Original units from the 1970s-1990s tract wave
A disposal typically runs eight to twelve years, and a large share of Davie’s original units from that build wave are now well past that mark.
Freed, reset, or swapped for a new one
Garbage disposal repair, or a straightforward replacement
A disposal that hums without spinning, one that gives no response at all, or one that has simply reached the end of its run: we work out which and clear it, or swap it for a correctly sized replacement.
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- Serving Davie and South Florida
- Correct sizing for your kitchen
Q.
Why does a garbage disposal hum but refuse to spin?
That sound means the motor still has power and is pushing against something it cannot move past, almost always a hard scrap, a dropped utensil, or stringy produce wedged where the spinning plate meets the housing. It is a mechanical stoppage, not an electrical one. Most disposals build in two ways around exactly this: a small red reset button on the underside, and a hex-shaped socket at the center made for turning the plate free by hand. Between the two, most jams clear before a call is even needed.
Complete silence is a different animal, and usually traces back to a tripped breaker, a bad switch, or a wiring fault rather than anything mechanical inside the unit. Sorting out which one it is matters, because a unit that only needed a button pressed does not need to be replaced, and we check the wiring before ever recommending a new disposal.
What we diagnose
Common disposal problems, worked out on sight
Four patterns account for most disposal calls we take.
Hums, but the flywheel won’t turn
A jam in most cases, cleared without replacing the unit more often than not.
Leaking from underneath the sink
A worn seal where the disposal meets the sink flange, or on an older unit, a housing that has simply cracked with age.
Backs up into the sink instead of draining
Sometimes it is the disposal, sometimes the branch line right after it. A camera or a snake past the unit tells us which.
No sound at all, not even a hum
Often electrical: a tripped breaker, a failed switch, or wiring, rather than the grinding mechanism itself.
Fig. A cul-de-sac of single-story 1980s homes with tile roofs and palm trees in a Davie neighborhood
Around Davie’s kitchens
What tends to bring on a disposal call here
A few things about Davie’s housing stock show up again and again on these calls.
Kitchen drains that feed a septic tank, not sewer
West of University Drive, a disposal working hard against fibrous scraps is a common contributor to problems downstream in a septic system rather than municipal sewer.
A dedicated outlet, not a shared circuit
Most Davie kitchens run the disposal on its own outlet under the sink, and we confirm it is wired and grounded correctly on any replacement.
Before you call
Answers before you pick up the phone
Is it safe to try clearing a disposal jam myself?
Most manufacturers build a manual reset button and a hex-key opening into the base for exactly this. Try those first, but never put a hand inside the chamber, and stop and call if a jam will not budge.
What should never go down a garbage disposal?
Fibrous vegetables like celery, large amounts of coffee grounds, grease, and bones are the usual culprits behind a jam. Running water during and after use helps a lot too.
How do I know if my disposal needs replacing instead of a repair?
A cracked housing, a leak from the unit body itself, or a motor that has simply worn out all point toward replacement rather than another repair.
Is a higher horsepower unit worth it for a busy kitchen?
A larger household running the disposal hard often does benefit from the jump: fewer jams, tougher scraps handled without strain. We will tell you honestly if your kitchen does not need it.
Disposal jammed or dead?
Let’s get the kitchen sink working again
A jam gets freed most of the time. When it does not, we put in a unit sized correctly for the kitchen.
Serving Davie and South Florida, 24 hours a day.