Garbage Disposal Repair in Metro Atlanta, GA
A garbage disposal that hums without grinding, stops dead, leaks under the sink or leaves dirty water standing in the basin puts the kitchen sink out of use until it is fixed. Georgia Sewer repairs jammed, humming and leaking disposals, replaces units that are worn out, and clears the kitchen drain line below when the clog is past the disposal.
Georgia Sewer — Drain & Sewer Specialists · Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC
We work on homes across metro Atlanta. Call us at (404) 482-2527 and tell us what the disposal does when you switch it on.
Common Problems & Warning Signs
- It hums but doesn't grind. Moen's troubleshooting links humming without grinding to a turntable that isn't rotating (Moen), usually a jam.
- It is silent. A disposal that stopped on overload may only need its reset button pressed; a breaker or wiring fault is something else.
- It leaks at the sink flange, the dishwasher inlet, the drain connection or the body.
- It runs, but the sink drains slowly or water rises in the other bowl: the clog is in the trap or the drain line below.
- Odd noises: a spoon, bottle cap or bone that fell in.
Safe Steps Before We Arrive
Turn the disposal off at the switch and keep your hands out of it. InSinkErator's instructions start with the switch off and say never to put your hand in the disposal at any time (InSinkErator), and Moen's say to cut the power and lift objects out with long-handled tongs or pliers (Moen). Don't pour chemical drain openers into it. If the sink is full, let it drain or bail the water out. Our article on garbage disposal clogs covers the wrench and the reset button step by step.
What Our Service Visit Can Include
- Diagnosis: we check the power, the reset, the turntable and the connections, and we run water to find any leak.
- Freeing a jam and removing whatever is lodged in the unit.
- Leak repair at the flange, the dishwasher inlet or the drain connection.
- Replacement of a disposal that is worn out, cracked or leaking from the body, sized to fit the sink and connected to the existing drain.
- The drain below: if the disposal works and the sink still won't drain, we clear the trap and the kitchen line with our drain cleaning service, or hydro jetting when grease keeps coming back.
A problem with the wiring behind the wall switch is an electrician's job; we tell you if that is what we find.
Grease and the Kitchen Line
Running a disposal doesn't make grease safe; it only makes the pieces smaller. Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management asks households to keep fats, oils and grease out of the drain (Atlanta DWM). If the kitchen line keeps clogging, we tell you whether it is the disposal, the habits around it, or a drain that needs cleaning. See what not to flush or pour.
Request Garbage Disposal Repair
Call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527. Tell us whether the disposal hums, stays silent, leaks or runs while the sink stays full, whether anything fell in, and whether a drain cleaner was used. We explain what we found and what the repair involves before any work starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
My disposal hums but won't turn. What should I do?
Turn it off at the switch and keep your hands out. A hum without grinding usually means the turntable is jammed. On many units you can free it with the hex wrench in the socket underneath, then press the reset button; our article on garbage disposal clogs walks through the steps from the makers' instructions. If it still hums after that, call us and we repair it.
Do you replace disposals or only repair them?
Both. We repair jams, leaks and units that won't start when the motor and housing are sound, and we replace a disposal that is worn out, cracked or leaking from the body. We tell you which one makes sense before any work starts.
The disposal runs but the sink still won't drain. Is that the disposal?
Often it is the drain below it: the trap or the kitchen branch line, usually narrowed by grease. Running a disposal doesn't make grease safe; it only makes the pieces smaller. We check the disposal and clear the line below it with our drain cleaning service.
Water is leaking under the sink. Where is it coming from?
The usual places are the sink flange at the top, the dishwasher inlet, the drain connection on the side, or the disposal body itself. We dry everything, run water and find the exact spot. A leak from the body of the unit generally means replacement; a leak at a connection can usually be repaired.
My new disposal is installed and the dishwasher won't drain. Why?
On a new disposal, the plug in the dishwasher inlet has to be knocked out before the dishwasher hose is connected; Moen's instructions say to knock it out with a blunt tool and remove it from the disposal (Moen). We check that first when a dishwasher stops draining after a disposal swap.
Should I pour drain cleaner into the disposal?
Please don't. Chemical drain openers left standing in a disposal or a blocked drain are a splash and burn hazard for whoever opens it next, and they rarely fix a jam. If one has already been used, tell us which product when you call.
Learn More Before You Call
All articles by service: Sewer & Drain Advice Hub.
Garbage Disposal Repair Service Areas
We do garbage disposal repair across metro Atlanta, in every city we serve. Every city we serve is listed under service areas.
Need garbage disposal repair?
Call and describe what is happening, where, and since when. The service is selected from the condition found.
Georgia Sewer — Drain & Sewer Specialists · Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC