Signs Your Garbage Disposal Needs Repair

You depend on your garbage disposal to work properly when you need it to, so if it isn’t working as it should, it can be really inconvenient. After all, garbage disposals:

• Prevent clogging of the drains or pipes
• Make it very easy to clean up after meals
• Make your kitchen smell better
• Are extremely environmentally friendly

After prolonged use and aging, your disposal may need repairs. Also, here at John Nugent & Sons, we’ve observed that homeowners don’t always regularly maintain their garbage disposal as they should—this creates the need for repairs. Our Northern VA plumbers can offer advice to homeowners in Fairfax, Arlington, Centreville, Reston, and throughout the area about how to tell if their disposal requires repair.

Garbage Disposal Repair Sign #1: Backing Up

If your garbage disposal is spinning but the water never goes down, then it is backed up. Grease, potato skins, rice, pasta, egg shells, stringy material, and coffee grounds are just a few of the items that can clog your disposal. If water continues to back up into your sink even after you try to use the disposal to break up food, give us a call—you need the help of a qualified plumber.

Garbage Disposal Repair Sign #2: Grinding Metal Noises

Strange noises coming from your disposal usually isn’t a good thing. If you hear noises that sound like metal grinding against metal when you turn your garbage disposal on, call us immediately. This sound likely indicates that one of the parts within your unit is broken—continuing to use the disposal may result in serious damage to the system, leading to costly repairs or even full unit replacement.

Garbage Disposal Repair Sign #3: Food Jams

If food is stuck or jammed in the gears of your disposal, the system will not work. Jams can be prevented altogether if you avoid putting large amounts of food, especially dense foods like kernels or bones, down the disposal. Do not try to continue using a garbage disposal that is jammed—you’ll only run the risk of causing further damage.

If you observe any of the above signs, contact John Nugent & Sons for professional plumbing services in Northern Virginia.