waste pulp straight down the sink instead of it collecting in the shit little plug basket that usually come with sinks, when you drain anything and some of the veg or pasta falls into the sink, toast crumbs, anything you rinse off a cloth into the sink, tea bags, coffee grinds from my bean to cup machine.

@Bloodyhellthishouse have a look at this video by Insinkerator on how it is fitted. It is a really good gadget to have and reconnecting it might mean you can actually use the sink. It just feels overwhelming right now because everything about this house is new and moving is incredibly stressful.

Agree with pp saying have a look in YouTube. We found ourselves with an insinkerator when we moved house. I don't know much about it beyond the fact that it shouldn't stay full of water and it shouldn't fall off the sink!
I think you might be able to download the instruction manual if you can find the model number on the side.

Ah x post with @GatesAcorn !