Drain Cleaning
Kitchen, bathroom, laundry and floor drain clearing with sized cables and cutters, plus a clear explanation of what caused the clog and how to avoid the next one.
See the detailsGarbage disposal repair in Los Angeles for jams, hums and leaks
The disposal hums but will not spin, water leaks from the bottom of the unit, or the sink backs up every time you run it. We clear jams, fix leaks and replace units that are past saving.
- Answered 24/7
- From 746 S Broadway
- Repairs & emergencies
The short answer
Garbage disposal repair covers freeing a jammed flywheel, resetting a tripped motor, sealing leaks at the sink flange, dishwasher inlet or drain connection, and clearing clogs in the trap and drain line. A unit that leaks from its body or has a burned-out motor needs replacement. Call when the disposal hums, will not turn on, leaks, or the sink drains slowly after use.
Clearing a jammed or humming disposal
When a disposal hums without turning, the flywheel is usually stuck. Turn the switch off first, and if the unit plugs in, unplug it. Most disposals have a hex socket in the center of the bottom, and turning it back and forth with the right wrench can free the flywheel. Then press the red reset button on the bottom of the unit.
If that does not work, we take it further. We remove whatever is wedged in the grinding chamber, check the flywheel and impellers for damage, and test the motor. Fruit pits, bones, bottle caps and small utensils are the usual causes. Fibrous foods like celery and corn husks wrap around the flywheel and can jam it as well.
Leaks at the flange, the dishwasher hose and the body
A disposal has several places it can leak, and each needs a different fix. Water at the top usually means the sink flange seal has failed. We drop the unit, reseal the flange with fresh putty or a gasket, and remount it tight.
Leaks at the side often come from the dishwasher inlet hose clamp or the discharge tube gasket. Those are quick fixes. Water dripping from the bottom of the unit itself is a different story. That points to an internal seal failure, and once corrosion starts through the housing, the disposal needs replacing.
- Top leak: sink flange seal or mounting ring
- Side leak: dishwasher hose or discharge tube
- Bottom leak: internal seal, usually means replacement
- Drain leak: slip nuts or trap washers under the sink
When the problem is the drain line, not the disposal
A disposal grinds food into small pieces, but those pieces still have to travel through the trap and the kitchen drain line. Grease, coffee grounds, eggshells and starchy foods like rice and pasta settle in the line and build up over time. Many LA homes from the 1950s and 1960s have galvanized kitchen drain lines that narrow with buildup on the inside.
If the sink still drains slowly after the disposal is working, the clog is downstream. We clear the trap and run a cable through the kitchen line, and if it keeps coming back, a full drain cleaning or hydro jetting scours the grease off the pipe walls.
Repairing versus replacing a garbage disposal
A disposal that jams occasionally but otherwise works is worth keeping. So is one with a loose flange or a leaking hose connection. Those are inexpensive fixes. A unit that leaks from the body, trips its reset constantly, or has a motor that will not run after clearing the jam is past repair.
How long a disposal lasts depends on how hard it works and what goes down it. Replacing an old unit is a good time to look at the rest of the sink. If the faucet is also worn, our faucet repair service can handle both in one visit, and a larger update fits into kitchen plumbing work.
Warning signs
Signs your disposal needs a plumber
- Hums but does not grindThe motor has power but the flywheel is jammed by a bone, a pit or a utensil, or the bearings have seized.
- Completely silent at the switchThe thermal overload may have tripped, the outlet may be dead, or the motor may have burned out.
- Water dripping from underneathA leak from the bottom of the unit usually means the internal seal has failed and the housing is corroding through.
- Leak at the sink flangePlumber's putty or the mounting gasket where the disposal meets the sink has loosened or dried out.
- Sink drains slowly after grindingFood waste is building up in the trap or the kitchen drain line beyond the disposal.
- Grinding sounds harsh or metallicSomething hard is inside the chamber, or worn bearings are letting the flywheel rub against the housing.
Typical pricing
Garbage disposal repair and replacement costs in Los Angeles
Cost depends on whether the unit can be repaired, the size and horsepower of any replacement, and whether the kitchen drain line also needs clearing.
| Job | Typical LA range |
|---|---|
| Jam cleared, reset and tested on a working unit | $125 to $250 |
| Sink flange reseal or dishwasher connection leak repair | $175 to $350 |
| Replacement with a new 1/2 or 3/4 horsepower disposal | $375 to $750 |
| Kitchen drain line cleared beyond the disposal | $200 to $450 |
These are typical ranges, not a quote, and the price changes with the disposal model chosen, the sink setup and how far a clog sits in the drain line. See every job in our LA price guide.
On the job
How a disposal repair visit works
- STEP1
Cut power safely
We turn off the switch and unplug or shut off the circuit before reaching into or under the unit.
- STEP2
Diagnose the failure
We check whether the problem is a jam, a tripped reset, a leak, a dead motor or a clog in the drain beyond.
- STEP3
Fix or replace
Jams are cleared, seals are redone, connections are tightened, or the unit is swapped if it is beyond repair.
- STEP4
Clear the drain
The trap and kitchen line are checked and cleared so ground food has somewhere to go.
- STEP5
Run and check for leaks
We run water and the disposal together, run the dishwasher drain if connected, and watch every joint under the sink.
Disposals and kitchen drains in LA homes
Older kitchen drain lines in pre-1970s houses throughout Los Angeles are often galvanized or cast iron, and grease builds up faster in those rougher pipes. Hard water leaves scale on disposal chambers and inside the dishwasher connection. Apartment buildings and rental units see heavy disposal use, and a clog in a shared kitchen stack can back up into several units. If your house is in an older neighborhood like Wilmington or near downtown, the kitchen line may also run a long way to the main sewer before it drops.
Questions we hear
Garbage Disposal Repair questions from LA customers
Is it safe to reset a garbage disposal myself before calling a plumber?
Yes, as long as the power is off. Turn off the switch and unplug the unit if it has a cord. Use the hex wrench in the bottom of the disposal to free the flywheel, then press the red reset button. Never put your hand in the chamber. If it still hums or stays silent, call us.
Can a garbage disposal that leaks from the bottom be repaired?
Usually not. Water leaking from the bottom of the disposal body means the internal seal has failed, and the housing is typically corroding from inside. Repair parts for that are not practical. Replacing the unit is the reliable fix. Leaks from the flange, the dishwasher hose or the drain connection, on the other hand, are repairable.
What should not go down a disposal in an LA kitchen with older pipes?
Avoid grease, cooking oil, coffee grounds, eggshells, fibrous vegetables, rice, pasta and bones. In older homes with galvanized or cast iron kitchen lines, those items build up fast and cause clogs. Run plenty of cold water while grinding, and keep running it for several seconds after the disposal stops.
Why does my sink back up into the other bowl when the disposal runs?
On a double sink, the disposal and the other bowl share a drain below. If the shared trap or the line beyond it is partially clogged, the disposal pushes water up the easier path, which is the other bowl. Clearing the trap and the kitchen drain line usually solves it.
Coverage
Where we handle garbage disposal repair most
These are the communities that call us for this most often, with their main ZIP codes. The same 24/7 line covers every one of our 68 service areas.
- Los Angeles 90014
- Long Beach 90802
- Santa Clarita 91355
- Glendale 91205
- Pasadena 91101
- Torrance 90503
- Downey 90241
- Burbank 91502
- Reseda 91335
- Sylmar 91342
- Pacoima 91331
- Panorama City 91402
- North Hills 91343
- San Pedro 90731
- Granada Hills 91344
- Inglewood 90301
- El Monte 91731
- West Covina 91790
- Anaheim 92805
- Santa Ana 92701
- Whittier 90601
Often booked together
Related plumbing work
Kitchen Plumbing
Kitchen drains, dishwasher and ice maker hookups, pot fillers, gas range connections and remodel rough-in for Los Angeles houses and condos.
See the detailsFaucet Repair
Dripping spouts, stiff handles, weak flow and leaks under the sink fixed by replacing cartridges, seats, O-rings and supply stops worn down by hard water.
See the detailsHydro Jetting
High-pressure water jetting that scours grease, scale, sludge and fine roots off the pipe wall, for lines that keep clogging after a cable has gone through.
See the detailsNeed garbage disposal repair today?
Call the line any hour. A plumber answers, asks what you are seeing and tells you what happens next.