How to Fix Garbage Disposals

Sometimes you have to clear or fix garbage disposals in the kitchen sink when they jam, get stuck and stops grinding. This can be very frustrating especially when it stops when your disposal is loaded with scraps of food and with more food waiting for the garbage disposal to grind up.

Things You'll Need

• garbage disposals
• Allen key to unjam it

Instructions

1. 

   Make sure you never throw celery, potato skins and small bones down garbage disposals. Any food that has a lot of fiber will get caught in the disposal clog it so it cannot spin and someone will have to fix it.

2. Shut down the power to the garbage disposal, by turning off the circuit breaker before attempting to dislodge any foods stuck in it. Take a wooden spoon and put it down into the sink where the top of the disposal is. Using a swift back and forth motion might help start it working again. Remove the spoon and put back on the circuit breaker and switch on garbage disposal. If it still is not working try the following method.

3. Shut off the power to the disposal once again. Open the cabinet door and look at the garbage disposal unit. On the very bottom of the garbage disposal there is a little button that pops out when the disposal stalls. Use the flat of your hand, under the disposal to locate the popped button. Push the button back in. This should fix the disposal to start working once again.

4. Put the power back on and start to use the garbage disposal. If it still does not start working, there is one other method to use. Power and circuit breaker off once again. Put your hand, once again, on the bottom of the circuit breaker itself as before. This time feel for a little hole in the center. Take your Allen key, and put the tip of it inside the hole. Grab the end of the key and move it rapidly back and forth. Push the button in once again, and this time the disposal should be able to grind freely and should be fixed to work

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that the button is down. This shows the disposal is clogged and not working.

• Use the Allen Key to unlock it.

• If you have done all the steps and it still does not work, you might have to call a plumber

• Never! work on a garbage disposal without first shutting it down with the circuit breaker.

• Never!! put your hand down into the sink part of the garbage disposal. You could love a hand that way if it suddenly started working.

• Never put banana peels or chicken bones, down the garbage disposal.

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