Residential · Drains & clogs
Garburator Installation in Markham
A garburator bolts to the sink flange, drains through the trap and needs its own power. We mount the unit, set the discharge elbow, knock out the dishwasher plug if needed and test it with running water before we go.
- Old slip-joint washers swapped if they weep
- Cable sized to the pipe, not a one-size snake
- Trap pulled and checked, line flushed at full flow
- Floors covered before anything is opened
- Licensed plumbers (details on request)
- Price agreed before work
- Call-only, no forms
- Tested before we leave
Signs you need garburator installation
Most calls start with a humming unit that will not spin, or a grinding chamber that has rusted through and drips onto the cabinet floor. Others come from people who just bought a home in Markham and want a disposer where the previous owner never had one. Either way, the work is similar: take out what is there, check the drain, and mount a unit that suits the household.
- The motor hums but the plates stay still, even after you free them with the hex key.
- Water pools in the cabinet near the mounting ring or the side outlet.
- The reset button trips again within minutes.
- The sink drains slowly every time the unit runs.
Our routine on the day
First we look at the drain height. A garburator drops the outlet several inches lower than a plain basket strainer, and if the wall trap arm sits high, water will sit in the grinder. Sometimes the fix is as simple as a different tailpiece; sometimes the trap arm needs lowering inside the wall, which we will explain before touching anything.
Next comes the sink flange, sealed with plumber's putty, then the mounting assembly and the unit itself. If you have a dishwasher, we knock out the inlet plug on the disposer and connect the dishwasher hose with a proper high loop. We plug the unit into an existing switched outlet under the sink. If there is no outlet there, an electrician needs to add one, and we will tell you so plainly.
Before leaving, we run water and the motor together, check each joint with a dry paper towel, and point out the reset button and the jam key.
Markham houses and what shapes this job
Older kitchens in Unionville and Markham Village often have galvanized or early ABS drain lines with a gentle slope that struggles with ground food. Newer homes in Cornell and Box Grove usually have tidy ABS and a switched outlet already in place, so the install goes quickly. Double sinks, island sinks and septic systems each change the plan, and homes on a septic tank should talk to us before adding a disposer at all.
Ring us without delay if
A leak from the bottom of the grinding chamber means the housing has failed and cannot be patched. Turn the unit off at the switch, unplug it, and put a pan underneath. A disposer that smells of burning or trips the breaker should also stay off until someone looks at it. For blockages that remain after the unit is out of the picture, our kitchen drain cleaning page explains the next step, and the garburator do's and don'ts brief covers what not to feed it.
Sometimes the fix is as simple as a different tailpiece; sometimes the trap arm needs lowering inside the wall, which we will explain before touching anything.
From the job notes of Plumbers in Markham
Job card · Drains & clogs
On the van for this job
- Trap wrenches, a bucket and drop cloths for the vanity or sink base
- Cutting heads sized to 1½-inch and 2-inch branch lines
Signs you need this
- Water sits in the sink or tub for minutes after the tap is off
- A sour smell from the plug or overflow
What we check before we pack up
- Pull and clean the trap and look at what came out
- Flush hot water for several minutes and watch the speed
| Fixture | What usually blocks it | What we use |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen sink | Grease, starch, coffee grounds | Drum machine from the trap arm |
| Tub and shower | Hair and soap scum | Pull the strainer, hand auger |
How the job runs, start to finish
- 1
On the phone
Explain what the water is doing and where. We ask the age of the house and which valve or breaker to shut while we drive over.
- 2
Drop cloths down
Floors and cabinets get covered, the water or gas is isolated and the work area is lit.
- 3
Find the failed part
We open the trap, cleanout, access panel or wall where the fault is, and show you what we found.
- 4
Quote, then work
We explain what failed and what the fix costs; no cutting starts until you say yes.
- 5
Cut, fit, seal
Old parts come out, new pipe, valves or fixtures go in, and joints are soldered, pressed, crimped or glued.
- 6
Test and ticket
We run water, pressure-test or fire the heater, check for drips, clean up and leave a written ticket of what was done.