Garbage disposal repair in Huntsville

A garbage disposal is one of the hardest-working parts of a kitchen, and one of the easiest to jam. Most problems are either a jam, a leak at a connection or a worn-out motor. The first two can be fixed. The third means a new unit.

Garbage disposal repair in Huntsville kitchens

When a disposal stops working, start with the simple checks. Look for a red reset button on the bottom, and check that it’s plugged in or its switch works. If it hums but won’t turn, it’s jammed. If it’s silent, it has no power or the motor has failed.

We check all of this, then free the jam or trace the fault. A lot of disposal calls end with the unit working again and nothing replaced.

Jammed or humming disposals

Fruit pits, bones, bottle caps and silverware are the usual culprits. With the power off, we free the grinding plate from below, remove what caused the jam, and check that the motor spins freely. If a jam has burned out the motor, we’ll tell you.

A disposal that drains slowly after it runs may be clogging the line behind it. Grease and starchy food like rice and pasta build up in the drain, and drain cleaning clears it.

Leaking disposals

A leak under the sink with the disposal involved comes from a few places. It can be the sink flange where the disposal hangs, the drain elbow on its side, or the dishwasher hose. We reseal or replace whichever is leaking. If water is seeping from the body of the unit itself, the housing has cracked, and the unit needs replacing.

Garbage disposal replacement

When a disposal is worn out, we remove it and mount a new one on the sink, connecting the drain and the dishwasher line. We’ll recommend a size that suits how you cook. A bigger motor handles more, but it costs more too. Most disposals hang from a standard sink flange, so a new unit fits the same opening. If the new one sits lower, we adjust the drain trap to match.

Keeping a garbage disposal running

A disposal lasts longer when it’s treated like a disposal and not a trash can. Run cold water before, during and after it grinds, so food keeps moving down the drain. Feed it a little at a time instead of a full plate at once.

Keep grease, bones, fruit pits and stringy peels like celery and corn husks out of it. Rice and pasta swell with water and pack into the drain behind it. If it starts to smell, grinding a few ice cubes and a cut lemon helps clean the chamber.

We also handle the rest of the sink, including faucet repair and installation.