A garbage disposal is a useful but often-overlooked feature of a home. Although it helps you get rid of food debris and makes doing the dishes easier, it may go unnoticed until it is time to have it serviced. Once your garbage disposal requires maintenance or repairs, it can become a nuisance. When this happens, you need a plumber. Below, the team from Murphy’s Plumbing Services in Mebane, NC, lists three ways to know if your garbage disposal needs service.

3 Signs You Need to Call a Plumber to Fix Your Garbage Disposal

1. There Is a Foul Odor Coming From It 

When your garbage disposal begins to malfunction, the first thing you may notice is a bad smell. It might give off a foul odor that smells like rotting food and sewage. If you have tried using soap, citrus fruits, and chemicals like bleach to clean your disposal and the odor still persists, it is time to call a plumber and have your disposal serviced.

2. It Takes Forever to Break Down Your Food

Your garbage disposal—when functioning properly—should be able to break down food and waste in a few seconds. If yours is stalling or taking an excessively long time to break down waste, there may be one of two problems. The first could be a clogged drain that is keeping food from passing. If it’s a clog, turning your garbage disposal off and clearing it by hand should solve the problem. If a clog isn’t the issue, the blades may have gotten dull, and you will need to call a plumber to have them sharpened.

3. Your Disposal Won’t Turn On

If your garbage disposal is not turning on at all, the fuse or breaker connected to it may have blown out, keeping it from getting power. If there is nothing wrong with the breaker, or you still don’t have power after resetting the breaker, you may have a clog. However, if there is nothing obstructing the disposal and it is still not working, you need to call a plumber to have your device inspected and repaired or replaced.

If your garbage disposal is showing any of the above signs and you need to have it serviced, call (919) 563-5165 right away to schedule an appointment with Murphy’s Plumbing Services. For a full list of their services, visit their website today.