How to Repair Garbage Disposals
Garbage disposals grind food into small pieces before the food is routed through the waste pipe at the bottom of the sink. Unfortunately, garbage disposals do not handle fibrous food very well, such as banana peels, corn husks, artichoke leaves and celery. When the disposal is unable to grind through food waste, the disposal can become jammed. Some jams are more serious than others, but clearing a jam is a fairly simple job. On occasion, problems with a garbage disposal can actually be traced to the disposal's power supply, rather than to the disposal itself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Turn the power to the disposal on, then listen for a humming sound coming from the disposal. If there is no humming sound, chances are good that the disposal is not receiving power. Check the circuit breaker to make sure that all circuits are in the "On" position, or whether a fuse has blown and needs to be replaced. If the circuits are on and no fuse needs to be replaced, press the red reset button located on the bottom of the disposal to restore power to the unit.
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Turn the internal propellers manually if the disposal hums when the power is turned on but the disposal will not turn. If the disposer hums but will not turn, the disposal is most probably jammed. To free the jam, first unplug the disposal's power's supply cord from the wall outlet, then insert an Allen wrench into the Allen wrench socket located at the bottom of the disposal. Turn the Allen wrench in a clockwise direction to turn the propellers and free all but the most serious jams. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet, then press the red reset button on the bottom of the disposal.
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Free serious jams by first unplugging the disposal's power's supply cord from the wall outlet. Insert a wood handle, such as a broomstick, into the disposal. Use the wood handle to turn the propellers and free the jam. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet, then press the red reset button on the bottom of the disposal.
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