Fast, Friendly and Professional Service.

Fast, Friendly and Professional Service.

The Roto-Rooter Difference in Garbage Disposal Services

Why Choose Roto-Rooter?

  • Expertise: Trusted since 1935, our plumbers have experience with all garbage disposal brands and models.
  • Availability: 24/7 emergency services with no extra charges for nights, weekends, or holidays.
  • Transparency: Free on-site upfront, flat-rate cost estimates with no hidden fees.
  • Flexibility: We can install a disposal you provide or supply one that fits your needs and budget.
  • Comprehensive Services: From minor repairs to complete disposal replacements, we handle it all.
  • Licensed and Insured: Roto-Rooter follows all local, state, and federal plumbing codes, and we’re fully licensed and insured.

Common Garbage Disposal Issues

Garbage disposals are essential kitchen appliances, but they can encounter various problems:

  • Jams: Caused by fibrous foods, bones, seeds, or foreign objects.
  • Leaks: Often due to worn seals, rust, or cracks in the unit.
  • Humming Sounds: Indicate a seized motor or jammed impeller.
  • No Response: Could be an electrical issue or a tripped reset button.
  • Slow Draining: Resulting from clogs in the disposal or its connected drain pipes.

Attempting DIY fixes can sometimes make the problem worse. Our professional plumbing experts can accurately diagnose and resolve all garbage disposal issues efficiently.

Garbage Disposal Services

Our comprehensive garbage disposal services include:

  • Repair: Addressing issues like jams, leaks, and motor problems.
  • Replacement: Upgrading outdated, noisy, or irreparable units with quieter, more efficient models.
  • Installation: Professional setup of new disposals, ensuring proper integration with your plumbing system.
  • Maintenance: Routine checks to prevent future issues and extend the lifespan of your disposal.

Maintaining Your Garbage Disposal

Proper maintenance can prevent many common disposal problems:

  • Regular Use: Run your disposal frequently to prevent rust, corrosion, and standing water in your sink.
  • Cold Water: Always use cold water when operating the disposal to solidify any grease or oils.
  • Avoid Hard Materials: Refrain from disposing of bones, fruit pits, nut shells, or non-food items.
  • Clean Naturally: Use a mixture of ice cubes, baking soda, and/or peeled citrus wedges (minus the seeds) to clean and freshen the unit.
  • Check Beneath: Take the time to look at your disposal beneath the sink. Inspect signs of leaks, especially along the bottom edge.

For a detailed guide on cleaning your garbage disposal, refer to our instructional video: How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Avoid putting grease, oils, fibrous veggies, pasta, rice, coffee grounds, bones, fruit pits, and non-food items down your garbage disposal. These can cause clogs or damage. Feed waste gradually with cold water. Compost your food waste when possible for an eco-friendly, disposal-safe alternative.

First, always be sure whenever you are working on your disposal that the power to the disposal is off. Next, if you turn the power on and do not hear a buzzing sound, check to see if the local fuse on the disposal has been tripped. You can do this by pushing the reset button located on the bottom of the disposal. If you still aren’t hearing any noise, check the main breaker located in your home’s breaker box. If you hear buzzing and the jam persists, turn the disposal off, and using a 1/4″ hex wrench, insert the wrench into the center hole at the bottom of the disposal. Turning the wrench back and forth should release the jam. If you do not have a hex wrench, a dowel or a wooden spoon can be used to do the same through the drain. Simply insert the spoon firmly up against one of the impellers, rotating back and forth until the jam is freed.

Cleaning your garbage disposal doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many simple methods for cleaning a garbage disposal. For instance, you can fill it with ice cubes, pour in a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar then turn on the disposal until all the ice cubes have been chewed up. Then run the water for a minute to rinse everything down the drain. Instead of the baking soda and vinegar concoctions, you could try a cup of lemon juice or a half cup of grease cutting dishwashing liquid.

Foul odors occur from a buildup of food debris within the garbage disposal. To eliminate this drain odor, place ice cubes and lemon or orange wedges (minus the seeds) in the disposal and run for 30 seconds. Next, pour a little liquid dish detergent into the disposal while it is running. To clean out the debris created by the odor removal process, run cold water into the drain for about 30 seconds.

Yes, plumbers regularly install and replace garbage disposals. Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Water Cleanup provides this service. If you’d prefer to purchase your own garbage disposal, just have it ready for our plumber to install when he arrives. Otherwise, he may have some in his van, or he’ll discuss options and purchase one for you at a plumbing supply house or a nearby home center.

Garbage disposals are like any other appliance. Sometimes they’ll last a very long time and sometimes they fail after just a few years. In general terms, the average garbage disposal lasts ten years before a replacement in necessary.

Most likely, the flywheel is jammed. Turn off the disposal and find the jam key that came with your unit (or use a ¼ inch hex wrench). Push it into the hole in the bottom of the disposal, then turn it back and forth until the jam is cleared. If your disposal does not have a keyhole in the bottom, grab a dowel rod and push it into the disposal from the top. Push it against the bottom and try to move the flywheel until the jam clears.

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