Replacement and new installation
Swapping a failed unit, or fitting a disposal where there has not been one — including the sink flange, mounting assembly and drain connections.
Fixtures & Installs · Northern Virginia
Installed so it runs quietly, drains properly, and does not leak.
Quick answer
LeMaster Plumber replaces and installs garbage disposals for homeowners across Northern Virginia — wired and plumbed for quiet, reliable operation. Most replacements are a straightforward same-visit job. The parts that decide whether it works well are the ones that are easy to get wrong: sizing the unit to the household, getting the drain connection right, and mounting it so it does not hum, leak or vibrate the cabinet.
A disposal that jams constantly, hums without turning, or leaks under the sink is usually telling you something about the install or the unit rather than about what went down it. We replace disposals properly — correct mounting, a clean drain tie-in, dishwasher connection handled the right way — so the new one is quieter and lasts longer than the one it replaced.
Swapping a failed unit, or fitting a disposal where there has not been one — including the sink flange, mounting assembly and drain connections.
Household size and how you actually cook decide the motor and grind stage you need. An underpowered unit jams; that is not user error.
A correct tie-in to the trap arm, and the dishwasher drain connected properly — including knocking out the plug, which is the single most common cause of a brand-new disposal backing up into the dishwasher.
Hard-wired or cord-and-plug to suit the existing setup, made off safely.
We run it, check every joint under load, and leave the cabinet dry and the old unit taken away.
Being clear about the edges of a job is how you avoid a surprise halfway through it:
A humming unit is sometimes a jam and a reset, not a dead motor. We check before we sell you a disposal you did not need.
Mounting type, sink flange, cabinet clearance, drain height and the dishwasher connection all get checked before anything is disconnected.
Mount the unit, make the drain tie-in, connect the dishwasher line and the electrical, and set it so the weight is properly supported.
We run water and the unit together, check every joint for leaks, and confirm the dishwasher drains through correctly.
Why LeMaster Plumber
You approve the price before we start — no surprises and no pressure. You’ll always know the cost before any work begins.
Every job is backed by proper training, the right permits, and a workmanship guarantee.
We show up on time, protect your space, and leave the job cleaner than we found it.
We quote every job upfront and you approve the price before any work begins. What we cannot do honestly is put a number on this page without seeing your situation — so here is what actually moves it:
Motor size, grind stages and sound insulation are the difference between a builder-grade disposal and one that stays quiet for years.
Swapping like for like is quick. Adding a disposal where there has never been one means new drain work under the sink.
Corroded trap arms, a failed flange, or drain plumbing that was not right to begin with adds work — and we would rather fix it than build on it.
An existing switched circuit is straightforward; needing one that is not there is an electrician’s job before ours.
Connecting or re-routing the dishwasher drain, and adding an air gap or high loop where the setup calls for it.
Replacing a disposal like for like is ordinary fixture work and does not normally require a permit. What it does require is that the drain connection is made correctly — the trap and trap arm arranged so the fixture drains and the trap seal is maintained, and the dishwasher drain routed so waste cannot flow back into the machine. Those are code requirements, and they are also the practical difference between a disposal that works and one that smells or backs up.
Adding a disposal to a sink that never had one, or altering the drain arrangement, is a bigger change and may need a permit depending on the jurisdiction and the extent of the work. We will say so before we start rather than after.
One habit worth keeping regardless of the unit: a disposal grinds, it does not digest. Grease down a kitchen line builds on the pipe wall no matter how good the disposal is — which is why grease is the most common reason we end up back at a kitchen drain. Our hydro jetting page covers what that buildup does over time.
Ready to get it sorted? Pick your own appointment time online.
Or call (703) 832-9090 — we answer 24/7.
We cover all of Fairfax County — Fairfax, Centreville, Chantilly, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Burke, Springfield, McLean, Annandale and every community in between — plus Ashburn, Sterling and South Riding in Loudoun, and neighboring Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and Manassas.
Frequent jams often trace back to the wrong items going in, a unit that is underpowered for the household, or an installation issue. We can assess it, and if a replacement is the answer, we will size it properly rather than fitting the same class of unit again.
Often not. A hum usually means the motor is getting power but the grind plate is jammed. Clearing the jam and hitting the reset can bring it back. It is worth checking that before buying a new one, and it is one of the first things we look at.
Absolutely. Many customers buy their own faucet, toilet or disposal and have us install it. We will confirm it fits your existing connections before we start, and flag anything it needs. The manufacturer’s warranty stays with you as the purchaser.
The classic cause is the dishwasher knockout plug still being in place inside the new disposal’s inlet, or a missing high loop or air gap on the drain hose. All three are install details, all three are quick to put right, and all three are why the connection is worth doing properly the first time.
It varies a great deal by unit quality and use. Builder-grade units in newer homes often wear out earlier than owners expect — that is a common finding in the area’s newer construction. A better-specified unit, correctly installed and not asked to grind things it should not, lasts considerably longer.
The disposal is rarely the culprit on its own; grease is. Ground food waste plus grease coats the inside of a kitchen line, and that coating is what catches everything afterwards. If your kitchen line is clogging repeatedly, the line is the thing to look at, not the disposal.
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