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Your garbage disposal grinds through food residue day after day with barely a thought until it fails to operate properly. That's when our Berkeley plumbers get called in. We've seen hundreds of unique problems with garbage disposals, but they can be broken down into four major categories – a humming sound when turned on, a clogged drain line, a leak or a unit that won't turn on.
When starchy foods are put down the disposal they can slip right past the blades and clog the small drain line. This is a frequent problem with thin slices of potato and cucumber peel, although any food could potentially cause it. The clog usually has to be removed by loosening the drain pipe and physically removing the jam. If the sink is full you'll need a bucket to catch the water from the sink once the clog is cleared.
One of the easiest to detect and repair problems that we come across as Berkeley plumbers is a humming garbage disposal. This is usually a sign that the rotary blades are stuck, although in rare cases it can mean a broken gear wheel. If a larger piece of food gets caught behind a blade and prevents it from spinning the blade safety switch will be tripped and the blade will not spin. The humming sound is the sound of the motor spinning. Turning off the disposal and carefully removing the object from behind the blade should fix the problem.
Our Berkeley garbage disposal repair & installation team has seen more than enough leaky units to know what to do about them. If the leak is located at the union of the garbage disposal and the drain line, it is a rubber seal problem. Sometimes older seals crack and leaks, other times they simply slip out of place and need to be readjusted. If, however, the leak is in the top of the unit where the seal meets the sink drain, you will need a new unit. These seals cannot be replaced without entirely rebuilding the unit.
If a disposal doesn't turn on it is either because the internal breaker has been tripped or the motor has burned out. With the absence of a burnt rubber smell, it is likely that the breaker was tripped and can be reset by pressing the red button on the bottom of the unit. If this doesn't work the problem is electrical in nature and will probably mean a new disposal is needed.
If our other tips didn't do the trick, that doesn't mean you're high and dry. Worst case scenario, you'll have to worth with one of Berkeley's most trusted plumbers to get your garbage disposal repaired or replaced with a brand new unit. If it is time for a new disposal, your plumber will help you choose one that fits your needs and budget, and then install it on the spot. Call today and let's get the ball rolling!