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Repair or Replace a Garbage Disposal

Some of these are genuinely worth fixing. One of them is not a decision at all.

The quick answer

A seized flywheel, a tripped reset and a leaking sink flange are all worth repairing. A leak from the shell is not, because the shell is the unit. That fault decides itself, which is why identifying where the water starts matters so much.

SinkGrind is a referral service, not a contractor. We connect homeowners with independent contractors. Contractors are required to hold whatever credential their state or municipality demands. Every state page sets out who licenses plumbers there and where to check, so you can confirm before work begins. We carry out no work, we sell no equipment, we do not set prices, and we never charge homeowners anything — the contractors in our network pay us when we route them a call.

Worth repairing

A tripped reset, a jam, a failed switch, a leaking flange seal and a leaking dishwasher hose are all repairs. None of them is a reason to replace a working machine, and a contractor who opens with a replacement quote for a jam has not looked at it.

Not a decision

A leak from the body of the unit ends it. The shell is sealed at manufacture; there is nothing to reseal, and the leak gets worse rather than better.

The gray area

A unit that jams repeatedly after being freed properly, or one that grinds noticeably more slowly than it did, has a worn grind ring. It can be run for a while in that state, and it will not improve.

The question to ask before either

Whether the fault is the disposal at all. A slow-draining sink with a disposal that runs normally is a trap or a branch drain problem, and replacing the machine will change nothing about it.

Pushed the reset button already?Then it is worth a contractor rather than another ten minutes with a hex key. Tell us what it is doing — silent, humming, leaking or smelling — and we will route you. Free to you, always. Anything wanting a plumber can be said on the call.

Call (866) 871-5070