Garbage Disposal Repair & Install
Humming, jammed, leaking, or just done
Disposals fail in predictable ways, and about half of what we get called for is fixable in one visit. The other half is a unit that has reached the end and is quietly leaking into the cabinet.
- Jams, hums and reset trips
- Leaks at the flange and housing
- Replacement and haul-away
- Drain line checked at the same time
Symptoms
What each failure usually means
The sound it makes narrows it down quickly.
It hums but will not turn
Something is jammed against the impeller. Often clearable, and the unit is fine once it is freed.
Nothing at all
Usually the reset, the switch or the outlet — sometimes the motor. Cheap to check before assuming the worst.
It leaks
Where it leaks matters. At the sink flange is a reseal. From the housing itself means the unit is cracked and needs replacing.
Kitchen drain slow as well? That may be a separate issue — see drain cleaning for lines that clog repeatedly.
Why it matters
What we check while we are under there
The cabinet base
A disposal that has been weeping for months has usually done damage to the cabinet floor. Better to know now.
The drain connection
Disposal problems and kitchen drain problems often show up together, and the fix is not always the disposal.
The electrical
A unit that keeps tripping its reset may be failing, or may be on a circuit that is being asked to do too much.
And whether repair is worth it
On an older low-horsepower unit with a housing leak, replacement is the honest recommendation and we will say so.
Getting more life out of it
What actually shortens a disposal's life
Most disposals do not wear out. They get killed by a few specific habits.
Grease is the main one — it goes down warm and solidifies in the drain line just past the unit, which is why disposal complaints and slow kitchen drains so often arrive together. Fibrous scraps like celery, corn husks and onion skins wrap the impeller instead of grinding. Coffee grounds and rice pack down and hold water. And running it with too little cold water means the unit does not flush what it grinds. None of that is exotic advice, but it is the difference between a disposal lasting five years and fifteen.
How we work
What to expect when you call
- 01
We diagnose the noise
Hum, silence or leak — each points somewhere different, and we check the simple causes first.
- 02
Repair where it makes sense
Jams, resets and flange leaks are usually a same-visit fix at a small fraction of replacement cost.
- 03
Replace and haul away
If it is done, we install the new unit, check the drain connection, and take the old one with us.
Free estimate
Get a disposal looked at
Tell us what it is doing — humming, dead, or leaking — and whether the kitchen drain is also slow.
Related: drain cleaning, faucet installation, leak detection, drain cleaning cost, emergency plumber
Got a plumbing problem that is not getting better on its own?
Call for anything urgent, or send the form and we will get back to you within one business day with a real number.