Your garbage disposal is one of the most important and convenient appliances you have in your kitchen. With just a flick of a switch it will pulverize food scraps and drain them away, leaving your sink clean and ready to go. That is why if you notice any problems with your garbage disposal, it’s important to troubleshoot them as quickly as possible. To help you out, the pros at Acree have prepared a list of common garbage disposal problems and how you can fix them!
1. Jammed Disposal
One of the most common problems your garbage disposal might face is having its impellers jammed. The impellers are the blades that assist in pulverizing food scraps that you put down your disposal. To unjam your disposal, start by turning it off at the breaker box. Then use a gloved hand to reach in and pull out whatever item is jamming the impellers. If you can’t find anything, you might have to unjam the disposal from the bottom. If you look at the underside of the unit, you will notice a hexagonal shaped hole. Insert either the offset wrench that came with the disposal or any Allen wrench into the hole. Crank it back and forth a few times until you can rotate the wrench completely. If you can do that, you have managed to unjam your disposal.
2. Disposal is Leaking
Leaks can waste a significant amount of water over time, which is why it’s important fix them as soon as possible. There are three places your disposal could be leaking from:
- The sink flange
- Connection to dishwasher
- Discharge drainpipe
If the sink flange is leaking, you will have to tighten down the three bolts holding down the flange to the sink. If these bolts are tight, the plumber’s putty sealing the flange to the sink might have worn out. Loosen the bolts and add new plumber’s putty to seal the flange to the sink.
If your connection to the dishwasher is leaking, you might have to tighten the hose clamp on the dishwasher hose or replace the hose entirely.
If there is a leak in the discharge drainpipe (the pipe that connects the disposal to the drain) you should tighten the bolts on the pipe. If this does not work, remove the bolts and replace the rubber gasket between the disposal and the pipe. Then install the bolts and see if it continues to leak or not.
3. Disposal is Draining Slowly
If your garbage disposal is draining slowly, there is a chance that there is a clog in the drain. Try using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar; 1 cup baking soda, ½ cup distilled white vinegar. Follow it up with some hot water and let the mixture sit for an hour or so. If the disposal still isn’t draining, try using another tool such as a sink auger.
Solve Garbage Disposal Problems with Acree!
If you want to learn more about how you can solve garbage disposal problems, get in touch with the pros at Acree! Call us today at (813) 530-9061 or schedule an appointment with us on our website!
