A garbage disposal that's been making grinding sounds for months before stopping entirely often has a seized bearing or cracked impeller β signs the motor isn't worth repairing. Our techs in Covington tell you honestly whether a repair or a same-day unit swap makes more financial sense.
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Garbage disposal failures have specific, diagnosable causes. Our techs don't just swap units β they identify what failed and whether repair or replacement is the right call for your situation.
A disposal that hums but won't spin almost always just needs the jam cleared with an Allen wrench at the center socket and the reset button pressed β a 5-minute fix that doesn't require a new unit.
InSinkErator (Badger, Badger 5, Compact, Evolution series), Moen GXS/GX series, Waste King, KitchenAid, and Whirlpool disposals all mount differently and have specific jam-clearing procedures. We know the mounting assembly for each brand and carry the correct jam-clearing wrench sizes.
We give you the actual cost comparison. If clearing the jam and pressing the reset button fixes it, that's what we do. If the motor has failed, we show you the replacement options and install same-day.
A disposal installed without properly removing the dishwasher drain knockout plug is a common installation error that floods the dishwasher interior. We check this and correct it if present.
From a simple jam clear to a full replacement with drain reconnection, here's how we handle each garbage disposal scenario in Covington, LA.
If the jam-clearing wrench won't budge the impeller, the motor shaft may be seized rather than just stuck from debris β we distinguish between the two before recommending replacement.
A disposal that makes no sound when switched on has either tripped its thermal overload protector (the red button on the bottom β press it and try again) or has a wiring issue at the switch or disposal unit. We check the reset button, test for power at the disposal's wire connection, and test the wall switch for continuity.
Disposal leaks come from three locations: the sink flange (top of the unit where it mounts to the sink drain opening β repaired by re-sealing the flange with plumber's putty and re-tightening the mounting ring), the side port (dishwasher drain hose connection β usually a loose hose clamp or cracked fitting), or the bottom of the unit (internal body crack or failed internal seal β indicates replacement needed).
An unusually loud grinding, rattling, or metal-on-metal sound from a disposal almost always means either a hard object (bottle cap, small utensil, pit from stone fruit) is in the grinding chamber, or an impeller piece has broken and is contacting the shredder ring. We access the grinding chamber safely, remove any foreign objects, and inspect the impeller and shredder ring for damage.
A disposal that grinds normally but drains slowly has a blockage in the drain arm or p-trap β not an internal disposal problem. Food particles and grease accumulate in the short drain arm between the disposal outlet and the p-trap. We disconnect and clean the drain arm, clear any p-trap buildup, and reinstall with clean connections.
When the motor has failed, the unit body is cracked, or the existing unit is underpowered for the household's use pattern, we replace the disposal with a new unit matched to the sink drain configuration. We carry 1/2 HP, 3/4 HP, and 1 HP units from InSinkErator and other major brands on our trucks for same-day installation.
No guesswork β we diagnose before we quote, and quote before we start.
If you know the disposal is over 10 years old, tell us β that changes how we approach the repair-vs-replace conversation upfront.
The tech identifies the failure type in minutes: jam test at the motor socket, reset button check, power confirmation at the wire connections, leak source tracing. We know what each symptom means and we go straight to confirming it.
You decide. We don't upsell replacement when repair is the right answer, and we don't push a cheap repair that won't hold on a unit that's genuinely at end of life.
After repair or replacement, we run the disposal through a full test: several cycles with water running, check under the sink for any drip at all connection points, and confirm the drain arm clears at a normal rate.

The disposal under our kitchen sink was 12 years old and started leaking from the bottom β which the tech explained is always an internal seal failure, not a repairable condition. He had a replacement 3/4 HP InSinkErator on his truck, installed it in about 45 minutes, and the kitchen is back to normal. Old unit got pulled, new unit tested clean, no leaks at any connection.
After we added a dishwasher, it started backing up every cycle. Masters Plumbing Service found the problem immediately β the previous installer had forgotten to knock out the dishwasher drain plug inside the disposal inlet. The plug was blocking the drain port. Two-minute fix. The tech also tightened the dishwasher drain hose clamp, which was loose. Never had another backup.
Disposal leaking from the sink collar area. Previous owner had installed it with silicone instead of plumber's putty at the flange β silicone doesn't hold the mounting pressure correctly and had separated. Tech re-seated the flange with putty, re-tightened the mounting ring, and the leak stopped. Tested with a full minute of running water. All clear.

Masters Plumbing Service dispatches garbage disposal repair and replacement technicians throughout Covington and the broader Covington, LA service area. Most calls are same-day β call to check today's availability.

Call now β same-day service available in Covington and across Covington, LA.
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