Your garbage disposal is probably the most used tool in your kitchen, but it is probably also the most temperamental. With so much use comes many common problems. This article from Home & Garden Ideas explains these issues.
The most common problem associated with disposals is obvious – jamming. This issue usually arises when too much garbage is crammed into the disposal at one time. To avoid this, simply insert portions of your waste at a time. Also avoid grinding shells, glass, metals and other hard waste.
Other suggestions to avoid jamming:
• Cold water should be running when operating the unit. This helps congeal grease and prevents clogging.
• Keep water running for a minute after the disposal is turned off.
• To un-jam a disposal, turn off the power and move the flywheel back and forth with a broom handle. This should release any object caught between the blades.
• Never stick your hands into the disposal.
Another common problem is leaking. This is usually caused by loose screws and damaged or eroded gaskets around the areas of the sink, the drainpipe or around the motor. When leaking occurs, it is best to call a professional plumber. But unless it is any easy fix, it is probably going to be more cost-effective to just replace the entire unit.
If you are experiencing a noisy disposal, this could be caused by a few different things. Either you have a hard foreign object rattling around in your disposal (remove this with tongs), a loose mounting screw (simply turn off the unit and tighten), or you may have a broken flywheel, or a faulty motor. The latter two possibilities require you to replace your disposal.
If you need any help with your garbage disposal, contact Mahon Plumbing by clicking here today!