Our Work ยท Kitchen
Garbage Disposal Repair & Install in Newmarket
A disposal that hums but will not spin is usually stuck, not dead. We free it if we can and replace it if we cannot.
- Cartridges, stems and valves for the common brands on hand
- Shut-offs replaced if they seep or seize
- Traps and supplies swapped while the cabinet is open
- Full hot and cold test with dry joints at ten minutes
Cues for garbage disposal repair
- A steady hum when you flip the switch, with no grinding.
- Nothing at all, not even a hum, after pressing the reset button.
- Water pooling in the cabinet underneath.
- Slow drainage in the sink that has the disposal while the other side runs fine.
- Grinding that sounds like metal on metal.
Fixture job sheet
- Tools on the truck
- Basin wrench, cartridge pullers, seat wrenches, P-trap kits, braided supplies
- Parts we swap
- Cartridges, O-rings, stems, aerators, shut-off valves, trap arms and slip nuts
- What we look under
- The cabinet floor for old stains, the shut-off for seepage, the trap for slow drips
- How we prove it
- Full hot and cold flow, a filled and drained basin, dry joints after ten minutes
What fails inside the pipe, and why
Disposals are not built for everything that ends up in them. Potato peels turn to paste, eggshell grit settles in the trap, and fibrous celery or corn husks wrap the impellers. Pour grease down after them and the mixture sets in the drain line, sometimes all the way to the stack. In older lake-area homes such as those in Keswick, disposals connected to a septic system raise another concern, because ground food adds solids that the tank has to digest.
Before installing a new unit, it is worth checking that your home's drain and sewer arrangement suits one. We will tell you honestly if it does not.
On the job: tools, parts and steps
- Power is cut at the switch and, for hard-wired units, the breaker.
- For a jam, we turn the flywheel from below with a hex key and pull out whatever is wedged in the chamber.
- We check the reset, the wiring connection and the seals at the sink flange and the discharge tube.
- If the motor is burned out or the housing is cracked, we fit a replacement sized for your household and reconnect the dishwasher drain if it feeds into it.
- The trap and drain line are cleared and tested with a full sink of water.
What decides how big the job gets
A simple unjamming is a short visit. Replacement cost depends mostly on the motor size and model you choose, whether the electrical connection needs updating, and whether the drain line under the sink needs to be rebuilt. We price it before starting.
Keeping a new unit happy
Run cold water before, during and for a few seconds after grinding. Feed scraps in gradually rather than in one heap, and grind a handful of ice now and then to knock residue off the chamber walls.
Shut it off and call, or book it?
A jammed disposal is an inconvenience, not an emergency, unless water is leaking into the cabinet. Turn it off and avoid using that sink until it is looked at. Leaks under the sink can rot a cabinet floor in weeks. Call (365) 517-0623 when it suits you. If a dishwasher hookup shares that drain, we will check it at the same time. Putting together a kit for small emergencies? Our emergency kit guide lists the hex key. Adding a basement kitchenette? See basement rough-in.
Asked on site
Can a disposal go on a septic system?
Some can, but it adds solids to the tank and usually means pumping it more often. Ask before installing one.
What should never go in a disposal?
Grease, bones, coffee grounds in quantity, fibrous vegetables, pasta and rice. They either jam the unit or settle in the pipe.