Garbage Disposal Repair in Laurel, MD

Laurel conditions that affect a disposal

Laurel started as a Patuxent River mill town and grew into a commuter city between Washington and Baltimore. The City of Laurel's median home was built in 1984, so a lot of kitchens are on their second or third disposal. Houses near the historic Main Street district can be much older than that, with drain arms that have been patched together over the years.

WSSC Water provides water and sewer service in the city, and the City of Laurel lists WSSC's emergency line, 301-206-4002, for water and sewer problems. The City reviews building permits but does not review or inspect plumbing; plumbing permits are applied for directly with WSSC. Prince George's County says replacing existing plumbing fixtures generally doesn't need a permit, except for water heaters and testable backflow devices. The Laurel postal area also reaches into Howard and Anne Arundel counties, where the rules can differ, so check which county your address is in.

Repair or replace

Signs to watch for

• The reset button trips almost every time you run the unit
• Water collects on the cabinet floor
• The second basin gurgles or fills while the unit runs
• The dishwasher leaves standing water behind
• Food bits come back up through the drain opening

Timing and seasonal notes

Thanksgiving and other big cooking days are when most disposals jam, usually from potato peels, poultry skin and grease sent down together. In winter, grease cools faster in drain lines, so a slow kitchen sink often gets worse after the holidays. If your unit is old and already weeping from the bottom, replace it before a houseful of guests rather than in the middle of the meal.