Updated February 5, 2024

Try to imagine kitchen life, and everyday kitchen activities, without a working sink garbage disposal. If you’ve lived with disposal for any amount of time, you’ll find it hard to picture this. No, it’s not the worst household problem, but it’s impressive how much easier working disposal makes things. It also protects the plumbing, keeps away clogs, and benefits the environment by reducing what goes into landfills.

Since you don’t want to lose the use of your disposal, it’s a smart idea to keep watch on it so you’ll know when it needs a replacement. With the amount of work a sink disposal unit handles each year, you can expect that eventually, it will wear down to a point where repairs aren’t worthwhile. Below are 4 indications that your disposal is ready to retire:

1. Clogging is a regular problem
   When you run into frequent clogs in the drain that the disposal is attached to, it often means the disposal is failing to grind down food waste. Even if the problem isn’t with the disposal, it’s still something that needs to be corrected and will require the work of a professional plumber.
2. You’re hitting the “reset” button too often
   The reset button of the disposal pops out when the motor is overstrained, often because of a heavy clog. This happens occasionally, and you simply press the button back to restart the motor. If you’re doing this a couple of times a week, however, it may mean the disposal’s motor is failing.
3. Grinding is taking too long
   If the food in the hopper seems to take longer to grind down and clear the chamber than it used to, the disposal’s grind ring and impellers are probably worn down. You don’t need to have the “blades sharpened,” since the disposal doesn’t use blades at all. The best solution is the new disposal.
4. Expensive leaks
   Leaks around the disposal are often difficult to repair, and the cost might be higher than putting in a new unit. If you have an aging disposal that’s leaking, it’s probably more cost-effective to have a new one put in.
   Ready to replace your garbage disposal?

Ready to replace your garbage disposal?

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