Garbage disposal humming, leaking, or dead — repair or replace?

Most disposal problems come down to a jam, a leak, or a worn motor. Here's how to tell.

Humming but not spinning

A hum with no grind almost always means a jam. Hit the reset button on the bottom of the unit — if it trips again immediately, something is still stuck. Turn off power at the breaker, use an Allen wrench in the bottom socket to rotate the impellers by hand, and clear whatever is wedged. If it spins freely but still hums and dies, the motor is shot.

Leaks from the flange, dishwasher, or housing

Water from the top usually means the sink flange gasket or putty failed — the disposal didn't move, the seal did. Side-port leaks often trace to the dishwasher drain hose connection. Cracks in the disposal body itself don't get repaired; the unit gets replaced. We re-seat flanges and replace gaskets routinely — it's a small job unless the mounting hardware is corroded.

When repair is worth it vs replacement

Units under 5 years with a jam or a bad flange: repair. Units over 10 years with a dead motor, cracked housing, or a second leak: replace. Mid-range units with intermittent trips are a judgment call — a $400 install beats paying us twice to chase a dying motor. We carry standard sizes on the truck for same-day swaps.

What never goes down a disposal

Grease, coffee grounds, eggshells, fibrous vegetables (celery, corn husks), pasta, rice, and anything that expands in water. Bones and fruit pits will jam even a good unit. If you're using the disposal as a trash can, no motor is going to keep up — and you'll be calling us every few months.