Coronado disposals fail for the usual reasons, jams, tripped overloads and worn gaskets, but salt air and hard water add corrosion and scale to the list. A plumber can repair what will hold and replace what will not. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Coronado.
Coronado gets its water through a City contract with California American Water, which buys treated, chloraminated water from the City of San Diego. Cal Am reports hardness at those source plants of about 145 to 280 ppm. Add ocean air on a narrow island and the metal under a Coronado sink, including mounting rings, hose clamps and slip nuts, can corrode faster than it would inland. Older homes in this historic resort city can have aging drain fittings as well, so a slow sink is worth checking past the unit.
What to do now
- Switch the unit off and cut power at the plug or breaker.
- Look into the chamber with a light and pull out anything hard with tongs.
- Press the reset button underneath the housing.
- If it hummed, turn the hex socket on the bottom until the plate spins freely.
- Run cold water and test once. If it trips or hums again, stop.
- For a drip, put a pan underneath and check whether the leak is at the top, side or base.
Symptom and likely cause
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Hum, no rotation | Hard object or fibrous scraps wedged in the plate |
| Totally silent | Tripped reset, breaker or GFCI, or a failed switch |
| Drip at the sink ring | Corroded mounting ring or failed flange seal |
| Drip at a hose | Rusted clamp or worn dishwasher hose |
| Water from the base | Internal seal failure; plan on a new unit |
| Slow sink with unit running | Clog in the trap, branch or lateral |
Cost factors
- Clearing a jam versus a complete replacement
- Motor size and grind materials of the new unit
- Replacing corroded mounting hardware, clamps or slip nuts
- Hardwired versus plug-in electrical setup
- A slow lateral, which in Coronado is the owner's responsibility up to and including the connection to the City main
The City of Coronado runs the sewer, and its Building Services Division handles plumbing permits; a plain disposal swap is small work, but the plumber can confirm with Building Services at 619-522-7331 if the job grows. When you call, mention the age of the home and whether the dishwasher drains through the disposal. If a new unit goes in, the plumber should also check that the dishwasher hose loops high under the counter or runs through an air gap, so sink water cannot flow back into the dishwasher.
Garbage Disposals questions in Coronado
How do I find where the leak under the sink is coming from?
Who handles sewage that backs up from the public side?
Does hard water shorten the life of a garbage disposal?
Does a bigger motor make a real difference?
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