Los Gatos Garbage Disposals
Family Owned & Serving Santa Cruz Since 1984
Los Gatos Garbage Disposals
Family Owned & Serving Santa Cruz Since 1984
Flexible Financing Available Through GreenSky
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Garbage Disposal Repair in Los Gatos, CA
Are you having problems with your garbage disposal? When you require garbage disposal repair in Los Gatos, CA, call our team at Rosenthal Plumbing. An experienced plumber in Los Gatos will get to you as soon as they can, check out your garbage disposal, and let you know what the plan is to get it working again soon. We know that you need your garbage disposal to work well so you can thrive at home, and we will do everything we can to get it back up and running again soon. Read about how to take care of your garbage disposal to prevent needing repairs or a replacement from our blog post about thing to never put down your garbage disposal by our Los Gatos plumbers, then give us a call!
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Replacement Garbage Disposals in Los Gatos
Sometimes, it’s in your best interests to replace your garbage disposal rather than to repair it. It might be old and we may see additional signs of breakdown in addition to the problem you need to have repaired. Other times, the garbage disposal repair in Los Gatos is going to cost more than you would spend if you replaced it. And sometimes your garbage disposal just isn’t installed correctly and we can’t fix that.
If this happens in your home, we’ll always let you know. We strive to be straightforward and upfront with you at all times, so we’ll tell you if we think you should replace your garbage disposal rather than repair it. We can even help you pick out a new one, and then we’ll get it installed properly for you so you don’t have to worry anymore.

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For more than three decades, Rosenthal Plumbing has been the go-to source when property owners need a reliable Santa Cruz plumbing company. We provide a wide range of quality plumbing services in Santa Cruz, CA, from repairs and maintenance to installations and replacements.
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My garbage disposal is humming but not grinding — what’s wrong, and can I fix it myself?
A humming garbage disposal is one of the most common issues we see in Los Gatos homes, and it usually means the motor is getting power but the blades are jammed and can’t spin. This is most often caused by something getting stuck between the grinding plate and the impellers — things like a bone fragment, a piece of silverware that slipped in, or a buildup of fibrous food waste. Before you call us, there are a couple of safe things you can try. First, make sure the unit is turned off. Then, look underneath the disposal for a small hex-shaped hole — most units have one on the bottom. Use the Allen wrench that came with the disposal (or any ¼-inch Allen wrench) and manually rotate the grinding plate back and forth to free whatever is stuck. You can also try pressing the reset button on the bottom of the unit, which trips when the motor overloads. If the disposal still hums but won’t spin after trying these steps, it’s time to call a professional. Forcing it to run while jammed can burn out the motor, which turns a simple repair into a full replacement.
What should I never put down my garbage disposal to avoid needing repairs?
This is a question we love answering because a little prevention goes a long way in keeping your garbage disposal running smoothly. There are several things that Los Gatos homeowners commonly put down the disposal that really shouldn’t go there. Grease, fats, and cooking oils are at the top of the list — they may go down as liquid, but they solidify in your pipes and create stubborn clogs over time. Fibrous vegetables like celery, artichokes, asparagus, and corn husks are another big one — the stringy fibers can wrap around the blades and jam the motor. Starchy foods like pasta, rice, and potato peels expand with water and can create a thick, paste-like buildup inside the unit and drain. Bones, fruit pits, and shellfish shells are too hard for most residential disposals to handle effectively. Coffee grounds might seem harmless, but they accumulate in pipes and contribute to blockages. And it goes without saying, but non-food items like glass, plastic, rubber bands, and twist ties should never go in. A good rule of thumb: if you’re unsure, throw it in the trash or compost instead. If your disposal is already giving you trouble after something went down that shouldn’t have, call us at Rosenthal Plumbing. We’ll get it sorted out quickly so you can get back to your routine.
Should I repair or replace my garbage disposal, and how do I know which makes more sense?
That depends on a few factors — the age of the unit, what’s wrong with it, and what it would cost to fix versus replace. If your garbage disposal is relatively new and the problem is something straightforward like a jam, a tripped reset button, or a minor leak at a connection point, a repair is usually the way to go. These are quick, affordable fixes that can extend the life of your disposal significantly. On the other hand, if the unit is older (most garbage disposals last about 8–15 years depending on usage and quality), we start looking at the bigger picture. If the motor has burned out, the unit is leaking from the body itself, or the blades are worn and not grinding effectively anymore, the cost of repair often approaches or exceeds the cost of simply installing a new one. There are also cases where a garbage disposal was never installed correctly in the first place, which can cause recurring issues that no single repair will permanently solve. At Rosenthal Plumbing, we’ll always be straightforward with you. If a repair makes sense, we’ll do the repair. If we think replacement is the smarter investment, we’ll tell you that — and we can help you pick out a new unit that fits your kitchen and your budget. We handle the full installation and make sure everything is working perfectly before we leave.


Call The Los Gatos Plumbers At Rosenthal Plumbing Today!
At Rosenthal Plumbing, we will get your garbage disposal repair in Los Gatos done as soon as we possibly can, so you can get back to your everyday life. We’re a Santa Cruz plumbing company with over 30 years of serving the Los Gatos area, so let us take the stress and strain of these repairs away from you since we know you have more important things to focus on!
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