Most disposal calls are one of three things: something jammed between the impellers, a seal or mount that has let go, or a motor at the end of its life. The first is often a free fix you can do yourself in five minutes, so the reset procedure is below before anything else. Silverback Plumbing and Drain repairs and replaces disposals across San Antonio, usually same day.
Try the reset before you call anyone
A large share of “the disposal is dead” calls turn out to be a tripped reset, and we would rather you found that out for free.
- Turn off the wall switch, then cut power at the breaker or unplug the unit. Never skip this.
- Reach underneath the disposal and find the small red reset button on the base.
- Press it firmly until it clicks and stays in.
- Restore power and test with cold water running. If it trips again, stop there and call.
One trip is nothing. Repeated trips mean something is loading the motor — usually a jam, sometimes a failing capacitor — and resetting it over and over is a reliable way to burn the motor out for good.
What is actually wrong
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It hums but nothing turns
Something is wedged between the impeller plate and the grind ring. Never put a hand in the unit; a hex wrench in the base socket frees most of them.
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Water in the cabinet
A worn sink flange seal, a loose mount, a discharge connection, or a cracked housing. Only the last one means replacement.
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Complete silence
A tripped reset, a failed switch, or a motor that has finished. The reset above separates the first from the other two.
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Metal-on-metal grinding
Something hard caught inside, or a flywheel that has worn. Worth stopping before it does more.
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It trips the breaker
The motor drawing more current than it should, from a jam or a failing capacitor. Repeated trips are a warning, not a nuisance.
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A smell that will not go
Debris breaking down inside the chamber, above the baffle or under the splash guard where rinsing never reaches.
Fix it, or replace it?
Disposals generally last 8 to 12 years. Whether yours is worth repairing comes down to age and which part failed.
| Situation | The usual call |
|---|---|
| Under 5 years old with a jam or minor fault | Repair Clear it, check what caused it, done. |
| Leaking from the sink flange or a loose mount | Repair New seal and remount, no new unit needed. |
| Hums and stalls repeatedly | Inspect first. If the motor tests sound, repair. If it does not, replace. |
| Over 8 years with a failed motor | Replace The repair costs more than the difference. |
| Leaking from the body of the unit | Replace A cracked housing cannot be sealed permanently. |
| Trips the breaker after being repaired | Replace Something electrical is failing inside it. |
What goes down, and what quietly kills it
Most “broken” disposals are not broken. They are jammed or strained by something that should have gone in the bin.
| Generally fine | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Small soft food scraps | Grease, fat and cooking oil — they coat the chamber and then the pipe |
| Ice cubes now and then, to knock deposits off the impellers | Fibrous vegetables: celery strings, corn husks, artichoke, onion skin |
| Citrus peel in small pieces | Bones, fruit pits and hard cores |
| Cold water running before, during and after | Pasta, rice and anything else that swells after it is swallowed |
San Antonio Water System attributes roughly 28% of sanitary sewer overflows citywide to grease in the system. That is the real argument for the bin over the drain — see the SAWS fats, oils and grease programme.
If your home is on septic
Parts of Helotes, Bulverde and Somerset run on septic rather than city sewer. A disposal adds solids to the tank, which usually means pumping more often and, over years, more load on the drain field. It is workable with a septic-rated unit and some care about what goes in, and we are happy to talk through whether it is worth it for your system. If you are not sure which you have, we can confirm it during the same visit. The EPA’s septic guidance covers the general principles.
When it is really a drain problem
A disposal that runs fine but leaves the sink full is not a disposal fault. If the kitchen sink drains slowly with the unit off, or the other bowl backs up when you run it, the branch line is the issue and it belongs with drain cleaning. We will check both in one visit rather than fixing the wrong one.
- Standing water in the cabinet, which damages the base and the floor beneath it quickly.
- Any leak near the unit’s wiring or a nearby outlet.
- The sink draining slowly as well as the disposal misbehaving.
- A burning smell while it runs.
What it costs
- Clear, repair or replaceFreeing a jam is the low end, a new unit installed is the high end, and a seal or mount repair sits between them.
- The unit you chooseHorsepower and grind stage drive the hardware cost more than anything else. A 1/2 HP builder unit and a 3/4 HP continuous-feed unit are not the same purchase.
- What is under the sinkExisting wiring, a dishwasher connection and the state of the drain assembly all affect how long the install takes.
- Whether the drain needs attention tooIf the branch line is contributing, we will quote that separately rather than folding it in.
Most installations and replacements finish in a single visit, usually inside two hours, with no permanent change to your sink or cabinetry.
Work is carried out by licensed plumbers under our Responsible Master Plumber, license RMP-43333, issued by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. You can verify that license yourself.
What San Antonio homeowners say
Reviews pulled live from our Google Business Profile, not retyped here.
Questions homeowners ask us
Why does my disposal hum but not spin?
Something is jammed between the impeller plate and the grind ring. Cut the power, then use a hex wrench in the socket underneath to work the plate back and forth until it frees. Never put a hand in the chamber, even with the power off.
How long do garbage disposals last?
Eight to twelve years with normal use. Units that regularly see grease, fibrous scraps or heavy loads wear out at the short end of that.
Can I put coffee grounds or eggshells down it?
In small amounts, occasionally, most units cope. The problem is volume over time — coffee grounds in particular compact into a paste that contributes to clogs further down the line rather than in the disposal itself.
Is a disposal safe with a septic system?
It is workable with a septic-rated unit and careful use, but it adds solids to the tank and usually means pumping more often. We can talk through what it means for your specific system during a visit.
Why does it still smell after running?
Debris breaking down above the baffle and under the splash guard, where rinsing does not reach. Ice and citrus peel help, but a smell that persists after that usually means buildup needing a proper clean, or a leak feeding it.
How much does disposal repair cost?
It depends on whether it is a jam to clear, a part to replace or a whole unit to swap. We diagnose the specific fault first and give you the price before any work starts.
Should I buy a more powerful unit?
If the current one jams often and the household cooks a lot, yes — more horsepower and a multi-stage grind handle fibrous waste far better. If it jams because grease and celery keep going in, a bigger motor just fails more slowly.
Do you install a disposal I have already bought?
Yes. Send us the model beforehand so we can confirm it fits the existing mount and that the wiring and dishwasher connection suit it.
Reset tripped twice? Leave it alone and call.
Jammed, leaking or dead silent, we can usually sort it the same day — and we will tell you when a cheap part fixes it rather than selling you a unit.
Silverback Plumbing & Drain provides licensed plumbing and drain service for homes and businesses throughout the San Antonio area. From emergency repairs to routine maintenance, we diagnose the problem, explain the fix, and get it done right the first time.
Contact Info
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Copyright © 2026 Silverback Plumbing and Drain
Mark Vargas, Responsible Master Plumber #43333 Licensed through the Texas Board of Plumbing Examiners P.O. Box 4200, Austin, Texas 78765 (800-845-6584)