It’s normal to be annoyed if your garbage disposal is not working for no apparent reason. Broken garbage disposal will make using your kitchen more inconvenient, at least until it is repaired. Yet why should you have to wait for a plumber when you don’t have to?
When you understand the typical problems that cause garbage disposals to stop working correctly and solve them, it’s not such a huge deal if your garbage disposal breaks down. You can diagnose the issue and fix it yourself!
So now, let’s check out some things you can do to solve your garbage disposal problem.
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Has Your Disposal Stopped Completely?
When garbage disposals stop working, straight away check to see if it’s plugged in.
This procedure may appear unduly simple, yet consider your home’s under-sink area. It’s easy for your plug to get pulled out of your outlet or knocked loose if you put wastebasket or cleaning equipment under your sink. This method has to be the easiest fix of them all.
Alternatively, clicking the reset button could solve the problem.
Try the reset button next if the disposal wire is firmly plugged in. Depending on the model, you’ll locate it on the side or bottom of the garbage disposal’s under-sink section. You may have to dig around in the back of the unit to find it.
When you’ve found it, press it firmly once and then let go. When the garbage disposal is overloaded with food scraps, it can overheat and trip the reset button.
Can You Hear a Hum When It’s Turned On?
Something could be jamming the grinding plates if you hear a hum coming from the disposal.
Before attempting to clear the jam, make sure the switch is turned off, and the garbage disposal is unplugged from the outlet. Put your hand into the garbage disposal and try to feel out a small object that may be the cause of the plates jamming. Feel for things such as spoons, rings, knives, and other small solid things.
Sometimes blockages can be wiggled free by hand, but don’t give up if you can’t get it free the first time. Alternatively, if you don’t want to use your hand, use a long stick to feel around. If you find something, use pliers to pull it out.
As well, a little depression on the bottom of the garbage disposal, in the exact center, needs a quarter-inch hex-head wrench. To rotate the grinding plates and liberate the stuck item, place the wrench in the depression and twist it forcefully backward and forwards.
Is It a Power Usage Issue?
The electrical circuit may be overloaded with appliances.
Local construction standards usually require the electrician to run a single circuit for the garbage disposal and dishwasher to share in newer homes. However, in homes with many outlets on a single circuit, using the garbage disposal while other appliances are running can cause the circuit breaker to trip.
Examples of other appliances running simultaneously could be a countertop grill, toaster, or an electric kettle even.
Before you go looking for the tripped breaker in your home’s main electrical panel and resetting it, see how many other outlets in the kitchen are still working. Plug a small item, such as a desk light, into any other accessible outlets in the kitchen; if other outlets aren’t working, there are likely too many outlets using one circuit.
A straightforward solution is to use the garbage disposal only when no other appliances are running. Still, a more permanent solution would require an electrician to install any additional circuits to avoid the garbage disposal from being overloaded.
Is It Time for a Replacement Disposal?
If your disposal has stopped operating and will not turn on after following these steps, contact a plumber. Your plumber can examine the unit and its electrical connections to establish where the problem that prevents the unit from working has arisen.
If your garbage disposal is still not working after inspection, it may be time to call in the installing garbage disposal experts.
While the techniques above will repair most garbage disposals, they will not fix manufacturer flaws or blown motors. If the disposal is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer to see if a replacement is possible.
If you no longer have a warranty, it might be best to get professionals in. They’ll have all the proper knowledge about installing a garbage disposal. Plus, they’ll probably give you a load of tips to ensure it doesn’t fail so quickly the next time.
How to Keep Your Garbage Disposal Running Longer?
To ensure a long usable life, take good care of your garbage disposal.
Remember the following to avoid a waste disposal issue in the future: It’s excellent for pulverizing soft food scraps that end up in the sink after a meal, but it’s not designed to chew through fibrous food leftovers like raw celery, carrots, or cabbage.
Put most of your leftover scraps of food in the trashcan or even the compost pile if they aren’t meat scraps. Plus, it’s good to use your garbage disposal with cold water. Let the water run for a few seconds after you grind your food to remove any leftover fragments of food that could generate odors.
Also, you might want to invest in a garbage disposal cleaner and learn how to clean garbage disposal the right way.
Why Your Garbage Disposal Is Not Working?
Now you should have a much clearer idea about why your garbage disposal is not working. Run through all the tips we’ve given you to try to remedy the problem. Then, if all else fails, call in the plumbers and get it sorted, sooner rather than later.
Thanks for checking, and good luck resolving your issue. For more helpful posts, please feel free to check out our blog.
