DIY Plumbing | How To Unclog Your Garbage Disposal

Here at Scott English Plumbing we know that drain clogs are bound to happen to us all at some point in time. To be fair clogs are not an uncommon occurrence. With that being said there are proactive steps that you can take in order to prevent a garbage disposal clog in your home. Before we begin, these are the most common causes of clogs in your disposal:

• Overwhelming your unit by feeding it garbage too quickly
• Not running enough water down the drain pipes to completely flush them out while the garbage is pocessed
• Accidentally dropping a random object down the drain, usually a fork or spoon into the disposal system

Some garbage disposal systems can be a little on the weaker end so don’t expect your unit to be able to digest and devour everything that you send down it. Our trusted team of plumbers do not suggest throwing certain items that will more than likely cause a clog in your garbage disposals such as avocado pits, corncobs, artichokes, chicken or fish bones. These items will wreak havoc with your garbage disposal system because the high fiber content will become hard to break down. We suggest that you get familiar with your unit’s owners manual to know what it’s limitations are.

Unclog Your Garbage Disposal in Five Easy Steps

In the event that your garbage disposal does get clogged up, our team of expert plumbers recommends taking these five simple steps to help unclog your garbage disposal at home without the help of a plumbing specialist.

1. Shut off the electrical power switch: The power switch for your garbage disposal will more than likely be under the cabinet, near the disposal, or on a nearby wall. If you cannot find the switch locate the main power panel of your home and turn off the breaker or remove the fuse that gives power to the disposal
2. Inspect your disposal: With the help of a flashlight, look down the drain and you may be able to locate the source of the problem caught in your garbage disposal.
3. Remove the object causing an issue: If an object was causing the problem then remove it by using a pair of pliers. NEVER reach in to remove objects with your hands.
4. Wait: Give your garbage disposal 15 to cool off.
5. Turn on power: After your unit regains power hit the reset or overload protector button. This button can usually be found at the bottom of the disposal.

Once these five simple steps have been completed your garbage disposal should be good to go. Run some water down the drain and give your garbage disposal a go. The water should go down the drain with ease. If your garbage disposal remains clogged after all these steps then we recommend contacting one of our trusted plumbers at Scott English Plumbing . We can handle any job that you need to be done, so give us a call today and send your worries down the drain.