Check these before you call
If the unit hums but the blades do not turn, it is jammed. Turn it off at the switch, then find the hex socket in the center of the underside. A quarter-inch hex key turned back and forth frees most jams. Then press the red reset button on the bottom.
If the unit is silent, check the reset button first, then the breaker. If it hums, resets and trips again right away, the motor is probably failing. A unit that has run for more than a decade is often cheaper to replace than to rebuild.
When a garbage disposal problem is an emergency
Most disposal faults can wait a day. These cannot:
- Water leaking from the disposal body or the dishwasher hose and soaking the cabinet
- The sink backing up and overflowing with food waste in it
- A burning smell, smoke or a tripped breaker that will not reset
- A unit that came loose from its mounting and hangs from the drain pipe
- The disposal running water through the dishwasher connection into the sink
Locating a disposal leak
The spot where the water appears tells us what part to look at.
| Where the water shows | Likely cause | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Top, around the sink flange | Worn gasket or loose mounting ring | Reseat the flange or replace the mount |
| Side, near the dishwasher hose | Loose clamp or cracked hose | Replace the hose or clamp |
| Underside or body | Cracked housing or failed seal | Replace the unit |
| Drain pipe below the unit | Loose slip nut or worn washer | Tighten or replace the fitting |
Kitchen sink backed up tonight?
Our line is answered 24/7. Call and we will start lining up a same-day visit.
When the sink backs up through the disposal
A disposal grinds food into small pieces, but it does not clear the drain. Grease, coffee grounds and starchy foods such as rice and potato peels settle in the trap and the pipe beyond. If both sink basins fill with gray water when the disposal runs, the clog is downstream.
Do not run the unit while the sink is full of water, and do not pour cleaner into it. A plumber can clear the line with a cable. If the kitchen drain backs up a second time within weeks, drain cleaning with a camera check will show if a deeper problem is in the pipe.
How a disposal replacement goes
Replacing a unit takes under two hours in a straightforward case and longer if the drain pipe needs work.
- 1
Cut the power
We switch off the breaker and verify the circuit is dead before touching wires.
- 2
Remove the old unit
We disconnect the drain, the dishwasher hose and the mounting ring, then lift the unit out.
- 3
Prepare the sink
We clean the flange, apply fresh plumber's putty and set the new mounting.
- 4
Connect and wire
We attach the drain, knock out the dishwasher plug if there is one and wire the unit.
- 5
Test under load
We run water and the disposal, check each joint for drips and test the dishwasher drain.
Installing a first disposal where there was none adds electrical work, so tell us on the call whether a switch and outlet already exist under the sink.
Repair or replace the disposal?
Some faults are quick fixes. Others are not worth the labor.
Usually repairable
- Jammed blades freed with a hex key
- Loose drain slip nut
- Worn dishwasher hose clamp
- Tripped reset button
Usually replace
- Leak from the housing or base
- Motor hums and will not spin after clearing
- Unit is rusted, noisy and many years old
- Repeated tripping of the breaker
What to look for in a replacement disposal
Horsepower sets how much the unit can handle. A half-horsepower motor is fine for a couple, and three-quarter or one horsepower suits a family that cooks a lot. Continuous-feed models run while you push scraps in, and batch-feed ones run only with the stopper in place.
You can supply your own unit, and we will tell you if the mounting matches your sink. We do not stock a particular brand, so ask about sizes and sound insulation before you buy. Many disposals also need the existing dishwasher connection reattached, which we handle as part of the job.
What goes down your drain in Midvale
Food waste and grease from the kitchen travel through your own lateral to the public sewer. The city says maintenance of that lateral typically falls on the property owner, not the municipality. Grease that cools and hardens in that pipe is a common reason kitchen lines back up.
Four districts serve Midvale: city Public Works, Cottonwood Improvement District, Midvalley Improvement District and Sandy Suburban Improvement District. If a clog is out in the street, sewer line cleaning will tell us how far the problem reaches and which district to call.
What affects the cost of disposal repair
A reset and a new installation with wiring are very different visits.
A leak from the disposal can soak the cabinet and floor. Insurance may cover sudden water damage but not the unit itself, so keep photos.
Related kitchen plumbing
If the water under the sink comes from a tap or a supply valve and not the disposal, faucet repair covers the fixtures and shutoffs. If the cabinet stays wet and you cannot find the source, leak detection can trace it.
Where this guidance comes from
Disposal hookups follow the International Plumbing Code (IPC) for traps and drain connections, and the maker's guidelines for electrical and mounting steps.
Garbage disposal questions from Midvale homeowners
Yes. The line is answered 24/7, including holidays. We book same-day appointments when available and give you a clear price before work starts.
It is jammed. Turn it off, insert a quarter-inch hex key in the socket on the underside, and work it back and forth. Then press the reset button.
A leak from the body usually means the internal seal or housing has failed. That is a replacement, not a repair.
Usually yes. It needs power under the sink and a place for the drain connection. Tell us on the call what you have and we will say what is needed.
Yes. We reattach the dishwasher drain hose and knock out the plug inside the new unit so the dishwasher can drain.
Grease, oil, coffee grounds, rice, pasta, potato peels, fibrous vegetables such as celery and anything that is not food. They collect in the trap and the pipe beyond.