Troubleshooting your garbage disposal can save you time and money. Disposals are a great commodity when washing dishes. However, some people are so confident in their disposal, that they use it as a trash can for uneaten food. Not a good idea! The issue isn’t necessarily that the disposal can’t handle it, but rather the drains can’t. Putting plates of rice, noodles, egg shells or leafy items through the disposal can cause clogs. Each of these items has a tendency to stick and create clogs. Especially if enormous amounts are thrown down the disposal at once. All left over uneaten food should be thrown away in the trash can The garbage disposal should be used solely for the residue and items stuck to the plate.
What happens when you turn your disposal on and it just hums?
This means the disposal is jammed. Most disposals come with an disposer key to easily help fix this issue. An allen wrench works too, as long as you have the right size. If you don’t have the proper wrench, a disposer key can be purchased at most home improvement stores. On the bottom of the disposal in the exact center is a hole for this wrench to fit into. This will allow you to manually turn the disposal blades. Sometimes a little elbow grease is required to move the wrench back and forth until it moves freely. Running a little water at the same time can help free the blades. After freeing the blades, turn the water on and then the power and watch it work. If the problem of jamming persists then chances are you need a new disposal.
What happens when theres no sound?
There are two possibilities when this happens. Either the internal breaker has tripped or the wall switch that sends power to the disposal is bad. On the bottom of the disposal near the outside rim is a reset button for the internal breaker. If you press this button and it clicks, then unjam the disposal as described above. Run the water and turn the disposal back on. If no click happens, then the problem may be the wall switch or bad motor. At this point you may need to call an electrician or install a new disposal. Remember to not overwork or cause unnecessary strain to your garbage disposal to avoid potential issues and clogs.
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