You’re making dinner for your family and friends, the food is almost ready, you only need to make one more thing, but when you flick the switch, your garbage disposal won’t turn on. Now you have a sink full of food waste that won’t drain and people waiting for dinner. Don’t despair though, try these common DIY plumbing tricks to get that clogged garbage disposal running again in no time.
Why Homeowners Should Always Listen to Their Garbage Disposal
Listen first: if you flip the switch for the garbage disposal and you don’t hear any noise at all, then the problem is electrical. Follow the steps below if this is the case. However, if you hear a humming sound when you turn on the disposal, skip down to the next section or call the electrician near me.
- Make sure that the garbage disposal is plugged in. This might seem silly at first, but if you were moving things around under the sink, the plug might have been knocked loose.
- Try resetting your garbage disposal – Most garbage disposals have a red reset button near the bottom of the unit. If you’ve been using your garbage disposal a lot throughout the day, then the garbage disposal may have overheated and automatically turned off to prevent damage. If the unit feels hot, let it rest until it feels cold, hit the reset button, and then try turning it on again.
- Check your circuit breakers – Garbage disposals are often on their circuit in newer homes. Sometimes, the breaker for the garbage disposal might trip, even if the power in the rest of the kitchen is still on. If one of your breakers has tripped, try resetting it and then turn the garbage disposal on again.
How to Fix a Clogged Garbage Disposal
If you hear a humming sound, but the blades aren’t spinning, then the problem is likely that your garbage disposal is clogged. Follow the steps below to see if you can get it turning again.
- Unplug the garbage disposal – Before you perform any of these, make sure that your garbage disposal is unplugged! You could be seriously injured if the blades start turning again while you’re working on it.
- Look for obstructions in the sink drain – Look down into your garbage disposal through the sink drain for any apparent blockages like pieces of metal or toys. Don’t try to remove obstructions from a clogged garbage disposal with your bare hands. Even if there’s no chance the unit will turn on, the blades are still sharp and could cut your fingers. If there are any obstructions, pull them out with a pair of needle-nose pliers and try turning the garbage disposal on to see if that solves the problem.
- Try turning the blades manually – Garbage disposals have “breaker sockets” on the bottom that can be turned using a hex wrench. The breaker socket is connected to the blades in the garbage disposal and serves as a way to turn the blades manually if the garbage disposal is clogged. See if you can get the blades turning by hand and if you can then flip the switch to the garbage disposal again.
- Hit the reset button – With any of these fixes, it’s a good idea to hit the reset button after you plug the unit back in. Clogged garbage disposals will often shut down automatically to prevent further damage and once the problem is fixed the unit needs to be reset to work correctly again
Can’t Unclog Your Garbage Disposal? Call Our Experts
If our DIY plumbing tips didn’t fix your overflowing garbage disposal, then it’s time to call a professional plumber. Sometimes DIY isn’t enough. You shouldn’t have to spend your whole get together wedged under your sink trying to get your garbage disposal to cooperate. So, rather than waste time fixing it yourself, contact us here at United Plumbing Heating & Electric for reliable assistance! We’re always standing by to help!
