Having a garbage disposal is super important for many homeowners. The sink in your kitchen is used multiple times a day and can go through a lot of wear and tear. Problems with your garbage disposal can be frustrating to handle but can actually be handled fairly quickly.
Common issues with a garbage disposal could be from just the age of your garbage disposal system or something that is preventing the blades from turning. There are some other problems to look for before you completely give up on your disposal. Below are some ideas that homeowners can try and when you should call a professional plumber.
Avoid Putting These Foods In The Disposal
There are ways to prevent your garbage disposal from damage and keep it in working order. There are foods that you should definitely avoid putting in your garbage disposal. Some big ones to leave out of your drains and garbage disposal are grease, clams or oyster shells and non-food items.
Grease may start out as a liquid but it becomes more solid over time. Dumping the grease down your drain can cause clogs and cause problems in your drain. Grease could clog up the blades, or make other debris from going down the drain.
Clams or shells are really hard and don’t decompose quickly. Some of these items like coffee grounds and eggshells are a double whammy because they don’t decompose and they are oily.
Non-food items like silverware can cause damage to the blades of your disposal. If silverware does get caught down the drain, it may cause you to have to replace more than just the garbage disposal. This appliance can handle many types of foods, but don’t treat it exactly like your trash can.
Check The Power Source
The first place to check if your garbage disposal is malfunctioning is to make sure that the power source is properly connected to the disposal. Often your garbage disposal is plugged into an outlet under your sink and you can usually see if your garbage disposal is connected. If the disposal looks to be connected but still will not run, you will want to consider calling a professional plumber to ensure that you don’t cause more damage to your sink and disposal.
Clean And Reset
If you have put food down the disposal recently and it seems to be connected to power, your disposal may benefit from a good cleaning and reset. Clean out anything that may be blocking the blades from turning. Be careful not to hurt yourself with the sharp blades but make sure that the disposal is clean enough that when it is turned on it does not make a disastrous mess.
Your garbage disposal has a reset button on the bottom of your disposal unit. You should be able to push this button to get the disposal back to working order. Often, the disposal has a safety feature that will cause it to shut off if it is jammed or overheats. Pushing the reset button after the jam has been cleared should fix your problem.
Check The Circuit Breaker
The last place that you can check to fix your disposal is checking your breaker box. If the other tips in this blog have not worked, check to make sure that the circuit has not been overloaded. If too many appliances are being used at the same time, the circuit could have been overloaded and caused the breaker to trip. Flip the breaker back on after you have turned off some of the appliances using the power. This should restore power back to your kitchen and disposal.
After trying this, you may need to call a plumber if this does not solve the problem. S&B offers garbage disposal services that can help restore it to its prior functionality.
When To Replace Your Disposal
If the garbage disposal is still not running, it is more than likely that it is dead. The best option is to replace the disposal altogether. This process is not something that you should DIY though, calling a professional plumber will ensure that the disposal actually needs to be replaced or if the problem could be solved another way.
Repairing the broken disposal by yourself is not the most cost effective option in the long run. You will more than likely need to replace it sooner rather than later. Having a working disposal helps to keep food scrapes from ending up in landfills and prevent greenhouse gasses.
Garbage Disposal Services With S&B
A garbage disposal can be rather complicated, and you should refrain from making garbage disposal repairs to it on your own. It is crucial to ensure that the repairs are made to your garbage disposal correctly and by a professional plumber with S&B. This can go a long way toward preventing additional problems and ensuring that it can be restored to its prior functionality.
Our experts at S & B Plumbing are dedicated to providing you with the garbage disposal services and other residential plumbing that you need in order to keep your home comfortable. We can also help keep your drains clear and prevent sewage and food back up in your sink.
If you want to learn more about our services and receive quality work, contact us today! We serve much of the Weber and Davis communities. To learn more about the services that we offer, contact us today.
