Rusty Garbage Disposal Found During Routine Maintenance

That smell coming from under your kitchen sink? It's easy to assume it's just buildup or old food residue. Sometimes it is. But sometimes it's a sign that something bigger is going on inside the unit itself.

We pulled an aging disposal during a routine maintenance call and found heavy rust and corrosion packed inside the old unit - plus it hadn't been installed correctly in the first place. A bad install combined with that level of internal decay is a slow-moving leak waiting to happen. Left alone, that turns into water damage under the cabinet, mold, and a much more expensive repair.

This is exactly why preventative maintenance matters. We swapped in a new disposal and got everything connected properly - tight fittings, correct drain line routing, and secure mounting at the sink flange. No shortcuts. When it's done right, you don't have to think about it again for years.

A lot of homeowners don't realize their disposal is on borrowed time until it fails completely. Odors, slow grinding, and humming without spinning are all warning signs worth paying attention to. Catching a bad unit early - before it leaks - is always the better outcome.

If your disposal has been acting up or smelling off, it's worth having someone take a look. These aren't complicated fixes when you catch them early, but they can turn into a real headache when you don't.