Why Is My Commercial Garbage Disposal Leaking

Garbage disposal is an essential appliance for restaurants as it helps you grind the waste into manageable size so it can be easily disposed of without causing major drain troubles. As it’s so important, if there is an issue with your garbage disposal, you should try to fix it as quickly as possible or call in a commercial garbage disposal repair service. The most common problem restaurants and commercial kitchens face with garbage disposals is leakage. Here we will discuss the reasons of garbage disposal leakage and what you should do to avoid it happening in the future. Let’s begin!

Types Of Garbage Disposals

To be able to learn about the causes of leakage, first you should know what are the main types of garbage disposals and how they work.

There two main types of garbage disposals: batch feed and continuous feed garbage disposals.

Surprisingly, both of these types are much the same and the main difference between them is the procedure of turning them on.

  • For feed disposal models, there is a stopper that you need to place in the disposal opening before usage, this action turns on the disposal.
  • On the other hand, continuous feed models feature a rubber shield at the bottom through which the food is pushed into the disposal. And there is a flip switch on the wall though which you turn the appliance on.

The purpose of understanding how a garbage disposal works is to determine exactly where the garbage disposal unit leaks. This helps you decide if you should repair the commercial appliance or replace it. Furthermore, for inspection, firstly put some water into the sink and then turn on the appliance when the water is running down the sink. You should then thoroughly and cautiously begin to examine the source of the leak.

Causes Of Garbage Disposal Leakages

When it comes to inspecting the garbage disposal system, the first thing you should check are the pipes that are connecting the disposal to the sink. This is achievable since it does not require dismantling the entire appliance. Inspect and check the pipe or pipes for any breaks or cracks that might be causing the leakage.

Usually, a garbage disposal is linked using a sink flange to the sink to the bottom of the sink. Furthermore, several garbage disposal systems vibrate due to the grinding of the interior blades. As a result, the vibration can cause the flange screws to loosen, resulting in leakages.

Worn Out Putty

If the garbage disposal leak originates from the top even after tightening the flange, you might have an issue with the putty. The putty is a metal clamp that is used to seal the flange. It might be that it has eroded, rusted, or become weak or worn.

Loose Screws

In addition to that, it might be that the leakage is originating from the dishwasher connection. The dishwasher hose pipe uses a metal screw to support itself and it might be that the screw has become loose. This is a serious leakage problem that needs immediate attention.

Cracked Pipes

The waste travels from the garbage disposal system to a sewer through a hosepipe. It might be that the pipe is leaking. It also might be that the pipe has cracks or could be broken causing leakage. Additionally, the bolts holding the garbage disposal system and the discharge pipe might be causing the water to outflow from the system as well.

Leaking Gasket

Lastly, there exists a gasket between the blades and the sink of the garbage disposal system. If the gasket happens to be frayed or cracked, leakage is a big possibility. However, to inspect it, you will need to dismantle it.

Final Word

By now, you must have had an idea of how important it is to maintain a commercial garbage disposal system. Since it is the only system in your house or restaurant that will discard organic things for you, you must keep it in check. If some problems are hard to diagnose or fix, call a commercial appliances repair Springfield service for help because we may need the appliance to start working immediately so hiring an expert is the best option for quick repairs.