Identifying the specific type of repair your Pacific Grove garbage disposal needs is essential when it breaks down. The breakdown could be one of many common problems; it might leak, be so clogged it can barely function, or even be making strange noises, effectively trying to communicate with you. A clog, say, in the garbage disposal itself, is usually signaled by slow drainage and might be resolvable with a professional cleaning or by removing blockages in your pipes. But if your disposal is totally nonfunctional, it might have electrical problems that are either trivial or more serious. If it's trivial, then all your disposal might need is a reset. In the non-trivial case, your disposal could be failing because of problems further up the line.
Ensuring that the disposal isn't just working again but working efficiently and that no leaks are going to cause you problems down the line is kind of important.
Your garbage disposal occasionally makes unusual grinding sounds, which might signal a potential mechanical failure. This could happen if the disposal has jammed blades or foreign objects lodged in it, both situations that could use a careful professional hand lest you cause further damage. In a jam, some folks find it easier to loosen the blades if they use a hammer. Of course, this is only useful for non-jammed blades that you've mistaken for a jam, and it's equally important to not use easy methods when those methods might risk damaging the blades or the motor. If you think your disposal has serious problems—and it's not just a handy mouth for your kitchen sink that you can use under any conditions—it probably makes sense to pay for a decent inspection. After the disposal is checked out, the pros can discuss with you what might make sense for routine maintenance to avoid similarly maddening sound-making and potentially longer kitchen sink life.
Sometimes, you need to think about whether it makes more sense to repair your garbage disposal or replace it. If you find yourself frequently calling on a professional to fix it, you might want to consider that replacement could pay off over time. After all, a new disposal will likely have higher efficiency, better noise control, and some other features that could make using it a better experience than what you're getting now. Our pro, Dave Dubin, says if you're going to replace your unit anyway, it's worth having him take a look first. That way, you'll know if it's a given that your unit is going to stay inconvenient and unreliable, or if it's just a temporary problem and those upgrades are on the way.
