Garbage disposal repair and replacement

At a glance

Humming

Jammed flywheel

Silent

Tripped reset or no power

Leaking from body

Internal seal failure; replace

Leaking at connections

Flange, dishwasher hose or discharge tube

Freeing a jam

With the power off, a hex key turns the flywheel from the bottom of the unit to free a jam. Then we remove the object, often a peach stone, a twist-off cap or a piece of bone, press the reset button and test.

• Never put a hand into the grinding chamber; tongs are for that.

Leaks and connections

A leak at the top usually means the sink flange putty has dried out. A leak at the side points to the dishwasher inlet or the discharge tube gasket. Those can be repaired. A leak from the bottom of the unit itself means water is getting past the internal seal, and the unit needs replacing.

• We also check the trap below, because disposals push a lot of solids into a short pipe.

Replacing the unit

A new disposal mounts on a fresh flange. We knock out the dishwasher plug if needed, tie the outlet tube into the trap at a height that drains properly, and test with water running.

• Use cold water when grinding, feed scraps gradually, and send fat, stringy peelings and spent coffee to the green bin instead.

Signs to watch for

• Humming but no grinding
• Water leaking under the sink
• Repeated tripping of the reset
• Sink draining slowly through the disposal
• Grinding noise from metal inside

How the job runs

1. Power off

   Unplug or switch off the circuit.

2. Free or diagnose

   Flywheel turned, leaks traced.

3. Repair or replace

   Seals, flange or the whole unit.

4. Test with water

   Run and check for leaks.