Kitchen Plumbing in Meridian, Idaho

Almost always a drain routing problem. The dishwasher drain hose needs either an air gap fitting on the countertop or a high loop, where the hose is secured up against the underside of the counter before it drops to the disposal or drain. That loop is what stops sink wastewater from flowing back toward the dishwasher. Over time the strap holding it can slip, and once the hose sags the protection is gone. It is a quick correction.

The motor is getting power but the impeller cannot turn, which means something is jammed. There is a hex key slot on the underside of the unit that lets you rock the impeller free manually, and a small reset button that pops out when the motor overheats. Try the hex key first, then the reset. If it still will not turn, the motor or bearing has likely failed and the unit needs replacing. Never put your hand into a disposal, even with the power off at the switch.

It depends on whether you are supplying the faucet, what condition the existing shutoff valves are in, and how accessible the connections are behind the sink. Corroded shutoffs that will not close are common in older homes and add to the job because they have to be replaced before the faucet can be changed. We quote the whole job before starting so the number does not move.

Yes. We install customer-supplied fixtures regularly. What we will do is check it before we start, because the two things that go wrong are missing parts in the box and a faucet whose base does not match the hole configuration in your sink. Finding that out before the old faucet comes off saves you a day without a kitchen sink.

Start with the aerator, the small screen that screws into the tip of the spout. It catches mineral debris and it is the most common cause by a wide margin. Unscrew it by hand, rinse it, and see if flow returns. If the aerator is clear, the next suspects are a clogged pull-out sprayer head, a partially closed shutoff valve under the sink, or a failing cartridge inside the faucet.

Yes, both the rough-in and the final set. If you are moving the sink or adding an island, the drain and vent have to move with it, and Idaho enforces the Uniform Plumbing Code, which has specific requirements for island venting where there is no wall to run a vent up. It is worth involving us at the design stage rather than after the cabinets are ordered, because sink placement is much cheaper to change on a drawing.

Grease is almost always the answer. It goes down warm and liquid, then cools and coats the inside of the horizontal pipe, and food solids stick to it. Over months the effective diameter of the line shrinks. Clearing it restores flow, but if it recurs quickly the line may need proper cleaning rather than just clearing, and in older homes a corroded or bellied section can be the underlying cause.

Around eight to twelve years of normal household use is typical, though how well it has been treated matters more than the calendar. Units that regularly grind fibrous scraps or run without water wear out faster. A disposal that is leaking from the body rather than a fitting, or that has seized despite clearing the jam, is usually at the end of its life.

It is one of the more approachable DIY plumbing jobs if the shutoff valves work properly, but the two failure points are corroded supply lines that will not budge and shutoffs that will not fully close. Either one turns a simple swap into an unplanned repair. If your shutoffs are original to an older house, it is worth having them checked first.

A dry trap is the most common and simplest cause, especially under a sink that is not used often, and running water for a few seconds usually solves it. If the smell persists, food debris trapped in the disposal or a buildup further into the drain line is more likely, and that calls for a proper cleaning rather than just running the tap.

Not always, but relocating a sink, adding an island, or changing the drain and vent layout generally does require one in the jurisdictions we serve, because that work changes the fixed plumbing rather than just swapping a fixture. We can tell you whether your specific scope needs a permit once we know what is moving.

Newer dishwashers often run lower flow through the drain hose than older models, which means a marginal drain routing that worked fine with an old machine can reveal itself as inadequate once a new one is installed. Checking the high loop or air gap, and confirming the disposal knockout plug was removed if the dishwasher drains through a new disposal, are the first two things worth checking.

It is a convenient time to do it, since the countertop hole pattern and under-sink space are already accessible. A dedicated filtered tap is a smaller, less expensive addition when done alongside other kitchen work than as a completely separate visit later.

Check the small screen inside the sprayer head first, since mineral debris collects there just as it does in an aerator, and it is removable and cleanable by hand in most designs. If cleaning it does not restore pressure, the hose itself may be kinked or the diverter valve inside the faucet body may be sticking.