Garbage disposals are incredibly convenient. Instead of having to worry about scraping plates over the trash can and making sure you don’t get any food scraps in the sink while cooking, you can just wash the dishes and toss scraps of vegetables and other appropriate foods down the drain.
When the garbage disposal fails, all of that stops. To make matters worse, you’ll probably wind up with an unpleasant odor coming from the drain due to unprocessed food waste introduced before it became clear that there was something wrong. With the garbage disposal not working, your sink may even stop draining.
No matter what went wrong with your garbage disposal, you can trust the experts at Master Tech Service Corp to fix the problem fast so that you can get back to cooking and cleaning with ease. All you have to do is give us a call and let us know what’s going on so that we can send out a plumber with all of the right tools and supplies to fix your problem.
Signs It’s Time to Call for Garbage Disposal Repairs
The whole point of having a garbage disposal is that it can grind up large pieces of food into small particles so they don’t clump together and clog your drains. When the unit is working as intended, that’s all well and good, but some families choose to ignore warning signs that something is amiss and continue introducing scraps into the sink instead of calling for help.
Taking action by calling a plumber to fix the garbage disposal as quickly as possible is the best way to keep repair costs low. Keep an eye, ear, and nose out for these common warning signs:
Unusual Noises
Garbage disposals aren’t exactly quiet, but you shouldn’t be hearing rattling, humming, or grinding noises. If there aren’t any foreign objects like silverware in the garbage disposal that could account for the sounds, call a plumber. There could be something wrong with the motor or the grinding chamber may be jammed.
Unpleasant Odors
If you’ve been using the garbage disposal as intended, there shouldn’t be unpleasant odors coming from your drain. All of the food scraps introduced into the unit should be ground up finely enough that they can be evacuated through the pipes. When large scraps get through the blades, they can begin to cause clogs that catch rotting food and produce unpleasant odors. We can help you fix this problem and recommend ways to avoid it in the future.
Backing Up Water
Water backing up into the sink doesn’t always mean there’s something wrong with your garbage disposal, in particular, but it does indicate an underlying problem with your plumbing, either way. You can try running some baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water down the drain, but don’t introduce any kind of caustic cleaning chemicals. They could damage your garbage disposal and pipes.
What Are Items I Should Avoid Putting Through the Garbage Disposal?
The majority of damage we’ve seen to garbage disposals occurs due to the accidental introduction of non-food items like silverware, food wrappers, bottle caps, and napkins. That said, there are also plenty of items you might not realize aren’t good for your garbage disposal. If you want the unit to last as long as possible, avoid introducing these foods:
- Coffee grounds
- Bones
- Pasta
- Oatmeal
- Rice
- Nuts
- Onion skins
- Potato skins
- Eggshells
- Banana peels
- Corn husks
- Fruit pits
- Shells
You might be surprised to find that it’s not just hard items like bones, shells, and pits or stringy ones like banana peels and corn husks that can cause trouble. Some of these foods, such as pasta, oatmeal, and rice, expand when they get wet. Others, such as onion and potato skins, are thin enough to slip past the blades and clog your sink.
If you and your family are having trouble remembering which foods and scraps to toss down the drain and which to throw in the garbage, print out a list and leave it by the sink for a while until everyone is on the same page. It may feel silly, but this small step can help you avoid expensive repairs.
Call Master Tech Service Corp for Garbage Disposal Repair
No matter what’s wrong with your garbage disposal, we’ll get to the bottom of the problem and get your unit up and running again quickly. If we don’t think it’s worth your money to have the unit repaired, we’ll also let you know and help you choose a new garbage disposal that will better suit your family’s needs. You can contact us with questions or call us to schedule an appointment with a plumber to get the process started.
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