Have you thought about replacing your kitchen’s garbage disposal? You probably haven’t, since this is one of those home appliances that people often imagine is immune to damage. But a disposal is a hard-working device that will eventually wear down to the point where additional repairs are no longer worth the effort.
To help you with the decision about whether you should get a new sink disposal unit installed, we’ve put together four signs warning about potential problems:
- Frequent clogging: If you’re having clogs in the drainpipe connected to the disposal, it may mean that the disposal isn’t effectively grinding down food waste. Even if the disposal isn’t at fault, you’ll need a plumber to look into this issue and see what’s behind it.
- Major leakage: Leaks can occur around the disposal, such as in the sink flange. If these leaks are significant, it may be less expensive to simply have a new disposal put in place—especially if the disposal is already an old one—rather than repair the leaks.
- Food takes longer to grind: If you’ve noticed that the disposal runs longer in order to clear out the food waste in the hopper (the main chamber), it may be due to wear on the grind ring and the impellers. Don’t try to “sharpen” the blades, since the disposal doesn’t actually use sharp blades. (The impellers are blunt.)
- You’re frequently hitting the reset button: A large clog can cause the reset button to pop out and cut off power to the disposal. Pressing reset will restore power. But if you’re doing this on a regular basis (a few times a week), then the disposal motor may be running down.
Always call professional plumbers first when you have reason to believe your current disposal is coming to the end of its service. Licensed plumbers will see if the disposal can be fixed; if it can’t, they’ll provide the necessary work to put in a new unit that’s the right size and horsepower.
Since 1975 Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. has served Orlando and the rest of Central Florida with exceptional plumbing service.