Garbage Disposals in Buford, GA

After you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent plumber who covers Buford. Explain the symptom, the unit's approximate age, and whether a dishwasher drains through it. On site, the plumber checks power and the reset, frees the plate if it's jammed, finds any leak and tests the line. If you live outside city limits with a Buford mailing address, mention it, since the utility and permit office may differ.

Cost drivers

• Fix or replace: resets and unjams cost less than a new unit.
• Unit selection: motor size and build quality.
• Drain parts: trap, tailpiece and hose condition.
• Power: hardwired versus plug-in.
• Drain line: clearing a packed kitchen branch.

Buford's city utilities

Buford runs its own water, sewer and natural gas. The city's Sewer Department operates its own collection system and treatment plant and runs a fats, oils and grease program to keep grease out of the sanitary sewer, where it causes blockages. A disposal doesn't make grease any safer to pour; it simply sends it down with the food. The city lists 770-932-7986 for after-hours utility emergencies. Buford-mailing addresses outside city limits, including Sugar Hill, may be on Gwinnett County water and sewer instead.

Census survey figures give a median build year of 1996 for the city, with about 25% of homes from before 1980. In the older homes near downtown, the drain may need attention along with the disposal. Inside city limits, Buford's own Inspection Department handles permits (678-546-3514); unincorporated Buford-mailing addresses go to Gwinnett County. Ask your plumber whether your job needs one.

In the newer subdivisions around the Mall of Georgia, the original builder disposal is usually the part that fails, often with a leak from the bottom of the housing or a hum that ends with the reset tripping. Replacing it with a sturdier unit and checking the dishwasher hose at the same time is the common fix. Older homes near downtown may also need the kitchen line cleared.

Before the visit

• Turn the disposal off and cut its power.
• Clear the sink cabinet.
• Pour no chemicals into the sink.
• Check whether you're inside city limits.
• Keep grease in a can, not the drain.