Garbage Disposal Installation, Repair, and Replacement in Las Vegas
Humming but not spinning, leaking under the sink, or dead entirely. Most disposal problems have a straightforward cause, and some of them you can sort out yourself.
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700+ 5-star Reviews
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SNWA Water Smart Contractor
Garbage Disposal Not Working
What the unit is doing quickly narrows down the cause.
Hums but will not turn. The motor has power and something is jamming the impeller plate.
No sound at all. Power is not reaching the motor. A tripped reset, a tripped breaker, a failed switch, or a dead motor.
Runs but cuts out repeatedly. The overload protector is tripping, which means something is making the motor strain.
Grinding or metal-on-metal. Something hard in the chamber, or worn impellers.
Slow drain when it runs. Usually a clog in the line past the disposal rather than the unit itself.
Reviews
We take pride in our customer service and workmanship. Don’t take our word for it, take a look.
Not Sure About a Quote You Were Given?
We Will Take a Look
Plumbing problems often come with a number attached, and it is usually bigger than you expected. If you are sitting with an estimate and have no way to know whether it is reasonable, we are glad to come look at it.
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There is no charge for it.
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If the quote you got was fair, we will tell you that.
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There is no obligation.
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If you need less than you were told, we will tell you that too.
Big plumbing decisions are stressful, and most people have no reason to know what a repipe or a sewer replacement should cost. Having a second set of eyes on it should not cost you anything.
Areas we service
We cover the whole Las Vegas Valley, from Summerlin to Boulder City and everywhere in between. Our office is on East Charleston, so we're usually on the central and eastern side, but we're out across the valley every day. Not sure if we reach you? Give us a call.
What the Garbage Disposal Reset Button Actually Means
The reset is on the underside of the unit. It is an overload protector, not a fix. When the motor draws more current than it should, the reset trips to stop it from burning out.
If it trips once and holds, something briefly overloaded it. If it keeps tripping, the disposal is telling you there is an underlying problem, and repeatedly resetting a straining motor is how a repairable jam becomes a replacement. That is the point to call.
Garbage Disposal Leaking
Where the water appears tells us what failed, and the three are not equal.
From the top, where the unit meets the sink. The flange seal or the mounting. Repairable.
From the side. The dishwasher hose connection or the discharge tube. Usually a gasket or clamp, and typically the least expensive of the three.
From the bottom of the housing. An internal seal has failed and water is inside the motor casing. Not repairable, and worth replacing promptly, because water in a motor is an electrical problem as well as a plumbing one.
Garbage Disposal Repair or Replacement in Las Vegas
Repair usually makes sense when it is a jam, the reset tripped once and has held, the leak is at the flange or a connection, or the unit is under about five years old.
Replacement usually makes sense when it is leaking from the bottom of the housing, it hums after the jam is cleared, the reset trips repeatedly, it is past eight to ten years, or it has never had the power for how you cook.
One honest note on the economics. Disposals are inexpensive relative to labor. On an older unit, a repair that takes real time can cost close to replacing it, and the replacement comes with a warranty. We will tell you when that is the case rather than quietly billing the repair.
Garbage Disposal Installation
What the job includes:
Remove and haul away the old unit
Replace worn flange and mounting hardware rather than reusing it
Mount and seal the new unit
Connect the discharge and dishwasher line
Check the electrical connection and switch
Test under running water and check every joint for leaks
On the parts nobody mentions. Reused mounting hardware and old flange gaskets are the most common reason a new disposal leaks within a year. We replace them.
Bring your own if you have one. We will install a unit you bought. If it does not suit the setup, we will say so before starting rather than after.
Choosing a Garbage Disposal
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Horsepower
One-third suits light use and jams most often. One-half is the common choice for most households. Three-quarter is worth it if you cook most nights or have a larger family. One horsepower is for heavy use.
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Feed type
Continuous feed runs from a wall switch and is the standard. Batch feed only runs with the stopper in place, which is safer with small children but slower.
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Two things people overlook
Stainless grinding components outlast galvanized, and the difference shows up around year six. And higher horsepower units are physically larger, so a 1 HP unit does not always fit where a 1/3 HP was.
What Can and Cannot Go Down a Garbage Disposal
Fine in moderation: soft food scraps, small amounts of cooked vegetables, citrus peel in small pieces.
Keep out: grease, oil, and fat, which harden in the line and cause most kitchen clogs. Coffee grounds, which pack into a sludge. Eggshells, whose membrane wraps the impellers. Pasta, rice, and bread, which swell. Fibrous vegetables like celery and corn husks. Bones, fruit pits, onion skins, and anything that is not food.
The habit that matters most. Run cold water while the disposal runs and for several seconds after. Cold keeps fats solid so they flush through instead of coating the pipe. Hot water does the opposite.
Garbage Disposal faqs
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Something is jamming the impeller plate. The motor has power and cannot turn. It usually clears quickly once the obstruction is out, and we can tell you over the phone whether it sounds like a jam or a failing motor.
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On the underside of the unit, usually a small red or black button facing the floor.
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Something is overloading the motor repeatedly, whether a jam that has not cleared, worn bearings, or a failing motor. Continuing to reset it is how a repairable problem becomes a replacement.
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Leaks at the sink flange or the dishwasher connection are usually repairable. A leak from the bottom of the housing means an internal seal has failed and water is inside the motor, which means replacement.
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Typically eight to twelve years with normal use. Units that regularly see grease, coffee grounds, or fibrous scraps go sooner.
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It depends whether it is a jam, a leak at a connection, or an internal failure. We quote flat once we have seen it, and we will tell you when a repair costs close to a replacement.
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Better not to. They pack into a sludge that builds up in the line, as do eggshells, pasta, rice, and anything fibrous.
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Food residue in the chamber and under the splash guard.
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Cold. It keeps fats solid so they flush through instead of coating the pipe.
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Half horsepower suits most households. Three-quarter is worth it if you cook most nights or have a larger family.
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Yes. If it does not suit your setup we will tell you before starting.
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Yes, removal and disposal are part of the job.
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Usually not. That points at a clog in the drain line past the disposal, which needs the line cleared.