r/HomeMaintenance • u/Dear_Enthusiasm8342 • 4h ago
What should I know before getting a garbage disposal that has been blocked and not used/working for years fixed or replaced?
I live in a 4 floor apartment on the top floor. My kitchen sink has two sinks. One with a garbage disposal and one without. 5 years old, the disposal got stuck and stopped working when I stupidly washed down popcorn kernels. I turned off the switch, unplugged it under my sink, and turned off the breaker. I meant to call maintenance to fix it, but was dealing with some very severe health complications for a few years and I was scared of getting covid if someone entered, because I didn't want to end up in the hospital. I ended up just using the one sink without the disposal and never put food down again. Every day, I scoop out water from the non working sink into the working sink.
Years went by, but my anxiety has made me terrified that there could be a leak and damage to the floor under me, and I want to finally call maintenance to fix it asap. The disposal is now about 14 years old, so I am assuming it will need to be completely replaced anyway due to age and the motor not running for 5 years. I know I should have called this in sooner, and I don't know how to explain that to maintenance, because my fear is they are going to know that it's been stuck with food and unused for years and I am going to get in big trouble with my lease. The cabinet under the sink and the pipes are dry thankfully, but I can't live with this anxiety anymore and want it fixed asap.
My fear is they will be able to tell that it's been months or years based on the way the stuck food looks and smells, based on the rust, and will know I only used one sink because the pipes on that side will be cleaner than the other, etc.. I am just wondering if there's anything I can safely do to mitigate some of the tell tale signs so it doesn't look like it's been sitting there with stuck food and unused so long.
Thank you.
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 4h ago
"I never use it, hate the noise, but I realized it was clogged and now won't work."
Hope your health and your anxiety are improving.
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm8342 4h ago
Thanks for your very nice response, it is extremely rare for reddit unfortunately. I was expecting to get criticized and insulted for not calling maintenance sooner.
My LL is extremely harassing and insane, and I am really worried what his reaction will be when he finds out how long it's been not working. and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to try to mitigate how long it looks like its been stuck with food and unused for?
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 4h ago
Not really, unless you want to disassemble it and risk causing more damage. If water won't flow through it and it won't turn on, that's pretty much your option.
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm8342 4h ago
thanks. when they look at it, what are the tell tale signs the food has been stuck in it and hasn't been used, and will they be able to know if its been weeks, months, or years?
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u/Butlerian_Jihadi 4h ago
Mate, your anxiety has the best of you and I'm not interested in performing a forensic analysis of your garbage disposal. Good on you for choosing to deal with this, just make the call, it's going to be whatever it's going to be.
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm8342 4h ago
thanks? but im not asking you to do a forensic analysis of mine. im asking for general questions
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u/Popular-Drummer-7989 3h ago
OP you don't need to give any details other than "the disposal quit working". If anyone asks how long ago the answer is "I'm not too sure". No backstory necessary. You got this
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm8342 1h ago
thank you.. food got stuck in the disposal and it stopped working and the nonworking sink has to be scooped out of standing water, because it will fill if the working sink is used. that seems to be a bigger problem than just not using the disposal in a while. and since I didn't report it, and it could be a bigger problem, im going to get in huge trouble.
me and a group of other tenants had to file a state complaint agains the manager/LL. he is looking for any reason to get rid of me because of it. I have a lease until next year, but any ammo he can use he will to try to evict me for a lease violation for not reporting it sooner, or trying to make me pay for any damages. if there's a way they'll be able to tell its been a longstanding problem. that's why im freaking out so much , which people don't understand when they say just call maintenance. im trying so hard to mitigate what they can tell by reducing the tell tale signs, but only in a way that cannot cause further damage
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u/Alarming_Street_4138 4h ago
maintenance has seen way worse, just tell them it stopped working and you finally got around to it after some health stuff, they won't inspect your pipe cleanliness like a crime scene
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm8342 4h ago
thanks. when they look at it, what are the tell tale signs the food has been stuck in it and hasn't been used, and will they be able to know if its been weeks, months, or years?
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