Garbage Disposal Repair, Installation & Replacement in San Diego County

For expert Garbage Disposal Service across all of San Diego County, trust the fast and knowledgeable team at Blue Planet Plumbing. A malfunctioning disposal—whether it’s jammed, leaking, or making strange grinding noises—can quickly bring kitchen operations to a halt.

Garbage disposals (or more properly, food disposers) are wonderfully simple appliances that almost never break down. If your has stopped spinning or making a worrisome humming noise, it probably has to do with a jam. It happens – holidays, extra visitors, odd foods, well intentioned guests trying to help with clean up. You know the sound, then the grinding, then … silence. When a jam occurs, the disposer may shut itself down via an internal breaker switch or the motor would keep running that’s the humming noise and it’s not good for the motor. You may even have burned out the garbage disposal motor.
No need to worry because we offer 24/7 garbage disposal repair and replacement to all San Diego County. So help is a phone call away…

How to UN-jam a Garbage Disposal or Food Disposer

• The first step is to always make sure the garbage disposal power with is off. As an extra precaution you can turn off the circuit that serves the disposer at your home’s service panel (breaker box) and that is up to your discretion.
• Next, look inside the disposer with a flashlight to see if you can spot what is causing the jam. Inspect carefully around the impellers and the impeller plate, particularly the small gap between the plate and the side of the chamber. If you see something, try to extract it with needle-nose pliers, chopsticks or other tools that might reach. If you got something out, try running the disposer again, with cold water going (always run water when running the garbage disposal).
• Can’t find any obstruction? Skip ahead to moving the motor manually. If your disposer has already tripped itself (no motor humming) look for a reset button on the bottom or the side of the unit underneath the sink. It’s small so you will have to look carefully. Press the reset button and try running the garbage disposal again.
• At this point, if you hear humming again or you hear the motor start to engage, quickly shut down – you still have a jam. If you hear nothing, you should try the reset button a couple of more times but chances are you will have to replace your garbage disposal.

Moving the motor manually

Most modern garbage disposals have a manual crank- this is simply an exposed Allen-nut head located in the bottom center of the disposer unit. Turning the head with an Allen wrench moves the motor (and impeller plate) manually.

Look on the side of the unit or the general area of the garbage disposal for an Allen wrench for this very purpose.
Manufacturers often provide a little plastic bag for holding the tool, and any conscientious plumber will have stored in a sensible location for you. If you don’t have a tool, find an Allen wrench (it’s hexagonal, or 6-sided) that fits the disposer crank head.

Turn the manual crank back and forth, several times if necessary. You can move the motor manually in both directions but because the automatic function moves only in one direction going backward often dislodges easily (or breaks up) the obstruction. If the crank spins easily, the jam is freed and the obstruction has either gone down the drain or it’s moved back into the grinding chamber in which case you should fish it out.

If your garbage disposal does not have a manual crank, you can move the impeller plate manually by sticking a broom handle or strong stick down into the garbage disposer and levering it against an impeller and the drain hole in the sink. If a levering action isn’t possible, just try a simple push/pull action as if you are stirring a lot of hard dough. Go back and forth as needed to dislodge the obstruction.

Ready to Connect? Contact Blue Planet Plumbing Today

When you need reliable, professional plumbing service in San Diego County, the team at Blue Planet Plumbing is ready to assist. Don’t let a minor issue become a major problem. We offer free estimates and are available 24/7 for all plumbing emergencies—from jammed disposals and slow drains to burst pipes and full system failures. Contact San Diego’s trusted, eco-friendly plumbing experts to schedule your service or request immediate assistance.

For non-emergency service requests and free estimates, you can quickly schedule an appointment using our online form.

Please provide us with details about your issue (e.g., “slow drain,” “water heater installation,” “slab leak detection”), and we will contact you immediately to confirm your appointment time.

Garbage Disposal Service FAQ

Why is my disposal humming but not spinning?

This typically means the disposal is jammed. The motor is trying to run, but the shredder ring is stuck. Do not put your hand inside! Try using a specialized tool or turning the key slot on the bottom of the unit (after turning off the wall switch) to free the jam. If that fails, call us immediately.

Is a leaking disposal repairable?

It depends on the location of the leak. Leaks at the connections (flange or drain pipe) are usually simple repairs. If the leak is coming from the body of the unit itself, it means the internal seals have failed due to age or rust, and the unit must be replaced.

Does a garbage disposal count as an emergency plumbing call?

While not as critical as a burst pipe, a leaking or heavily clogged disposal that renders your kitchen sink unusable often warrants urgent service. We offer flexible scheduling and 24/7 availability to address this inconvenience fast.

How long does a new garbage disposal installation take?

For a standard replacement, the installation is generally quick, often completed within one to two hours.