Are Garbage Disposals Repairable By Yourself?
Pittsburgh is an older city that traces its origins all the way back to our country’s colonial beginnings. So many of the buildings around the Greater Pittsburgh area were built before the advent of garbage disposals.
Times have sure changed, though, because now it would be unusual to find a home or apartment that didn’t have one mounted under their kitchen sink. So while they are for sure an incredible convenience that makes working in a kitchen much easier, at the same time, they are made up of a lot of moving parts.
That, in turn, means that over time even the best of them will develop problems. But the good news is that today in Pittsburgh garbage disposal repair is now possible on your own with a few simple tools and some basic knowledge on the topic.
What is the Average Life Expectancy of a Garbage Disposal?
A typical scenario is someone who is considering buying a home, and an important consideration is how old the components in it are and what their life expectancy is.
A garbage disposal is one of them, so it would be reasonable to ask what is the average life expectancy of a garbage disposal because they are considering buying one that already has some miles on it. This, it turns out, really is a loaded question because the the life expectancy of the garbage disposal is measured in usage, not months or years.
So a garbage disposal that gets a minimal amount of use, of course, would be expected the last substantially longer than one that that is put to use several times a day.
So rather than ask what is the average life expectancy of the garbage disposal it would be better to ask how many times has it been used.
Can You Repair Garbage Disposals Yourself?
It’s when a problem develops when home or business owners want to know the answer to can you repair garbage disposals yourself. Hiring a Pittsburgh plumber to come in and do the work is a heck of a lot easier, but they don’t do the work for free.
Also, if it turns out that yes, is the answer to the question, can you repair garbage disposals yourself, the money saved by doing it can be put into buying a better quality unit.
After all, if you haven’t discovered yet, they’re available at your local hardware store on an ascending price point scale, starting with surprisingly inexpensive garbage disposals to units that will leave you just as surprised by how much more they cost. So yes, it can be done, but knowledge is critical if you are dead set on repairing your garbage disposal yourself.
What Are Some Ways to Troubleshoot Garbage Disposals?
So the first step before you get the answer to the question what are some ways to troubleshoot garbage disposals is to unplug it. This might seem like common sense, but if one of the problems is that the garbage disposal has stopped working, it’s an easy first step to forget.
So then, after it’s unplugged, if the problem you are hoping to remedy is leaking water, then you need to get to work trying to figure out where the water is coming through.
It’s a seal up at the very top where it connects to the sink that tends to be the culprit most often. The seal underneath the metal ring that you look at when you stand up to your sink and look down into it. It’s the first line of defense, and a great way to test this seal is to clean and completely dry that connection point and then do a quick repair with silicone sealer as a test.
Pittsburgh Garbage Disposal Repair is for Sure No Glamour Job
The reason to start at the very top where that very first connection is made to the sink and then test it with a temporary fix using silicone sealer is that doing your own garbage disposal repair is a downright filthy job.
So the trick is to move slowly and start in where your odds of success are greatest in the hopes of having to avoid disconnecting the unit and start breaking it down.
Keep in mind that a completely new replacement is comparatively affordable. Then both the top names in the hardware business hold out 15% discounts for veterans, and that can make a cheaper model even cheaper if you’re eligible.
Then don’t forget that a new garbage disposal comes with a new rubber gasket on the side which is the second most commonplace that they spring a leak.
When Should You Call in a Professional for Garbage Disposal Repair?
Here again, is another question that’s difficult to put a time stamp on. This is because the answer to when should you call in a professional for garbage disposal repair might be at the onset of a problem. Try to understand that the deeper down the rabbit hole you go with DIY garbage disposal repair, the worst the job becomes.
Once one is removed, it’s a relatively easy task to break it down into two main components, with those being the top and the bottom half. But it’s at this stage when most do-it-yourselfers get a look at and a good smell of the decaying crud inside that they have serious second thoughts about continuing to move forward on their own, particularly if they have an aversion the germs.
How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Garbage Disposal?
After the decision has been made to call in a professional to do the work, the next question that pops up is how much does it cost to fix a garbage disposal in Pittsburgh? The answer here, in general terms, is that most of the time, the problem is minor.
Perhaps a leaky gasket, or maybe the power cord needs a new plug put on the end. Garbage disposal repair is for sure not a cash cow for plumbers in Pittsburgh. Most offer it as a sideline, courtesy of sorts to their customers. It’s a great way to make an introduction and to get something back up and work without spending a lot of time on the job.
So as home repairs go, comparatively speaking, having your garbage disposal repaired is easily one of the more affordable.
Just make sure to clear out everything under your sink before the Pittsburgh plumber arrives because the quicker the repair can be done, the lower your bill will be.