Nearly Every Garbage Disposal Clogs Up At Some Point
Garbage disposals can be a helpful tool in your kitchen if used properly. They make cleaning up after dinner and rinsing dishes off a breeze. But they all have a tendency to get clogged up if some basic guidelines aren’t followed.
The Best Garbage Disposal
People often wonder what is the best garbage disposal to get so it won’t stop up. While this article isn’t really a garbage disposal review, a good plan is to choose a model with as much horsepower as your budget permits. And make sure the model you pick has a way to manually turn the shaft if it gets clogged.
Proper Use Is Most Important
No matter which kind of garbage disposal you have, how you use it has more to do with how well it works than what brand or model it is. Even the best garbage disposal clogs up sometimes, especially if a few rules aren’t followed.
Remember To Always Run The Water
So what’s the best way to use a garbage disposal? The first rule is to always run water in the sink when you are using a garbage disposal and let it run for several seconds after you turn the disposal off. Remember, everything that you put in the garbage disposal goes straight into your plumbing system so it takes a little water to wash it down the pipes.
Don’t Try To Grind Too Much
The second rule is that you probably shouldn’t try to put too many big chunks of food through the disposal. I’ve seen garbage disposal clogs caused by someone trying to grind what looked like whole carrots. All of the drain piping beneath the sink was full of grated carrot.
Recipe For Disaster
I know it’s inviting to just dump everything into the big hole in the sink and flip the switch, but that is a recipe for disaster. I actually know of one situation where a guy was putting eggshells down his disposal. He apparently ate a lot of eggs because the crushed up shells coated the inside of his kitchen drain pipe and finally plugged it up completely. The whole drain pipe wound up having to be replaced.
Get Rid Of The Big Pieces Somewhere Else
The moral of that story is that it pays to be careful how you use your garbage disposal. Put larger portions of food in either the trash or a compost bin and use the disposal for the little stuff that sometimes gets rinsed down the drain. Your drain pipes will thank you.
Garbage Disposal Clogs
Sometimes no matter how cautious you are the garbage disposal clogs up anyway. Don’t worry,it’s pretty easy to learn how to unclog a garbage disposal. There are just a couple of basic steps to follow.
Does The Motor Need To Be Reset?
First, find out if the motor is jammed. If you flip the switch and the disposal just hums, it is most likely jammed. If the power stays on to the disposal this usually results in the motor cutting off, so lots of garbage disposals have a reset button (usually on the bottom). Turn the switch off, wait several seconds and push the reset button.
Find The Hole For An Allen Wrench
Next you need to unjam the disposal. Most garbage disposals have a recess in the bottom where you can insert an “Allen Wrench” into the end of the shaft and turn the shaft by hand to free it up. Sometimes the wrench is included with the disposal. If not, a regular “Allen” wrench will work.
How To Unclog A Garbage Disposal With A Wrench
Make sure the switch is off before going to the next step! It is a good idea to go ahead and turn off the breaker that feeds the disposal. Turn the water on and stick the wrench into the bottom of the shaft. This hole should be in the center of the bottom of the garbage disposal. Now turn the wrench back and forth several times until you can turn the wrench all the way around easily.
The Broomstick Method
If your disposal has no hole for a wrench at the bottom you can always try the broomstick method. Take about a 2 foot long piece of broom stick, stick it in the top of the disposal and push down while trying to turn the grinding head. While not nearly as effective as the wrench method, on some models it’s the only way to do it.
Where’s Did I Put That Ring?
Now, with the water still on, turn the power back on. The disposal should spin and drain. If not, or if you could not get the shaft unstuck,there may be something ( hopefully not an expensive ring) causing the jam. Making sure the switch is off, look down inside the disposal. It will probably help to use a flashlight. If it looks like there is something that shouldn’t be there, try to get it out with a pair of needle nose pliers.
The Final Solution
If you can tell there is something inside but it won’t come out with the pliers it may require removing the disposal. If you have tried everything else, then the next step is learning how to unclog a garbage disposal with it removed from the sink..
Removing A Garbage Disposal
The trick to removing a garbage disposal is to not get in too big a hurry. The drain connection usually attaches on the side with a clamp that just needs to be unscrewed, so take this apart first. If the sink bowl is backed up and full of water make sure you have a bowl ready to catch the water.
Remove It From The Sink
Once the drain is undone remove the mounting assembly that connects the disposal to the sink. This will be either a big nut, a bracket held in place with screws or, on Insinkerator disposals, a clamp ring that twists down. Once the bracket is loose you should be able to remove the disposal from the sink, take the rubber shield gasket off and peek inside.
Remove Whatever Is Jamming The Blades And Put Everything Back Together
Now you can get whatever is jamming the blades out and then, before you put everything back together, turn the switch on for a minute and make sure the blade spins now. If everything works, put it all back together. Make sure you get all of the gaskets back where they go and then run some water through and check for leaks. Try the switch a few times to make sure it works and put everything back in the cabinet.
That’s All There Is To Repairing Garbage Disposal Clogs
You have now learned how to unclog a garbage disposal. If your garbage disposal is working fine right now that’s great. The chances are that one day you will need this information. When the time comes to fix your garbage disposal, review this article and it will be a piece of cake.