Minor Fixes for Garbage Disposals

Your garbage disposal can be a dangerous appliance, particularly when it is time to clean it or repair it. Those spinning blades are a serious hazard, and you should exercise caution when you are working on your disposal. You can safely care for your garbage disposal, though, by following these guidelines.

How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Over time, bits of food can build up in your garbage disposal. This accumulation will lead to bad odors. You can easily clean your garbage disposal to get rid of this buildup of food waste and get rid of any lingering odors. To clean your garbage disposal, just use it grind ice cubes and the pulp from a lemon or orange. Do not place the peels from the lemon or orange in the disposal. Wait about thirty seconds. While the disposal is still running, squirt a little bit of dish soap into the disposal. Finish by flushing with cold water. This should get rid of any gunk that has built up in there and eliminate odors.

How to Restart Your Garbage Disposal

Sometimes your garbage disposal will stop working because it has gotten overheated. The disposal is built with an overload protector that will cut off power to the disposal when the motor gets too hot. If your garbage disposal suddenly stops while you are running it, it could be that the overload protector kicked in and stopped it. You can get it running again by following a few easy steps.

1. 1. First, turn the disposal off.
2. 2. Do not put anything down the disposal, particularly your hands.
3. 3. Check to make sure that the disposal is plugged in at the electrical outlet.
4. 4. Locate the reset switch on the garbage disposal. It is usually found on the bottom or the front of the unit. While the power switch is turned to off, press the reset switch.
5. 5. Now you can turn the power switch back on, and see if the garbage disposal is working again.

If the disposal is still not working, you may have something jammed inside the disposal. There is one more step that you can try to clear it out.

1. 1. Most garbage disposals come with a special Allen key that you can use to fix them when they are jammed. Find that Allen key; you will need it to unclog the disposal. If you do not have that Allen key, you can use a hex wrench.
2. 2. Take a look at your garbage disposal. There is a small opening on the bottom of your garbage disposal where the key will fit.
3. 3. Take the Allen key or hex wrench, and insert it into the opening in the bottom of the garbage disposal.
4. 4. Turn the key back and forth, and this should loosen anything that is jammed inside the garbage disposal.

These tips will help you to safely clean your garbage disposal or make a minor repair. If your garbage disposal has a more serious problem, it may be time to call a professional to repair it or replace it. When you need a professional plumber to fix your garbage disposal or install a new one, contact Scott English Plumbing. We can take care of your broken garbage disposal for you, and we will do it for a fair and reasonable rate. Give Scott English Plumbing a call today, and we will come out to your home and get your garbage disposal back to working order.