Garbage Disposal Repair & Installation
A humming disposal is usually jammed, not dead. That distinction is the difference between a quick fix and a new unit.
Disposals fail in a few predictable ways. A hum with no spin usually means the impeller is jammed and the motor is stalled — often clearable. Total silence usually means a tripped reset, a bad switch, or a burned-out motor. A drip underneath is either a loose connection or a corroded housing, and only one of those is repairable.
We'll tell you which of those you have before recommending anything. A jam we can clear is a very different bill from a housing that's rusted through, and plenty of units get replaced that didn't need to be.
When this is likely your problem
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the quote
- Diagnosis of jam, electrical fault, or housing failure
- Clearing a jammed impeller and resetting the unit
- Repair of loose or failed drain and dishwasher connections
- Installation of a replacement unit, including drain reconnection
- Run test and leak check under the sink before we leave
Billed separately
- The disposal unit itself, if supplied by us
- Electrical work beyond the unit — switch replacement, dedicated circuits, wiring faults
- Replacing corroded P-traps or drain assemblies discovered during the work
- Clearing a clog further down the drain line, which is a drain cleaning job
- Cabinet or countertop modification for a differently sized unit
How this job is priced
Diagnosis is a flat visit charge. Clearing a jam, replacing connections, and installing a new unit are each quoted flat once we know which one you need. If the fix is genuinely a two-minute reset, we'll tell you that too — it happens more often than you'd think.
Related services
What the visit involves
Hum, silence, or drip
Which of the three it is narrows the cause immediately.
Confirm before replacing
We check for a jam and a tripped reset before ever recommending a new unit.
Repair or install
Either the fix or the replacement, priced flat and approved before we start.
Test under load
Run water through it, check every connection underneath, confirm no drip.
Questions about garbage disposal repair & installation
My disposal hums but won't spin. Is it dead?
Usually not. A hum means the motor has power but the impeller is stuck, which is often a jam that can be cleared. Silence is the worse symptom. Before calling anyone, it's worth checking the reset button on the underside of the unit — that alone solves it fairly often.
What actually shouldn't go down a disposal?
Grease is the main one, because it solidifies further down the line and causes the clogs we later get called about. Fibrous material like celery and onion skins, plus starchy things like pasta and rice, also cause trouble. Bones and fruit pits are what usually cause jams.
Is a leaking disposal repairable?
It depends where it's leaking. A drip at the drain connection or the dishwasher inlet is usually a fixable connection. A leak from the bottom of the housing itself means the unit has corroded through, and that isn't repairable — that one genuinely needs replacing.
Do you handle the electrical side?
We handle the disposal and its plumbing connections. If the problem turns out to be the wall switch, the circuit, or the wiring, that's an electrician's work and we'll tell you rather than opening up something outside our license.
Ready to get this looked at?
Call and describe what's happening. You'll get an honest read before anyone drives out.