Signs That Your Garbage Disposal Needs Repair

Though you take great care of your garbage disposal and it has served you well for years, there’s going to come a time when it needs help. This is a job for a professional repair technician; don’t try to fix the problem yourself. However, you should be aware of signs that your garbage disposal needs attention.

Weird Sounds

A healthy garbage disposal makes a soft grinding sound when it works. If it’s having trouble, you’ll hear quite loud grinding, rattles, clanks, and humming. This might mean that something is caught in the appliance that it can’t process. If this object is not found and removed, it can damage your garbage disposal. If it’s not a trapped bone or other item you can easily and safely remove, call a professional.

Bad Smells

When your garbage disposal is working well, bad smells shouldn’t linger. When they do, it’s probably from pieces of food that the unit couldn’t flush away or grind up properly. The smell comes when these particles start to rot in the machine. It’s possible that the garbage disposal just needs a thorough cleaning, but even this should be left to a professional.

Clogged Drains

Drains can be slow or clogged due to a variety of problems, but one of them is a blockage in your garbage disposal. A plumber can find the blockage and fix it.

Garbage Disposal Vibrating

As it works, a garbage disposal shouldn’t vibrate to the point where you’d notice it. Vibrations could be due to loose parts inside the appliance or mounting screws that aren’t secure. If this problem isn’t fixed, it can damage the garbage disposal to the point where it can break down completely.

Reset Button Tripping

Another sign that your garbage disposal needs repair is a reset button that keeps tripping. As with clogged drains, many issues can cause this. There may be a problem with the unit’s electrical wiring, its motor, or something else that the plumber can find. Related to this may be power failures, where your garbage disposal unit doesn’t respond at all when you try to turn it on. The problem may be found in the circuit box, the motor, or somewhere else.

Leaks Beneath the Sink

Leaks beneath your sink can arise from damage to the garbage disposal, including broken seals or cracks. They need to be considered an emergency because they can foster mold and damage that will be expensive to repair.

You don’t know how you ever got along without your garbage disposal. When it needs repair or other garbage disposal services, don’t hesitate to call our professional technicians at LJ Kruse of Berkeley, CA.