Garbage Disposal Repair in Houston

Disposal problems fall into three groups. It will not run, it runs but does not clear, or it leaks. The first two are often simple. A leak from the body of the unit usually means replacement.

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Close view of a stainless kitchen sink drain

Symptom to cause

Hums but does not spin: something is jammed against the impellers

Nothing at all: reset button tripped, breaker, switch or a failed motor

Runs but water backs up: blockage in the drain line, not the disposal

Rattles loudly: hardware or an object inside

Leaks at the top rim: mounting gasket and flange

Leaks from the bottom of the housing: internal seal failure, which means replacement

Smells: buildup inside the chamber and under the splash guard

Safe things to check yourself

Turn the switch off, and never put your hand in the chamber

Press the reset button on the bottom of the unit

Use the hex wrench slot underneath to free a jam by hand

Look in with a flashlight and remove objects with tongs, not fingers

Check the breaker if there is no sound at all

Repair or replace

Gaskets, mounting hardware, splash guards and drain connections are repairs. A seized motor or a housing that leaks from the bottom is a replacement, and on a unit that has been in service for years replacement is usually the better spend.

What not to put down it

Grease and oil, which coat the drain line rather than the disposal

Coffee grounds, which pack together downstream

Fibrous material such as celery and corn husks

Starchy volume like rice and pasta, which swells

Bones and fruit pits

Questions people ask us

Why does my disposal hum without spinning?

Something is jamming the impeller plate. Switch it off, then use the hex wrench in the slot on the bottom of the unit to rotate the plate back and forth by hand and free the obstruction. Press the reset button afterward. If it still hums, the motor may be the problem.

My sink backs up when the disposal runs. Is the disposal broken?

Usually not. If the motor runs and grinds normally but water rises, the restriction is in the drain line past the disposal. That is a drain cleaning job rather than a disposal repair.

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