If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen, you may have grown to rely upon it for rinsing food particles down the drain without worry. But what happens when your garbage disposal starts to act up and needs to be replaced? Ideally, you want to stay ahead of a garbage disposal replacement so that you don’t have to go any period of time without the valuable addition to your kitchen.
The trick to this is knowing the signs that your garbage disposal is having problems and may need to be replaced. We are highlighting a couple of major concerns that can indicate your garbage disposal has reached the end of its life. If you’re unsure, you’re always welcome to give us a call for an in-home assessment, and we can either fix any potential problems or offer a replacement option instead.
Frequent Clogs
Your garbage disposal is designed to help break down some food particles that go down your drain. But, your garbage disposal is also only designed to last so long. It is possible that your garbage disposal can get clogged up as time goes on. Clogs are not uncommon, but you should be able to address them fairly easily. If you find that you’re facing frequent clogs, that’s a sign that your garbage disposal is reaching the end of its life.
Clogs can cause your garbage disposal to jam up and need to be reset frequently. The reset feature is a safety precaution that your garbage disposal has so that it doesn’t burn out due to a serious jam. Clogs can also cause bad odors, so even if you haven’t noticed a clog yet as far as slow draining or garbage disposal jams, you may be able to pinpoint one by the odor. When food particles decay in your garbage disposal, they can begin to smell bad. Plus they also trap other bacteria and mold spores that contribute even more to bad odors.
Unusual Sounds
There’s no way around it, your garbage disposal is not quiet at all when it operates. However, you should be able to identify what are normal sounds based on its regular operation. If you begin to hear different sounds, that is a sign that something is wrong with your garbage disposal. If the garbage disposal is older, unusual sounds may be a sign that it’s time for a replacement.
The most important sound to listen for is a metal-on-metal grinding sound. Before you jump to any conclusions, use a flashlight and peek into your drain to make sure that a utensil didn’t accidentally get stuck in your garbage disposal. If you can eliminate this possibility, turn off your garbage disposal and schedule an appointment for a repair. Sometimes the components inside your garbage disposal can become misaligned and need to be fixed. But, if the metal-on-metal grinding sound persists, it may be time to check out your old system and replace it with a brand new one.
Contact your HVAC and plumbing experts at Rentmeister Total Home Service today to schedule an appointment for water softener services.