Garbage Disposal Repair
& Replacement in Davis County

What Your Disposal Is Telling You

Disposals fail in recognizable ways, and the symptom usually points straight at the cause:

• Humming, but nothing spins. The motor has power but the flywheel is jammed, often by a bone, fruit pit, bottle cap or a spoon that slipped down the drain.
• Completely silent. The red reset button on the bottom of the unit has probably tripped, or the switch, outlet or breaker has lost power.
• Grinding or rattling. Something hard is loose inside the chamber, or the grinding components are worn.
• Water under the sink. If it's coming from the bottom of the unit, an internal seal has failed and the disposal needs replacing. If it's at the top flange or the drain connections, it's usually a seal or fitting that can be repaired.
• The sink drains slowly even though the disposal runs. The problem may be the drain line past the disposal, not the unit itself.
• A smell that won't go away. Food residue under the rubber splash guard is the usual culprit, though a sluggish drain can add to it.

Safe Things to Try Before You Call

Turn the disposal's switch off, and for anything beyond a quick reset, shut off its breaker as well. Never put your hand into the chamber, even when it's off. Many disposals have a hex socket in the center of the underside: a hex key turned back and forth there can free a jammed flywheel. After that, press the red reset button and test with cold water running. If it hums again, trips again or leaks, stop there. Chemical drain cleaners are a poor idea in a disposal because they sit in the chamber and can damage seals and the plumbing around it.

Repair or Replace?

A jam, a loose mounting ring, a leaking top gasket or a failed switch is usually worth repairing. A leak from the body, a motor that hums with the flywheel free, or a unit that keeps tripping after it's been cleared generally means replacement. Age matters too: when a disposal is well into its second decade, the repair rarely pays off. We'll tell you which side of that line yours is on and write it up before any work begins.

Replacing a Disposal

When it's time for a new one, the choices are straightforward: motor size (commonly from 1/3 to 1 horsepower), continuous-feed or batch-feed operation, and how much sound insulation you want. Installation includes mounting the unit, reconnecting the dishwasher drain if you have one, wiring or plugging in the power and testing for leaks. Replacing a disposal is also a good moment to check the P-trap and drain connections beneath it, since those are the parts that tend to leak next.

What Not to Send Down the Drain

Grease and oil coat the pipe and harden. Fibrous scraps such as celery, corn husks and artichoke leaves wrap around the shredder. Rice, pasta and potato peels turn to paste and settle in the trap. Bones, fruit pits and coffee grounds in volume cause trouble over time. And if the kitchen sink backs up repeatedly even after the disposal is working, the issue is likely in the line; see our drain cleaning page.

How a Visit Works

Plumbing visits start with a $29 dispatch fee that is applied toward any repair you approve. You get a written quote first, we don't bill by the hour, and nothing starts until you say yes. Details are on our pricing page. If the cabinet under your sink is also showing water damage, we can look for the source with a leak search while we're there. Prefer a faucet or toilet fixed at the same time? See faucet and toilet repair.