Jammed, leaking or dead: first steps for each
| What you see | Safe first step | Leave alone |
|---|---|---|
| Hums but blades will not spin | Power off, then work a hex wrench in the center of the bottom plate back and forth | Do not put fingers or tools into the drain opening |
| Silent, no hum | Push the small red reset tab beneath the unit, then check the breaker | Do not open the electrical cover |
| Water under the sink | Place a pan beneath, turn the unit off, and dry the cabinet | Do not run the dishwasher, it drains through the same fitting |
| Sink fills with gray water | Stop running water in the kitchen | Do not pour in chemical drain cleaners |
| Burning smell | Power off at the breaker and ventilate | Do not restart the unit |
Most disposal calls are after-dinner emergencies, when a jam or a leak stops the dishes. Same-day service is often possible, and for a sink that is fully backed up, we will say honestly whether a night visit makes sense or the morning is soon enough.
Is the disposal the problem or the drain behind it?
A running disposal that sends water back up the other side of a double sink often has a clog downstream. The unit is chewing, but the pipe past it is plugged with grease and fine food paste. That is why we check the drain line before we replace a motor.
Our kitchen sink work overlaps with drain cleaning. If the line behind the disposal is clear and the unit still hums, the problem is mechanical. If water drains slowly even with the disposal off, the clog is in the pipe, and a cable clears it without touching the unit. A leak at the faucet side of the same sink is a separate faucet repair.
In a house with a single sink and a short drain, that diagnosis takes a few minutes. In a larger building the picture changes, and the next section explains how.
Kitchen stacks in rows, flats and apartment blocks
Only about 37 percent of North Chicago homes are single detached houses. Another 1,079 are attached single-family homes, roughly 1,600 sit in two to four unit buildings, and more than 1,000 more are in mid-size apartment buildings. Where kitchens sit above one another they share a vertical pipe, and grease cools and sticks at the bend where it turns sideways.
That is why a disposal in a low unit can back up when an upstairs neighbor's kitchen is the source. We check whether other units are affected before we replace a motor that works fine. If the blockage is on the building line, the fix is a cleaning visit from our sewer line cleaning crew, and the disposal can stay.
Landlords and managers
Tell us which units sit on the same kitchen stack. We will note which sinks drained and which did not, so you can tell a single bad disposal from a stack that needs cleaning.
Repair, replace or add a disposal
A jam is a repair. A seized motor, a cracked housing or a leak from the body of the unit is a replacement, because a disposal is a sealed machine and those parts are not field-serviceable. A leak at the flange or the drain elbow is usually a repair, a new gasket or a tightened connection.
What to tell us for a replacement quote
- If you have a single or double sink, and if the dishwasher drains into the unit.
- The brand and horsepower on the old unit, if you can see the label.
- If your sink has no disposal now and you want one added, if there is an outlet under the cabinet.
- If you want the old unit hauled away.
Adding a first disposal where none exists is a small wiring and drain job. Our plumbing installation team handles it the same way as a replacement, and the price depends on the unit and the electrical situation.
What not to feed it
- Grease and oil. They coat the pipe and harden. Wipe pans into the trash.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells. They pack into sludge in the trap.
- Rice, pasta and potato peels. They swell and turn to paste.
- Fibrous scraps. Celery, corn husks and artichoke leaves wrap around blades.
- Bones and fruit pits. They can jam the blades and trip the breaker.
Run cold water for a few seconds before and after grinding. Cold water keeps fats firm enough to be chopped and flushed along. You will not need to do anything more than that to cut down on repeat calls.
What a disposal repair costs
What changes the price
Freeing a jam sits at one end and a new installed unit at the other. We settle the number before any parts come out.
Disposal dead or leaking? Call for a same-day visit.
Call (847) 281-8626Disposal questions, short answers
The phones are staffed around the clock. A disposal leaking into a cabinet or a fully backed-up kitchen sink gets priority. Turn the unit off at the switch and breaker, put a pan under the leak, and the dispatcher will go from there.
With the power off at the wall and the breaker, yes, for a hum-and-stuck blade. Never use your hand. If the blades do not free up in a few rocks, stop and call.
Food residue on the baffle and in the chamber is the usual cause. Ice cubes and a citrus peel help briefly. If the smell returns, the drain behind it may be coated and need cleaning.
The blockage is downstream. A cable clears it, and we will check whether the cause is grease from your own kitchen or something shared with other units.
Yes. We reconnect the dishwasher drain to the new unit and test it, so you do not find a leak when you run the next cycle.
Ask your landlord or manager first, because the unit belongs to the building. If they cannot be reached, we can stop the leak so damage does not spread, and describe the repair in writing. We also take kitchen calls in Lake Forest.
Disposal jammed or leaking tonight?
Switch it off at the wall, then call. A dispatcher can usually fit you in the same day.
Call (847) 281-8626