Garbage disposals are those appliances that enable you to shred all kinds of waste including food, in an effort to keep the kitchen pipes as clean as possible. This article will tell you more about the common reasons for garbage disposal failure and signs that it might be time to look for a new garage disposal system.
How Long Should Garbage Disposals Last?
The usual garbage disposal will last close to 15 years, but to keep its lifespan closer to a maximum, it should always be properly maintained.
You can help the garbage disposal get rid of any particles and bits that would usually block the pipes underneath the kitchen sink by running it with cold water on a regular basis.
As you’d expect, a garbage disposal that has functioning issues will have a harder time doing its job properly. But how can you really know if the garbage disposal is broken or in a worse-than-optimal shape? You will find below five of the most obvious signs that it might be time to look for a new garbage disposal.
Weird or out-of-the-ordinary noises that are coming directly from the garbage disposal
Considering that garbage disposals are usually made from a lot of parts that are moving and working together, new sounds or unusual noises could point toward a serious problem. If you want to check for things that could possibly block the unit, try shining a flashlight down the drain. A small dish or even a hidden piece of silverware can be all it takes for the unit to make all kinds of weird noises.
You might also like my articles on how to fix loose blades, remove rust, or reset your garbage disposal.
After you’ve checked and removed any item that might be causing the noise, restart the disposal and test it again. If you still hear all kinds of weird sounds but you can’t see anything out of the usual inside of it, it is probably time to talk to a professional to fix the issue for you.
You just can’t get rid of the bad smell around it
Although it isn’t uncommon for waste and especially old food to have nasty odors, a functioning garbage disposal that is properly used shouldn’t have an odor problem. When you’ve thoroughly rinsed and then ran your garbage disposal but odors still seem to persist, your problem could be some very stubborn particles inside the unit that really don’t want to go away.
These trapped particles can always be removed with ease by a professional. The only exception is disposals that are 15 years or older, which might remain stinky regardless of what you do and should be replaced with newer models whenever you have the financial possibility.
Your garbage disposal simply refuses to turn on
A garbage disposal that simply refuses to turn on could indicate a very serious problem related to the unit itself. The first step you should try is to simply reset the unit by pressing the reset button and see if that fixes the issue. If that doesn’t work, also thoroughly check the circuit breaker from the electrical panel inside your home.
These are basically the only two things you can do yourself in this situation. If none of them fixes your issue then it might be time to give a professional a call to have an experienced individual give it a more serious look.
Water is leaking from a part of your garbage disposal
Most appliances will break at some point because nothing is made to last forever. The usual lifespan of a garbage disposal can be anywhere between 8 and 15 years before you will need to replace the whole unit.
It isn’t unusual for older models to either develop a crack in them at some point or have a whole leak spring out of nowhere. This is one of the situations in which repairing doesn’t actually make sense because it will be cheaper to just replace the unit as a whole.
The unit requires frequent resets to work
A big red flag pointing to the need for a new garbage disposal unit is you having to press the reset button frequently just to make your old unit work.
Pressing the reset button is something that should be seldom done, so pay attention to how often you’re doing it.
Home Warranties that cover garbage disposal
Most home warranty providers won’t cover garbage disposals out of the bat.
A lot of the contracts will have this particular area of your home completely excluded and ignored. If you do want to have your garbage disposal covered by your home warranty, then you will have to spend some time looking for a coverage plan, sometimes even outside the basic plans. Even though this type of coverage might cost a pinch more, it will be a great way for you to have the worry of replacing or repairing the unit taken off your shoulders when the time comes.
How will a home warranty for garbage disposal actually work?
Home warranties were designed as a way for you to take the stress of caring for your home off your shoulders and reduce the expenses when the time comes to replace or repair broken appliances.
