Garbage disposals are one of the most useful appliances in today’s modern home. They are used almost daily by everyone in the home. The problem with this hearty appliance is it receives literally no maintenance and it is the root of nasty smells in the kitchen that most folks don’t know what to do about. Look below at a list of strategies homeowners can use to keep their garbage disposal from smelling bad and keep it working well:
Repairing a Garbage Disposal Unit That’s Not Turning On
While working at your kitchen sink it’s easy to learn your garbage disposal is not working when you try grinding up some food scraps with the unit and when you flip the switch the unit does not turn on. Take the following steps to get your garbage disposal to turn on:
- Crawl under the sink, look under the garbage disposal, find the reset button and press. Pressing this switch may clear the electrical breaker inside the unit and allow it to start working again.
- Look down inside the unit to check to see if there are any items such as a fruit pit, rag or kitchen utensil. If you see anything in there, unplug the power cord from the unit’s electrical outlet and then use tongs or pliers to remove what you see.
- Crawl under the sink and look for the hex bolt located at the bottom of the unit. Turn it around several times using a hex screwdriver or an Allan wrench. Doing this may loosen whatever is preventing the unit from turning on.
- Look down inside the unit one more time to see if there is any visible debris you can remove with tongs or pliers
- Plug the unit back in and then turn on the switch to find out if your repairs did the trick so the unit will turn back on.
- If the power is fine, it may mean it’s time to replace the garbage disposal.
Keep your garbage disposal operating properly by putting strictly food scraps down inside it and not fruit pits, meat or chicken bones or kitchen utensils. Hard items can damage the blades, break seals and break the unit. Turn on your kitchen sink faucet and run the unit on a regular weekly basis. Doing so will free it from food scraps and keep the drain running properly. Schedule regular maintenance of the unit. When maintaining the unit, unplug it and then check to see if it’s clear of debris that will harm the unit. If there is harmful debris in the unit, remove it with a pair of steel tongs or needle nose pliers. When replacing the unit if it become necessary, hire a professional plumber to do the job the right way the first time.
Tags: Garbage Disposal Repair
