You’ve just got home from work and are ready to take care of any leftover dishes from breakfast and get dinner started. You load the dishwasher, turn on the garbage disposal, and hold on there … the garbage disposal isn’t working!
How Do I Fix My Garbage Disposal?
If you haven’t changed your clothes from work yet, now would be a good time. You’re going to be making room under your sink and sitting on the floor. Probably not what you’d planned on your way home today, but perhaps you can get the garbage disposal working again.
Flip the switch on the garbage disposal and what do you hear? Is it quiet? It is a gentle hum? Is it trying without success to break up what it sitting in the drain?
If it is quiet, that could mean you have the easiest solution of all. Locate the reset button near the bottom of the disposal and press it. Now flip the switch again. If that doesn’t work, unplug the disposal and test the outlet with something else to make sure it is getting power.
Is there a gentle hum coming from it? You probably have something jammed into the blades that are keeping them from moving. TURN OFF THE POWER to the disposal before you do any more investigating. Always use extreme caution when trying to fix your garbage disposal.
Look at the bottom of the disposal. Is there a hex-shaped hole? By fitting a hex wrench into that hole you can try to free the blades from the clog from that vantage point. Otherwise, putting an object like a broom stick into the sink to free the blades might be all it takes to free whatever is keeping the blades from doing its job.
Are the blades moving? Often times, things are put down the drain that may seem to be a good idea, but really aren’t. Fibrous vegetables like banana peels, seeds and pits, grease and oil, are just few examples.
Make sure the POWER IS OFF and then use tongs to try to pull the material out and give your garbage disposal just enough room to work with and get running again.
We hope you’ve solved your garbage disposal problem and can now tackle getting dinner on the table and another long day behind you.
If we can help with a repair or replacement of your garbage disposal, check out our money saving coupons and then give Rick’s Plumbing a call. If you need it quick, call Rick!