Fixing Garbage Disposals

The loud clunks of a hurting garbage disposal can be quite a disturbing sound to hear. No, your sink is not turning into a Transformer like in the movie and yes, everything will be okay. In all seriousness, garbage disposals run into problems from time to time and this article will help you fix or recognize what these issues are.

1. The first problem you can run into with a garbage disposal is there could be debris lodged inside the garbage disposal blades. This will be a very loud, distinct sound. Often times it will be the metal blades colliding with the debris which makes this ruckus. A simple fix for this is to grab a flashlight and look down into your garbage disposal to see if you can spot the debris. If so, either reach down with your hand or use a tool to pull out the debris. Double check that the disposal is off before you extract the debris.
2. This next step will involve more elbow grease and handyman work. Whenever the disposal is clogged with food or the gears get stuck, the unit will stop working. Head to the bottom of the unit and insert a 1/4’’ Allen Wrench key into the opening and rotate the key clockwise and counterclockwise. This will dislodge the stoppage and free the unit to run smoothly. Head to step 3 for the last step to get your garbage disposal running smoothly again.

3. This last step will go hand in hand with step two. The disposal being clogged or stuck will cause the reset button to be tripped. To fix this problem, just head to the bottom of the disposal unit and press the reset button. The button will need to be pressed AFTER the clog is removed (refer to step two) The picture below will assist you with what you should be looking for.

Hopefully these simple steps will get your garbage disposal back to working normal. If not, it might need further assistance from a professional. Give Flow Pros LLC a call and we would be glad to assist you with installing a new one!