How to Fix Minor Garbage Disposal Problems

Automatic garbage disposals are great, but if not taken care of properly, they can cause numerous problems. For instance, I’ve been told that it’s not a good idea to put bones, egg shells, potato skins, fruit with seeds, and fatty meats in your garbage disposal. If you do, it can cause problems down the road or even cause your disposal to stop working altogether. Let me give you an example... If you put some kind of meat that contains a lot of fat into your garbage disposal and then run it, thinking all along that it went down, it’s a good chance that it didn’t. The next time you use it, you hear a funny noise. Why? It’s because the fat from the meat got tangled up in the blades. Bones can get lodged between the blades and cause it to stop working too. An automatic garbage disposal can also put out a foul smell; depending on what you put in it and how long you let it run to dispose of the waste. In this article, I’ll give you some tips on how to fix some of these problems.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Ice cubes
• Wooden Spoon

1. 
    
   Don't Waste Your Money

   Don’t throw your money down the drain by calling a plumber if your disposal stops running. Try the tips below before you call a plumber or purchase another disposal.

2. 
    
   Look Under The Sink

   If your disposal stops running, look under the sink at your garbage disposal and find the re-set button. Press the button and then see if your garbage disposal works.

3. 
    
   Use a Wooden Spoon

   If that didn’t work, don’t take a broom handle and shove it into the sink to try and move the blades. Instead, make sure it is turned off. Then take a wooden spoon and put the handle in the sink disposal and gently try to move the blades. Then remove the wooden spoon, turn on the hot water and then turn on your disposal to see if it works. Nine times out of ten, it will have dislodged whatever was jamming the blades. You may however have to put your hand in the disposal drain, but make sure it is turned off! There may be something stuck between the blades. If so, pull it out and see if your disposal works.

4. 
    
   Try Ice

   If this worked but the disposal is making noises, this could be an indication that there is something still lodged in the blades. A friend of mine, who happens to be a plumber, taught me this neat trick... take an entire tray of ice cubes and put them in the disposal drain. With the water off, turn on the disposal and let it run for just a few seconds. Turn off the disposal and let it sit for about 5 minutes and, with the water off, turn your disposal on again. If the ice has melted, turn your hot water on while the disposal is running. This will not only help to dislodge food particles but will also sharpen the blades.

5. 
    
   Time to call the Plumber

   If you have done all this and it still doesn’t work, you may unfortunately have to call a plumber or your landlord to come and repair it.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use HOT water.
• Let your disposal run for a minimum of 1 minute.
• Don't jam food all at once into your disposal. Rather, add a little at a time. Your disposal could burn up if you jam food all the way to the top of the sink.
• Always make sure your disposal is completely turned off before attempting to put your hand in the disposal to remove food, such as fat from meat, from the blades.

[deestew]

on 12/19/2008 This is very helpful.

[lydiabily]

on 12/19/2008 Thanks for the disposal tips and tricks. The ice trick is great.