Never put your hand in a garbage disposal. Switch it off and unplug it or turn off the breaker before you check anything.
Stuck sink, local help
The garbage disposal is easy to forget until the sink fills with dirty water. We repair disposals for Land O' Lakes homeowners and renters, and we often look at the dishwasher on the same visit since the two share a drain. Being based in Land O' Lakes means your kitchen is close to where we work every day.
What's going on under your sink
Most disposal problems fall into one of these:
- It hums but won't turn. Something is jammed between the spinning plate and the grind ring.
- It does nothing at all. The reset button tripped, or there's a power or switch problem.
- Water leaks underneath. A loose drain connection, a worn sink flange seal or a cracked housing.
- The sink drains slowly. Food or grease has built up in the drain line past the disposal.
- Loud grinding or rattling. A spoon, bottle cap or fruit pit is loose inside.
Safe first steps
Turn off the switch, then unplug the disposal or switch off its breaker. Then:
- Press the red reset button on the bottom of the unit.
- Many units have a hex socket in the bottom center. Turning it back and forth with the matching wrench can free a jam.
- Use tongs, not your hand, to pull out anything you can see.
- Restore power, run cold water and try it again.
If it trips again right away, stop and call us.
A new disposal and a dishwasher that won't drain
If a new disposal was put in recently, check the dishwasher drain. When a new disposal goes in, the dishwasher inlet has a small knockout plug that must be removed. Bosch lists this as one cause of its E24 "not draining" code. If the dishwasher stopped draining right after a new disposal was installed, that plug is a likely reason.
Leaks and older plumbing
In older homes, some disposals have been in place for many years. The metal inside can rust, and seals around the sink flange dry out. A slow drip into the cabinet can ruin the cabinet floor before you notice it. If you see water under the sink, put a towel down, turn off the unit and give us a call.
Hard foods and our water
Much of the local water comes from the Floridan Aquifer, so mineral scale can build up on parts over time. Grease, rice, pasta, eggshells and coffee grounds are tough on any disposal. Run plenty of cold water while it grinds, and keep grease out of the drain.
Fix or replace?
Jams, reset trips, loose connections and some leaks at the fittings are simple repairs. If the housing is cracked or rusted through, or the motor has burned out, replacing the unit usually makes more sense. We'll tell you plainly and give an upfront quote before any work starts. We tell you the visit price on the phone before we come.
Garbage disposal service in Land O' Lakes
Our disposal calls come from all three local ZIP codes: 34637, 34638 and 34639. That covers Connerton (Land O' Lakes mailing address), Bexley, Lake Padgett Estates, Wilderness Lake Preserve and Concord Station in Oakstead. We're out on US 41, SR 52 and Collier Parkway all week.
See our garbage disposal repair page or the full Land O' Lakes page. We also help with disposal repair in Lutz and disposal repair in Odessa. If the dishwasher is backing up as well, see dishwasher repair in Land O' Lakes.