Garbage Disposal Repair in Garner, NC

Is my Garner home's drain older than I think?

It might be. About 28% of Garner's homes were built before 1980, a much higher share than Cary, Apex or Knightdale, though the town's median home dates to 2001, per Census survey data. Houses near the Downtown Garner Historic District and off older roads like US 401 and Timber Drive may have kitchen drains that have been in service a long time. A new disposal hung from an old drain can grind perfectly and still leave water standing in the sink if the pipe behind the wall has narrowed with buildup.

What can I try before calling?

A few safe checks are worth doing. If the unit is silent, press the red reset button on the bottom and make sure the plug, switch and breaker are all on. If it hums, turn the power off and use the hex wrench that came with the unit in the socket underneath to rock the grinding plate back and forth. Never reach into the chamber. If water is on the cabinet floor, dry everything, run water without the disposal, and watch where the drip starts. Anything beyond that, especially a leak from the body of the unit or a motor that won't stay on, is a job for a plumber.

Who handles a sewer problem in Garner?

The City of Raleigh owns and operates the water and sewer systems serving Garner's urban service area. Garner-area flow was redirected to Raleigh's Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility in 2008, and the old Wrenn Road plant in Garner no longer treats sewer. If a plumber finds the blockage is in the public line rather than your house, Raleigh Water is the utility to call. Outlying unincorporated 27529 homes may be on private wells and may not be on municipal sewer.

One more Garner note

Plumbing and building permits go through the Town of Garner Inspections Department's online Permit and Inspection Portal; paper applications are no longer accepted. The plumber can tell you whether your disposal job needs one. If the disposal is being replaced as part of a bigger kitchen update, that's also a good time to have the older drain line checked while the cabinet is open.