Garbage in, Nothing out – How to Fix a Garbage Disposal
If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen, you understand the frustration that comes from a garbage disposal that isn’t working. Before you begin working on your garbage disposal, however, please let me remind you of the two most important rules to follow.
First and foremost, always unplug the garbage disposal before working on it. This safety rule must never be ignored. Secondly, never put your hand in the hopper, down the drain into the disposal, when the unit is plugged in. This rule, too, must never be ignored or minimized.
A number of things can go wrong, causing your garbage disposal to stop working. After you have noted, and taken care to follow, the first two steps, you can now consider the reasons that your garbage disposal unit is no longer working. Have you pressed the reset button on the unit? It can be as simple as this. Furthermore, check to see if the circuit breaker is tripped. If this is not the case, the unit may be jammed or the motor needs repair.
- No power to the unit. This is not the case if you hear any noise coming from the unit.
- The unit is jammed. The most common reason that your garbage disposal isn’t working is because it’s jammed. When this is the case, you will usually hear a noise or hum. When renting, if the disposal is jammed because something other than food fell into the device, the repair charge is paid for by the tenant.
- Broken motor. This will require repair. When the motor is broken, there will usually be no noise, and you might notice a burning smell.
We have provided a link that might help. Basically, the steps to check to see what might have jammed the unit involves unplugging the unit and turning the power off at the panel box. We can’t emphasize this enough. Then, and only then, you can reach in and dislodge the stuck item. You can purchase a garbage disposal wrench that goes into the center of the bottom of the unit. This wrench manually turns the blades to help free the item that is lodged into the disposal.
The plumber that we would call for this is RV Carey. You can reach him at 301-424-8899. His typical charge is around $90, and they will bill us. However, if the disposal is jammed because something other than food fell into the unit, you will have to pay. Jerry can also do it if he is scheduled to come soon.
For an extensive list of the local businesses, please visit Homesandadvice.com.
