As a plumber in San Diego, one of the most common questions we field is that of leaking garbage disposals. Garbage disposals tend to get a lot of abuse, are often not well maintained, and frankly, no one really wants to be poking around in a machine designed to chew things to bits.
But, if you have a leaking garbage disposal, the answer may be simple. The first step is to pinpoint where, exactly the leak is coming from. Run some water in the sink, turn on the garbage disposal, and get under the sink with a flashlight and a bucket to see if you can find where the water is coming from.
If the water is coming from the sink flange, that is usually where the garbage disposal unit is mounted, so get a wrench and check that the bolts are tight. The fix might be just that easy! But if that doesn’t work, you might have to replace the seal or add some plumber’s putty. If that doesn’t sound like fun to you, you may want to dial us up, the most reliable plumber service in San Diego.
If it’s not the sink flange, the next most common place for leaks is the dishwasher connection. Check to see whether the clamps may have gotten knocked loose. The hose itself may also have worn out and started leaking, in which case you will have to replace it.
If it’s not the sink flange, and it’s not the dishwasher connection, we’re looking at the bottom of the garbage disposal unit itself. This is often caused by a flywheel seal wearing out, and if it is not fixed immediately, it will result in water getting into the motor and burning it out. Fixing this problem involves the total disassembly of the unit to replace the flywheel seal.
If you have a leaking garbage disposal, don’t hesitate to call your San Diego plumber, My Plumber Heating & Cooling– Same Day Service Guaranteed*! You can also visit our garbage disposal repair & installation page to learn more about how we can help.