Garbage disposal service covers the repair, replacement, and installation of under-sink food waste disposers, including jam clearing, motor replacement, leak repair, and proper sizing for the kitchen and household.
A garbage disposal that stops working is a daily annoyance. A leaking one is a kitchen cabinet problem waiting to happen. Most disposal calls fall into a small set of patterns. The unit hums but does not grind (a jam, usually clearable in 10 minutes). It will not turn on at all (the reset button, or a dead motor). It leaks from the bottom (the motor housing seal is gone, and the unit needs replacement). It is loud and rattles (a small object stuck in the grinding chamber). We diagnose and fix all of them.
Florida's vacation-rental industry runs hard on garbage disposals. Short-term rental kitchens see disposals abused by rotating guests who put coffee grounds, fibrous vegetables, pasta, and the occasional ice pick down the drain. Owner-occupied homes go easier on them, but even so, the typical 1/2 HP residential disposal lasts 8 to 12 years in moderate use and 3 to 5 in vacation rental service. The other Orlando factor is older home plumbing. Disposal installation in a 1960s house with cast iron drainage stresses the lateral when the slurry has to push through a partially scaled pipe. Hydro-jetting the line is often the right pre-install step on older homes.
A jam is the most common disposal call. The motor is running (or trying to), but the grinding plate is stuck because something is wedged in it. The fix is to power off, look down with a flashlight, remove whatever it is (often a fruit pit or a piece of bone), and use the hex wrench (the small allen key that came with the disposal) at the bottom of the unit to turn the impeller and confirm it moves freely. We carry the right wrenches and the patience to do it without forcing it.
Either the unit is dead or the reset button has tripped. Every disposal has a small red reset button on the bottom of the unit. Press it firmly. If it pops back out, the motor is overheating or the unit is failing. If the reset stays in but the unit still does not run, the next suspect is the wall switch or the unit's motor. We diagnose in 15 minutes.
A leak at the bottom of the housing means the internal motor seal has failed. There is no repair for this. The unit needs replacement. A leak at the top (around the sink flange) is a different story. The plumber's putty seal under the flange has failed and can be re-sealed without replacing the disposal.
If the sink drains slowly after running the disposal, the line downstream of the disposal is partially clogged with food slurry. Usually a quick auger clears it. If the same line keeps clogging, the underlying pipe is undersized, cast iron is scaling, or the kitchen has a long, low-pitched run that pools instead of draining. Hydro-jetting the line is the right answer for recurring kitchen-drain backups.
| 1/3 to 1/2 HP | 3/4 to 1 HP | 1+ HP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Singles, light kitchens | 2–4 person households | 4+ person, vacation rentals |
| Lifespan in light use | 6–10 years | 10–15 years | 15+ years |
| Noise | Loud | Moderate | Quietest |
| Cost (installed) | $ | $$ | $$$ |
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Jam clearing & reset | $95–$165 |
| Sink flange re-seal | $125–$225 |
| Mid-range 3/4 HP replacement | $295–$495 |
| Quiet 1 HP replacement | $395–$695 |
| First-time install (no existing disposal) | $395–$695 |
Ballpark Orlando-area ranges. Your exact price depends on the job, and we give a firm, free quote before any work starts.
FBC-P 802.1.7 covers the indirect waste from a disposal, and FBC-P 1002.4 requires a P-trap and proper venting. Disposals must be on a dedicated 15-amp or 20-amp circuit per NEC 422.16(B)(1), with a switched air-gap or wall switch.
Repair runs $125 to $275 in the Orlando metro for 2026 (jam clear, switch replacement, or splash-guard fix), with a $165 median. Full replacement is $250 to $550 including a mid-tier 1/2-HP unit, and $450 to $850 for a 3/4-HP or 1-HP model.
A jam clear and reset takes 30 to 45 minutes. A full disposal replacement is 60 to 90 minutes including new mounting hardware and flange. Same-day service is typical for both.
We stock InSinkErator Badger 5 (1/2 HP), Badger 500 (1/2 HP), Evolution Compact (3/4 HP), and Evolution Excel (1.0 HP). We also work with Waste King Legend 1.0 HP, Moen GX50C and Prep Series, and Whirlaway 191.
Disposal demand concentrates in single-family residential ZIPs: 32792 (Goldenrod/UCF), 32825 (Union Park), 32828 (Avalon Park), 32837 (Hunters Creek), and 32765 (Oviedo). Apartment-heavy ZIPs see less.
Disposal repair vs replacement decision by HP and age in Orlando 2026: 1/3 HP units over 8 years usually replace ($250-$385 installed); 1/2 HP under 5 years repair ($125-$245); 3/4 HP and 1 HP units justify repair up to 10 years old. Standard hardwire 120V on a 15-amp or 20-amp circuit. Service ZIPs 32789, 32792, 32803, 32806, 32812, 32814, 32819, 32825, 32828, 32837.
Call (407) 964-8940 for same-day service. Most repairs done in one visit, and replacement units are stock items so we can swap on the same call.
Disposal work often involves drain cleaning for the line downstream, and faucet or sink repairs are common adjacent jobs. Vacation rental owners in Davenport and Kissimmee are frequent callers.
Turn off the power at the switch. Look down with a flashlight and remove anything you can see. Find the hex wrench (small allen key) that came with the unit, insert it into the hole at the bottom center, and turn back and forth until the impeller moves freely. Press the reset button. Try running the unit.
Coffee grounds, eggshells, fibrous vegetables (celery, asparagus, artichokes), pasta and rice (they expand), grease and oil, fruit pits, bones, fruit peels (banana, citrus). The disposal is for trace food residue, not for getting rid of large food waste.
6 to 10 years for budget 1/2 HP units. 10 to 15 years for mid-range 3/4 HP. 15 plus years for quality 1 HP units. Vacation rental usage shortens those numbers by 50 to 70 percent because of constant guest abuse.
Run cold water, drop in a handful of ice cubes plus a quartered lemon, run the disposal for 30 seconds. The ice scours the grinding chamber and the lemon deodorizes. For deeper cleaning, baking soda followed by white vinegar plus hot water rinse works.
If you currently have a budget 1/2 HP and you use the disposal daily for a family of 3 plus, yes. The 3/4 HP and 1 HP units are quieter, last longer, and handle more without clogging. Vacation rentals should run 1 HP at minimum.
Run cold water when grinding. Cold water keeps fats and oils solid so they get ground up instead of liquefying and sticking to the inside of the pipe downstream. Hot water is fine for cleaning the disposal after the grinding is done.
Usually because the motor is binding (chronic jams), the wiring has a short, or the motor itself is failing and drawing too much current. Diagnosis is straightforward and we can determine repair-or-replace on the visit.
A budget 1/2 HP at full grind is around 70 to 80 dB (loud conversation). A quiet 1 HP with isolation mounts and sound-insulating shell is around 50 to 60 dB (background conversation). The difference is noticeable if you have a kitchen that is open to a living area.
Technically possible, but most homeowners underestimate the electrical and the flange-seal steps. A botched install leaks, and the leak shows up days later inside the cabinet. A professional install takes about an hour and comes with a warranty.
Our team is available around the clock to better assist you. Call now for fast, friendly help.
We work across eight regions of Greater Orlando. Reasons the service matters change by neighborhood, county, and home era.
Older inner-ring homes with cast-iron kitchen drainage need careful disposal use because of the brittle line downstream. Quality higher-HP disposals reduce slurry stress.
Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park, College Park, Audubon Park, Baldwin Park, Delaney Park, Parramore, and Fairview Shores
Lake Nona and newer south-side homes have modern PVC drainage that handles disposals well. Conway and Belle Isle older homes occasionally need drain-line work alongside disposal upgrades.
Lake Nona, Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, Alafaya, Azalea Park, Rio Pinar, Union Park, Conway, Belle Isle, Pine Castle, Sky Lake, Hunters Creek, Meadow Woods, Williamsburg, and Lake Buena Vista
Doctor Phillips and Windermere upscale kitchens often run premium 1 HP quiet disposals. MetroWest condo associations sometimes specify or prohibit disposal use by HOA rules.
Pine Hills, MetroWest, Doctor Phillips, Windermere, and Goldenrod
Suburban Orange County homes throughout this region are standard residential disposal territory. Rural east Orange septic properties need careful disposal use because solids overload septic tanks.
Apopka, Maitland, Winter Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Oakland, Gotha, Zellwood, Clarcona, Bithlo, Wedgefield, and Christmas
Lake Mary, Heathrow, and Sanford homes are standard disposal callers. Sanford historic-district homes with old kitchen plumbing need careful disposal sizing.
Sanford, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Fern Park, Forest City, Wekiwa Springs, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Geneva, and Lake Monroe (community)
Deltona's GDC tract homes commonly have basic 1/2 HP disposals at end of life needing upgrade. DeBary and Orange City call patterns are similar.
DeBary, Deltona, Orange City, Enterprise, Osteen, DeLand, and Cassadaga
Clermont newer homes and Mount Dora older homes both call regularly. Rural Lake County septic properties need lower-HP disposals and reduced food-waste loading.
Eustis, Tavares, Mount Dora, Sorrento, Montverde, and Clermont
Vacation rental kitchens in this region see heavy disposal abuse. Rotating guests put inappropriate items down the unit, leading to 3 to 5 year replacement cycles versus 10-plus in owner-occupied homes.
Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Buenaventura Lakes, Poinciana, Intercession City, Davenport, Four Corners, Reunion, and Celebration
A few of the communities we serve. View all →