Never put your hand inside a disposal. Turn off the wall switch and unplug it or switch off the breaker before checking anything.
Humming, jammed or leaking?
A garbage disposal is easy to ignore until it stops. Then your sink backs up and the kitchen starts to smell. We repair disposals across Lutz, in both the Hillsborough and Pasco parts. We find the cause, give you an upfront quote, and fix it or help you replace it.
Common disposal problems
- It hums but won't turn. Something is jammed, or the motor is stuck.
- It does nothing at all when you flip the switch.
- Water leaks from the bottom or from a hose under the sink.
- The sink drains slowly or backs up.
- It makes a loud grinding or rattling noise.
Safe first steps
A disposal has sharp parts and a strong motor, so safety comes first.
- Turn off the wall switch. Then unplug the disposal under the sink or switch off its breaker.
- Never put your hand inside. Use tongs to remove anything you can see.
- Look for a small red reset button on the bottom of the unit. Press it once.
- Many disposals have a small hex hole in the center of the bottom. With the power off, a hex key (an L-shaped tool) can turn the motor by hand to free a jam.
If it still hums or will not start after that, call us. A motor that hums for long can overheat.
Disposals and dishwashers work as a team
In most kitchens, the dishwasher drains through the disposal. So when one has a problem, the other may too. When a new disposal is installed, a small knockout plug must be removed so the dishwasher can drain into it. Bosch even lists a plug left in a new disposal as a cause of its E24 drain error. If your dishwasher stopped draining after a disposal swap, see our Lutz dishwasher repair page.
Lutz kitchens: older homes and new builds
Lutz has a real mix of homes. In an older home, the disposal may have been running a long time, and the seals and mounting ring can wear out. A leak from the bottom of an older unit often means the inside has rusted through.
Newer kitchens may have larger, quieter disposals with more power. These still jam on things like fruit pits, bones and fibrous peels. Grease poured down the drain can also harden and slow the flow.
If your home is on a septic system, ask before adding or upgrading a disposal. Food waste adds to what the tank must handle.
Tips to keep it running
- Run cold water before, during and after you use it.
- Feed food in a little at a time.
- Keep grease, coffee grounds, pasta and rice out of it when you can.
- Run it often. A disposal that sits unused can rust or seize.
Repair or replace?
A jam, a loose drain hose or a worn mounting gasket can usually be fixed. A disposal that leaks from its body, or one with a burned-out motor, is usually best replaced. We tell you which it is and give you the price before we start.
Our Lutz coverage
We serve all four Lutz ZIP codes: 33548, 33549, 33558 and 33559. That covers Cheval, Stonebrier and Carpenter's Run, plus homes near US 41, I-275 and Lutz-Lake Fern Road. See all services on our Lutz page or read our garbage disposal repair overview. We also fix garbage disposals in Land O' Lakes and garbage disposals in Odessa.