Garbage Disposal Installation
Garbage disposal installation and replacement on your existing sink, outlet and drain, sized for how your household cooks.
See the repairDisposals and compactors
Garbage disposal repair for Los Angeles kitchens
A jammed or leaking garbage disposal can back up the whole sink in the middle of dinner. We clear jams, stop leaks at the flange and fittings, and repair the switch and motor wiring at the unit.
- Phone answered 24/7
- Office in Sun Valley
- Price before the work
$125 to $215 typical for clear jam and reset
Quick answer
Garbage disposal repair usually means clearing a jam, fixing a leak at the sink flange, dishwasher inlet or body, or tracing why the motor hums or trips. Turn off the wall switch, and never reach into the chamber. Try the reset button on the bottom once. If it still hums, leaks or stays silent, call us any hour and we price the repair before starting.
We repair Whirlpool, GE, Samsung, LG, KitchenAid, Bosch, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Thermador and the other names found in Valley kitchens and laundry rooms.
WhirlpoolGESamsungLGFrigidaireKitchenAidMaytagBoschSub-ZeroWolfThermadorVikingKenmoreMiele
Before you call
Safe disposal checks to try first
Safe checks only. If anything smells hot, sparks or involves gas, stop and call.
- Turn the wall switch off before looking into the chamber with a flashlight, and never put your hand inside.
- Press the red reset button on the bottom of the unit once after the motor has cooled.
- Check the breaker or GFCI that feeds the disposal outlet under the sink.
- Place a dry paper towel under each fitting to see which one is dripping.
- Run cold water while grinding and for a few seconds after, to flush the trap.
Symptoms
Signs your disposal needs service
- Hum with no grindingThe motor has power but the plate is locked by debris or a seized bearing.
- Reset button keeps poppingRepeated trips mean a jam, a dragging bearing or a motor that is overheating under load.
- Water under the sinkDrips from the top, the side outlet or the bottom each point to a different seal.
- Slow drain on the disposal sidePacked food or grease in the drain elbow or trap backs up water into the sink.
- Metal grinding or rattlingSilverware or a bottle cap in the chamber, or a loose impeller, makes a sharp rattle.
- No sound at allA failed wall switch, a loose cord, a tripped breaker or a dead motor leaves the disposal silent.
The short version
What goes wrong under the sink
A disposal is a motor that spins a plate with two swivel impellers against a grind ring. Food is thrown against the ring and washed down the drain. Most failures come from something the motor cannot move: a fruit pit, a bottle cap, a twist tie or a wad of fibrous peels.
When the plate locks, the motor hums and heats until its thermal overload trips. Pressing reset only helps once the jam is cleared. Leaks are the other half of disposal calls, and where the water drips tells us which seal has failed.
We clear jams from below with a hex wrench and check the impellers and grind ring for damage. Leaks are traced to the exact fitting, and the switch, cord and overload are tested. Then we tell you whether the unit is worth keeping.
Step by step
How we handle a disposal repair
Every visit follows the same order, so you always know what comes next and what it costs.
Call us
Phone any hour and tell us whether the disposal hums, leaks or is silent. We give an arrival window.
Power off
The technician turns off the switch and the breaker or unplugs the unit before working.
Find the cause
We unjam the plate, dry the area and run a little water to see exactly where any leak starts.
Price and repair
You hear the price before we start, and most fixes are finished on the same visit.
Test run
We run the disposal with water, check the drain flow, and run the dishwasher drain if it ties in.
Parts and repairs
Disposal repairs we make on the spot
Most disposal repairs happen in one visit because the parts are simple and common. We work from under the sink with the power off, and we tell you before replacing anything. Hard-wired units get the breaker turned off, not just the wall switch.
- Jam clearingWe turn the motor shaft from below with a hex key, pull the debris with tongs, and check the impellers swing loosely.
- Sink flange and putty sealTop leaks come from a loose mounting ring or dried plumber's putty, which we reseal and tighten.
- Discharge tube gasketA leak at the side outlet is usually a flattened gasket or loose bolts on the discharge elbow.
- Dishwasher inlet connectionWe reseat the dishwasher hose and clamp, and check the knockout plug was removed on newer units.
- Drain trap and elbow clearingWe clear packed food and grease from the trap and elbow attached to the disposal.
- Wall switch and air switchWall switches and countertop air buttons are tested, and failed switches or air tubes are replaced.
- Power cord and connectionsLoose or burned cord connections at the unit are rewired with the circuit off.
- Thermal overload checkWe test whether the reset trips because of a jam, a bearing drag or a failing motor.
Los Angeles price ranges
What disposal repair costs in Los Angeles
Disposal repairs are some of the smaller jobs we do. The price depends on whether the fix is a jam, a seal or a switch, and on how cramped the sink cabinet is. Deep, crowded sink bases in condo kitchens take a little longer.
| Repair | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Clear jam and reset | $125 to $215 | What is stuck and whether the impellers are damaged |
| Sink flange reseal | $155 to $265 | Mounting style and condition of the flange |
| Discharge or dishwasher inlet leak | $135 to $245 | Gasket, clamp or hose part needed |
| Wall or air switch replacement | $145 to $285 | Switch type and access |
| Drain trap and elbow clearing | $135 to $235 | How packed the trap is |
Typical Los Angeles ranges only. Your price depends on the part and the diagnosis under the sink, and we tell you the figure before we start.
Here in the Valley
Disposals in Valley apartments and shared plumbing
In apartment and condo buildings in Van Nuys, Panorama City and North Hollywood, kitchen sinks often share a drain stack with the units above and below. A disposal that backs up can spill into the neighbor's line. Tenants and managers want it handled the same evening.
We see the same cause again and again in those buildings: rice, pasta, onion skins and coffee grounds packed into the trap. We clear the unit and the trap. We also explain what not to put down the drain so the next call does not come a week later.
Worth weighing
Repair the disposal or replace it
Jams, flange leaks, switch failures and drain clogs are worth repairing on almost any disposal. They cost far less than a new unit and take under an hour in most cases. We carry the common seals, gaskets and switches for exactly that reason.
A leak from the bottom of the body is different. It means the inner seal has failed and water is reaching the motor. That cannot be fixed economically, and we will recommend a replacement unit sized for your household.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Where we handle garbage disposal repair calls
Our Sun Valley office sends technicians across the Valley and the cities around it. These are the places we visit most for garbage disposal repair.
- Sun Valley 91352
- North Hollywood 91601
- Valley Village 91607
- Studio City 91604
- Sherman Oaks 91403
- Van Nuys 91405
- Lake Balboa 91406
- Encino 91436
- Tarzana 91356
- Woodland Hills 91364
- West Hills 91307
- Northridge 91324
- Granada Hills 91344
- Porter Ranch 91326
- Chatsworth 91311
- Mission Hills 91345
- Sylmar 91342
- Sunland-Tujunga 91040
- Burbank 91505
- Glendale 91205
- Pasadena 91101
- La Cañada Flintridge 91011
- San Fernando 91340
- Santa Clarita 91355
- Calabasas 91302
- Simi Valley 93065
- Thousand Oaks 91360
Questions
Garbage Disposal Repair questions we hear in Los Angeles
Why does my garbage disposal hum but not spin?
A humming garbage disposal has power but the grinding plate is stuck. Turn off the switch first. Something lodged between the impellers and grind ring is the usual cause. We work it loose from below with a hex key and check the motor before running it again.
Is it safe to put my hand in the garbage disposal to clear it?
No. Never put your hand in a garbage disposal, even with the switch off. Use tongs with the power cut at the breaker or the plug pulled. Better still, call us and we will clear the jam from below without reaching into the chamber.
Why is my garbage disposal leaking from the bottom?
A leak from the bottom of a garbage disposal usually means the internal seal has failed and water is getting past the motor housing. That is not a repairable leak on most units. Leaks from the top or the side outlet, by contrast, are usually simple seal repairs.
Why does the garbage disposal reset button keep tripping?
The reset button trips when the disposal motor overheats. That happens if the plate is jammed, a bearing is dragging or the motor is wearing out. Clearing the jam usually fixes it. If it trips with a clear plate, the motor is near the end.
What should not go down a garbage disposal in Los Angeles homes?
Keep grease, bones, fruit pits, coffee grounds, eggshells, rice, pasta, onion skins and fibrous stalks such as celery out of the garbage disposal. Those foods jam the plate or pack into the drain trap, which is the most common reason we get called.
Can a garbage disposal problem stop my dishwasher from draining?
Yes. Many dishwashers drain through the garbage disposal inlet. If the disposal or its trap is packed with food, dishwasher water backs up or stays in the tub. We clear the disposal and the connection first, then test the dishwasher drain cycle.
Also on our list
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See the repairNeed garbage disposal repair today?
Call now. We answer every hour of every day and will tell you what we will check first.