Garbage Disposal Repair in Freedom, CA

Try this first

I would rather tell you this than charge you for it.

If it hums but does not turn, something is jammed. Switch it off at the wall. There is a hex socket on the underside of the unit in the middle — most disposals come with a small Allen key, and a quarter-inch hex wrench works if yours has gone missing. Turn it back and forth a few times to break the jam free, then fish out whatever was in there with tongs, not your hand. Switch it back on.

If it does nothing at all, look for a small red reset button on the bottom of the unit and press it. If that does not do it, check the breaker.

That fixes it more often than not, and it costs you nothing. If it does not, call me.

What I get called out for

Leaks. Where it is leaking from tells you what it is. From the top, where the unit meets the sink, it is usually the mounting seal and it is fixable. From the side inlets it is generally a loose connection or a bad gasket. From the bottom of the housing means the internal seal has gone, and once water is coming out of the body of the unit, that unit is finished — no seal kit will save it.

Persistent jams. If it binds every other week, either something is going in that should not be, or the shredder ring is worn and no longer clearing properly.

Noise. A metal-on-metal rattle is usually a foreign object. A grinding change in pitch is usually wear.

A disposal that drains slowly, which is normally not the disposal at all — it is the kitchen line beyond it, and that is a drain cleaning job.

Replacement

When a unit is genuinely done, replacement is straightforward and I do it in a single visit. I will match the horsepower to what you actually need — a 3/4 horse unit is worth it for a busy kitchen, but a 1/2 is plenty for most households and there is no sense paying for more.

If your dishwasher drains through the disposal I will make sure the knockout plug is handled properly and the hose is looped high, which is the detail that gets missed and causes dishwasher backup complaints six months later.

Making it last

• Cold water while it runs, and a few seconds after
• No grease, no fibrous stuff — celery, artichoke leaves, corn husks
• No bones and no fruit pits
• Coffee grounds are worse than people think; they pack down in the trap
• Run it regularly. Units that sit unused seize up

Serving Freedom, Watsonville, Aptos, Corralitos and Santa Cruz County.