A Lexington disposal that hums, does nothing or leaks under the sink has usually jammed, tripped its overload, lost a seal or worn out its motor. With most of the city's homes built before 1980, a plumber will often check the kitchen drain line behind it as well. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Lexington.
How Lexington's homes and sewer shape the job
Lexington has one of the older housing stocks in the area. The median home was built in 1969, about 68% went up before 1980, and roughly 14% predate 1940, per Census survey data. Neighborhoods like the Erlanger Mill Village and the Lexington Residential Historic District have kitchens that have been remodeled more than once, often over drain lines that never were. When a disposal grinds well but the sink still holds water, that older pipe is usually where the slurry is getting stuck.
Inside the city, kitchen waste flows into the City of Lexington's own sewer system and its wastewater treatment plant on Glendale Road, rated at 6.5 million gallons a day. The city runs its water, electric and natural gas utilities too, so the sewer side of a backup is a City of Lexington matter rather than a regional one. Grease and stringy scraps are the part of disposal use that gives the pipes between your sink and that plant a hard time.
Fix it or replace it
| Symptom | Often fixable | Often a new unit |
|---|---|---|
| Buzzing, no spin | Freeing the plate with a hex wrench | A jam that returns within days, or a seized motor |
| Completely dead | Reset button, wall switch or breaker | Motor still silent after power checks |
| Water in the cabinet | Sink flange, drain elbow or dishwasher hose | Water seeping from the unit's body |
| Rough or loud grinding | A utensil or bone loose in the chamber | Worn bearings or grinding ring |
Signs not to put off
- A reset button that trips again right after you press it
- Rust or water stains spreading on the cabinet floor
- Dishwasher water filling the sink at the end of a cycle
- A sour smell that comes back a day after cleaning
- A burning or hot-electrical odor while it runs
When problems tend to pile up
Disposals get their hardest workout around holiday cooking and big family gatherings, when potato peels, onion skins and grease pile into the sink faster than usual. In a house with a decades-old drain, one heavy evening can be what finally closes the line. Scraping plates into the trash first and running the unit in short bursts helps. Permit applications in the city go through Lexington's Business and Community Development permitting office and its online portal; the plumber can tell you whether a disposal job needs one.
Garbage Disposals questions in Lexington
Will a disposal cause trouble for the drain lines in an older home?
The disposal grinds normally, but the sink still empties slowly. Why?
Who handles permits for disposal work, and is one needed?
Why does dishwasher water back up into the kitchen sink?
More plumbing services in Lexington
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