Garbage disposal units are a staple in many kitchens. They help to save time and make cleaning up after meals easier, but what happens when the garbage disposal unit gets choked? If you have ever experienced this problem, then you know it can be frustrating! Read on for some tips about how to fix a clogged garbage disposal unit and keep it running smoothly in your kitchen.
How does the Garbage disposal unit work?
Garbage disposal units work by using a motor to turn an impeller, which is connected via a shaft to the blades. The food waste and water are mixed together and forced down through the garbage disposal unit due to rotation of these parts.
The following items can be disposed in Garbage Disposal Unit:
- Fruit skins (but not whole fruit)
- Coffee grounds
- Tea bags
- Egg shells
- Vegetable peels like carrot or potato peelings – but not entire vegetables that have been boiled first -they need to cool before going into the trash compactor.
What can not be disposed of in the Garbage Disposal unit?
-Oil or grease
-Coffee grounds that have been used to make a pot of coffee. (The exception is if the unit has an auto feed tube, which sucks in water and ground coffee beans at one time.)
-Pasta with sauce still on it – The pasta needs to be boiled again before disposal.
-Egg shell (unless the white has been removed)
-Food scraps that have not been fully scraped off the plates before being washed.
-Large bones, chicken carcasses, or fish with heads still on them. These are too big to fit through the drain hole in a garbage disposal unit and can cause clogging.
How to know that your Garbage Disposal Unit is Clogged?
-The unit will not grind any food or make any noise
-There is a bad smell coming from the unit and it has been running for more than five minutes. If this happens, turn off the power switch to your garbage disposal immediately by turning it clockwise until you feel resistance. Flush water down the drain until there are no signs of grease or food particles in the water flowing out of your sink. Turn on your garbage disposal again and run cold water while it’s operating so that anything else caught in the blades can be scraped off into sludge before getting washed away with hot water.
-The unit is not grinding the disposal and making a screeching noise.
-If you see anything other than water flowing in the sink or coming out of your garbage disposal unit, turn it off and call for professional help from a plumber as this is an emergency situation.
How to avoid clogging up the Garbage Disposal Unit?
-Keep dishwasher tube free from waste
-Do not run water while the unit is running
-Always use cold or warm water for a safe disposal. Do not pour grease down your garbage disposal, as it will eventually cause corrosion to form on metal blades and drain lines that can lead to leaks and overflows. You should also avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach or baking soda if you want to prevent clogging up of the Garbage Disposal Unit.
-If there are any food particles caught in the blades of the unit, do not put ice cubes into it because they will just make things worse by causing more buildup; instead, try grinding some ice cubes in a blender first before putting them through your garbage disposer so that they break up any solid pieces already stuck inside.
Garbage Disposal Unit DIY fix:
If your Garbage disposal unit is plugged up then you might need to take it apart for some simple fixes such as using needle nose pliers if you notice any materials caught inside blades of garbage disposal unit so they don’t get hung up when rotating during future use. A lot of people call this an easy fix but really all we’re doing is just removing food residues left behind from earlier uses by following this procedure.
If there’s something caught in the blades: Turn off the power switch, remove all food items from the drain area of your sink and then try using cold water with a cup of baking soda on top while running for about two minutes. When done, use hot water down the drain until clean water runs through smoothly.
If nothing is caught in blade but it has not been used recently: Flush cold tap water down pipe so that acid does
Another method of DIY fix is to take apart the Garbage disposal unit and use a plumbing snake. The blades may be clogged with food residue or hair from previous uses, so we can clean them by pulling it out of the garbage disposal unit’s drain hole.
The other DIY fix is to pour hot water down through your Garbage disposal unit as this will help soften up any clog that’s stuck in there on its way down to the sewer system below. This method should only be used if you’re confident enough not to create major flooding issues for yourself!
Final Words
A garbage disposal unit is an essential part of any kitchen. So, it’s important that you know the best ways to take care of this appliance and keep your food scraps out of landfills! In our blog post we’ve provided a few DIY fixes for common problems with your disposal so you don’t have to call in a professional plumber until absolutely necessary. If none of these tips work or if the problem persists, please contact us immediately and allow our team of experts to do all the hard work for you. Want to learn more about how to maintain your garbage disposal? Let’s chat!