No matter how busy your day is, if your garbage disposal is acting up, you push everything aside and prioritise fixing the appliance. That’s how essential garbage disposals are in our day-to-day lives.
These devices offer plenty of help in the kitchen. But due to constant usage, garbage disposals are prone to several problems. You should attend to those problems promptly and get them resolved. Otherwise, they worsen!
In this blog post, we discuss the five most typical garbage disposal problems and how to fix them.
Unclogging the Drain
One of the most common issues with garbage disposals is clogs in the drain. The best way to unclog a blocked drain is by using a plunger.
First, ensure no water is running from the sink before plunging. Use a plunger with good suction, and plunge up and down several times until you hear a gurgling noise. This sound indicates that you have successfully unclogged the drain.
If this does not work, try using an auger or snake to unclog it manually. Should you have a blocked drain, these tools usually work to clear it out. If it does not, in rare cases, call your plumber to clear that stubborn blocked drain in St Kilda.
A Non-draining Garbage Disposal
When a garbage disposal is operating effectively, food scraps are immediately broken up, and liquids are promptly drained. If you find food and water backing up into the sink, it may be a sign that the pipes are clogged or that the sink’s blades are dull.
A Stinky Garbage Disposal
Food particles will build up in your garbage disposal over time and release strong, unpleasant odours. These smells only imply that your disposal needs a thorough cleaning, not that anything is wrong with it.
To eliminate odours within the disposal, use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. If they keep coming, you might have to disassemble the disposal, which mostly requires a professional’s assistance.
Jammed Blades
It is not uncommon for food particles or silverware to get caught in the blades of your garbage disposal.
To remedy this problem, simply turn off the power source and then use tongs or pliers to remove any items that may be stuck in there.
If there are no visible objects blocking the blades, use an Allen wrench or paperclip inserted into one of the ports on top of your disposal unit to manually rotate it and free up any debris that may be stuck inside.
Humming Noises
When your garbage disposal starts making loud noises, such as grinding or buzzing sounds, it could indicate that something has become lodged inside of it.
If it’s a utensil or a misplaced part of the machine, you hear grinding metal sounds. Then initially, you need to check near the blades and remove those items before continuing to use the appliance again. Ensure the device is unplugged before doing it.
Sometimes, it could also be chunks of food. If so, simply give the blades a spin to push through the waste. Another preventive measure you can take is to run cold water while running your garbage disposal and avoid putting large chunks of food waste into it at once.
A Smoked Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal producing smoke is not a good indication. The motor of the garbage disposal is malfunctioning if it starts to smoke. It could also indicate that the garbage disposal has a short circuit.
It’s usually something we can’t remedy ourselves. Call a plumber and get what needs to be done.
Leaking Water
Leaks can happen for many reasons—from cracks in pipes due to age or wear-and-tear over time, improper installation, loose bolts, or buildup of small particles around seals, which can lead them to crack over time.
But as a first step, check all connections between your pipes and garbage disposal unit for any signs of leakage. If any connection seems loose or damaged, tighten it or replace it. This should help stop any further leaks from occurring in future!
In case this does not solve your problem, you may have to call your plumber, who will set it right for you.
Not Working at all
If your garbage disposal doesn’t turn on at all, you have three possible solutions to try.
- Check whether the appliance is plugged into the electrical outlet properly. If not, plug it in the right and see if power returns immediately afterwards!
- Press the reset button at the device’s base. Occasionally, the garbage disposal automatically shuts off owing to overheating or another issue. If this is the case, hitting the reset button can make your garbage disposal work again.
- Or finally, reset the circuit breaker.
If none of the above options works, then you need professional help from a plumber, as there could be more serious issues at play here.
Conclusion
From clogged drains to jammed blades, we have covered all the bases so you can keep your garbage disposal running smoothly and efficiently.
In a nutshell, garbage disposals are handy appliances, but they often suffer from common problems such as clogged drains, jammed blades, loud noises, leaking water and technical defects.
Thankfully, these five issues are relatively easy for anyone who knows what they are doing when it comes to household appliances – simply follow our tips above for fixing each issue quickly & efficiently!
With just a little knowledge and effort, you should be able to resolve any minor problems with your garbage disposal without having to call a professional repair service provider!
But keep your plumber’s number with you. In case something goes wrong, you should have someone to rely on. Doyle is another skilled plumbing professional you may call.
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