Mostly suburban homes built in the 1960s and early 1970s after the Harbour Bridge opened, with western Glenfield filled in later. A waste disposal unit grinds food scraps into small particles that wash down the kitchen waste with the water. Used well, it keeps scraps out of the rubbish bin and the kitchen cleaner. Used badly, or fitted poorly, it can jam, leak or contribute to blocked drains.
Adding a disposal unit to a 1960s or 70s Glenfield kitchen
Glenfield grew very quickly once the Harbour Bridge opened, and much of its housing dates from the 1960s and early 1970s, when the suburb was among the fastest growing in the country. Many of those original kitchens have since been replaced, and a new kitchen is when most people ask about adding a disposal unit for the first time. The questions we work through are practical. Is there room in the sink cupboard? Is there a power point under the bench, or does a registered electrician need to add one? Does the new sink have a waste outlet that suits a unit?
Then there is the pipe beyond the sink. Homes of this age often have clay drains outside, sometimes joined to newer PVC where earlier work was done, and the step at that join is a natural catch point. Glenfield also sits on the clay-heavy inner North Shore, between Kaipātiki Creek and the Wairau Valley, and clay ground movement over fifty or more years can leave small sags in the kitchen line. Ground food lingers in those dips. If your kitchen sink has ever been slow to empty, we would rather check the line before adding a unit than fit one and leave you with a blockage.
For households that already use the kerbside food scraps bin, a unit is a convenience rather than a need, and we will say so. Where it suits, we fit a mid-range unit with a dishwasher connection, check the flange seal and run a full test with the dishwasher draining at the same time. Marlborough, in the south-east of the suburb, went up on former farmland in the same years, and its kitchens raise the same questions about space, power and pipework.
Local tip: When planning a new kitchen in a Glenfield home of this age, allow for a dedicated power point under the sink if you want a disposal unit.
For anything else, see our plumbers in Glenfield.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Waste Disposal Units Jobs We Do in Glenfield
- Septic-safe disposers
- Jammed disposal units
Waste Disposal Units Glenfield FAQs
Do I need an electrician to add a disposal unit to my original Glenfield kitchen?
Usually, yes, if there is no power point under the sink. That electrical work is done by a registered electrician, and we can coordinate it with the install.
Why is my waste disposal unit humming but not working?
It is usually jammed. Turn off the power at the switch and do not put your hand inside. We can free it and reset it.
Can a leaking disposal unit be repaired?
Leaks at the sink flange or connections often can be. Leaks from the body usually mean the unit needs replacing.