Clogged Garbage Disposal

Jamie180
Level 2
Honolulu, HI

Clogged Garbage Disposal

Hey everyone,

I have an australian family currently staying in my unit. I was in the unit right before they arrived to spot check the cleaners and even ran the garbage disposal and sprayed a little cleaner in it as it was a little smelly...But needless to say it was working like normal. The guests messages me and said they "recently learned how to use a garbage disposal as they don't have them in australia and it seems to be broken and backed up after we used it".They would not tell me what they put in it. So I have a plumber going out to fix it, but I'm wondering... would you charge someone if the plumber says that they clogged it based on what they put in it? I cover SOO many broken things and I'm finally to the point where I feel like I should start charging when people break things. I just hate to risk a bad review. Your thoughts?

10 Replies 10
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Do what you are doing, and wait until you find out what they did to it, @Jamie180. It might just have been the disposal's time to go. But, as you suspect, if they put something ridiculous into it, and their "recently learned how" message makes me suspect that too, you could charge something reasonable for the fix. Talk to them about it. Keep it friendly. Let us know?

Pete28
Level 10
Seattle, WA

- Typically underneath the unit you can insert a hex key and turn it to see if you can free the blades. Not much can actually jam them up, the bigger problem is usually blocking up the drain with tea, coffee, rice, grease, shrimp etc

 

- Plumbers seem to take delight in charge astonishing amounts for fixing / replacing a $100 device - I've seen people pay $500-600 for replacement install which is insane. They are a little annoying to switch out, but it's not anywhere near that hard.

 

- You may want to swap it out for a normal drain with a basket to catch the crud. It's atleast in theory one less thing for the guest to destroy 🙂

@Pete28   This ties in with the "Do you fix things yourself?" thread. I realize many people are not at all mechanically inclined and may be totally intimidated by the simplest of repair or maintenance jobs, but often I've found that it's just a matter of them assuming it's far more complicated than it actually is, or that one needs special training or a plethora of specialized tools. Some people may not even have a clue what a hex key is. Youtube videos are extensive and great for learning how to troubleshoot and fix things.

While staying with a friend in Denver, I mentioned to her that I had noticed that all her faucets dripped (a no-no in drought-prone Denver in the summer) and her reply was that yes, she knew, but she'd been procrastinating because it cost like $300 just to get a plumber to walk in the door. I told her they just needed new rubber washers and that I could easily do that for her.  She looked really skeptical, but I assured her I'd done it many times, it was hardly rocket science, nor an all day project, and something all homeowners should really learn how to do. We went to the hardware store and bought a package of washers and I replaced them all. She saved all that $ on a plumber and took me out for dinner 🙂

Swapping one out is however an exercise in physical pain since they are usually hard to get at, and have a stupid bracket which was designed to make you want to swear 😞

Sherronna1
Level 2
Darwin, Australia

Hi Jamie

 

Do you have an information booklet or guest pack that explains how to use it properly so as not to cause damage and blockages? That may assist for future guests who have never used one before. 

 

We had an insinkerator in our AIRBNB apartment, however with guests coming and going, it was forever requiring maintenance so we opted to have it removed and replaced with a normal sink drain - best decision too. 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

I would call a plumber, be present and see what caused the damage. If it is my guest's fault then I would take a picture of it, and send them the the picture and the bill through resolution center.

 

I would also put a sign how to use garbage disposal, what is allowed and what is not. This is not common in many countries and I wouldn't know how to use it either.

 

In two years of hosting I realized that many of my guests don't know how to use very simple things like european locks, old school wooden windows, ikea rolo blinds, ordinary faucets... we have it all in house manual + notes all over the place.... and we still have to show them all of that during check in process just to be sure 😞

@Branka-and-Silvia0   There was a hilarious little Youtube video I saw where a couple and their 10 year old daughter were in a hotel room and the desk phone rang. You hear the father's voice in the background asking his daughter to answer it. She just stood there staring at the phone, which continued to ring- she couldn't figure out how you answered a phone like that, having grown up with cell phones all her life. 

LOL @Sarah977 😄 😄

Lyn3
Level 10
Mapleton, Australia

@Jamie0

Hi Jamie, I am embarrassed that these guests say we do not have in-sink garbage disposals in Australia - they perhaps might not have one in their home - but MANY people DO have them !!

These appliances ARE definitely in Australian homes and have been for decades.

Cheers 😊

 

Elizabeth707
Level 2
San Francisco, CA

Adding to this discussion:  San Francisco has a mandatory composting policy, and guests are reminded of this policy at check in and encouraged to use the under sink compost bin instead of the "insinkerator" garbage disposal for food waste. Nevertheless, guests (usually international) have repeatedly clogged my kitchen sink and jammed up the disposal by putting excessive or inappropriate food debris in the disposal -- coffee grounds, grease, potato peels, egg shells, etc. Each clog/jam requires an expensive visit by the plumber or handyman to unclog/unjam (with the hex tool) and reset the disposal. (We don't live on the property.) House rules and a polite reminder note above the disposal switch re proper use made no difference. At the handyman's suggestion, I recently installed a new disposal with a larger motor to handle the abuse, but guests have continued to clog the sink and jam the disposal. Now, I personally test the disposal before every guest checks in, including before the latest guest's arrival last week. Unfortunately,  the smell of rotting eggs and vegetables in the sink the day after that guest checked out led to the discovery that the *new* disposal motor has been *burned out* and is irreparable.  This was the last straw. I have decided that the disposal will be removed and replaced with a standard drain basket to prevent future expense and headaches.  Question: Seek reimbursement from the guest for what I expect will be an expensive  plumber's bill (but less than the depreciated cost of buying and installing a new disposal)?