Signs you need this fixed
- Washer drain spitting back up the standpipe
- Water standing in the tub after a shower
- Sour smell from the overflow or the trap
- Grey ring around the basement floor drain
Is a disposal allowed and wise?
Food waste disposers are allowed in Toronto homes. Even so, the City's green bin takes most food scraps and turns them into compost and biogas, which is easier on sewers and the treatment plants. A disposal makes sense for small bits left on plates. It is a poor fit for a house with old galvanized kitchen drains, a long flat branch line, or a sink that already drains slowly. Septic systems in rural areas north of the city often do not handle the extra solids well.
Installation steps
- Confirm a grounded outlet under the sink, ideally switched from the counter.
- Remove the old sink strainer and fit the disposal mounting ring with plumber's putty.
- Hang the unit and lock it onto the ring.
- Connect the outlet to the trap at the correct height.
- Punch the knockout plug when the dishwasher hose feeds this unit.
- Open the tap and check each connection for drips.
Common jams
A humming disposal that will not spin is jammed. Turn off the power first. Most units have a hex socket on the bottom: turn it back and forth with the wrench that came in the box to free the plates. Remove the object with tongs, never fingers. Push the reset on the underside, switch the power back on and try it with the cold tap open.
What stays out of it
- Grease, oil and fat.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells, which form sludge.
- Fibrous scraps like corn husks, celery and onion skins.
- Pasta, rice and bread, which swell with water.
- Bones, fruit pits and shells.
Put those in the green bin and the disposal stays happy.
What is included on the visit
Tools on the truck
- Drum machine with 3/8" cable for trap arms and stacks
- Drop-head hand auger for sink and tub branches
- Sectional machine with root cutter for the main
What we open
P-trap, cleanout plug or the floor drain grate
How we test it
Fill-and-drop test on every fixture on the branch
How the job runs
Ring the line
Say what is dripping, backing up or banging. Water still flowing? We guide your hand to the valve first.
Find the cause
The plumber traces the fault, with a scope or gauge where one earns its keep.
Pick the fix
Options come in everyday language, and nothing starts until you choose.
Repair & prove it
We finish, run the water to prove it, wipe up and leave a short written record.
Calls we field, answered plainly
Which tap should run while the grinder is on?
Cold. Cold keeps fats firm, so the unit chops them and they wash away rather than smearing the pipe.
How long does a disposal last?
Often around ten years, longer for units with stainless grinding parts.