Right after I settled down after arranging the food to be disposed of in the garbage disposal and turning it on. Rattling sounds started coming out of it all of a sudden. I inspected the matter and it was stuck with rocks. Understanding the situation made me grab the tool to deal with the Rocks in Garbage Disposal issue. If you want to know about the techniques, read to the end.
Getting rocks out of the disposal takes a few minutes if implementing the recommended methods and essential tools. The steps explain the importance of turning off the appliance and extracting rocks using the long-handled tongs/tweezers. However, you can use another time-saving technique, which is a dry/wet vacuum to provide enough suction to get rid of nasty rocks from the disposal unit.
In this article, I will mention the easy techniques and detailed steps to get the rocks out of the disposal. Know that the disposal unit is not designed to dispose of rocks, gravel, and the like, so know some maintenance tips to keep the liberty of utilizing the appliance alive and in full swing.
How Do You Get Rocks Out of a Garbage Disposal? 4 Steps Mentioned
No matter how much maintenance you carry on from daytime to nighttime, restricting foreign objects from sliding into the garbage disposal goes out of hand sometimes. But, you must not worry about the damaged disposal unit or a malfunctioned plumbing system as many techniques are there to tackle the task. Here are the steps.
1. Turn off the Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposal runs using electricity and involves plenty of water flow for adequate operation. You may not know but the combination of the two proves hazardous if do not follow safety preventions before troubleshooting.
Since you gear up to eliminate rocks from the disposal, turn it off by flipping the switch, circuit breaker, and main outlet panel. The outcome will save you from injuries during and after the procedure.
2. Shine a Torchlight
The next step is to inspect the probability of the rocks. Doing so will also make you guess the exact location where the rocks reside in the grinding chamber, in between the blades, or in the drains.
3. Remove Rocks
As you check for the locality of the rocks, grab long-handled tongs to make the process of removing the rocks effective and successful in one go. Here, you must avoid putting bare hands inside the garbage disposal even though the appliance is turned off. You only rely on the tongs to catch the rocks and let them sit in the recycling bins.
Note: You must insert the broom handle to make the flywheel turn if rocks lie in the depth of the hopper. What you must do is push your tool against the impellers so that the rocks inside become loosened. As soon as the flywheel becomes freely rotatable or break-free, remove the rocks using tongs.
4. Post Treatment
You clean your disposal from hard objects, such as rocks or pebbles. Ensure that you carry out post-treatment to make it work like before. Turn the appliance on and run cold water for a few seconds, so that it removes the remaining debris or hard-to-catch small rocks. Also, you must let the garbage disposal run empty making it ready for the next round of food disposal.
How to Get Rid of Rocks in Garbage Disposal?
If you notice that the manual treatment of inserting tongs or turning the flywheel does no justice in making the garbage disposal free from stubborn hurdles, you must focus on searching for other techniques. The primary ones are a powerful magnet or a dry/wet vacuum.
Use a Magnet to Attract the Rock
Using a magnet may sound like an uncommon technique, but it works effectively when everything fails. To carry on the method, you must turn off the power supply going to the garbage disposal. The next step is to use a strong magnet, slide it into the drain where the disposal opens, and slowly rotate it in different directions.
The magnet creates some magnetic force and rocks start attracting towards it in no time. You must stick with the process, remove as much gravel as you can, and pull them out of the disposer to dispose of them safely.
Safety Tips
- Turn off the garbage disposal power and use a strong magnet.
- Use a magnet to pull out rocks carefully, for it may attract other metallic objects.
- Try moving the magnet at a slow pace and with much care to not damage the disposal unit.
Vacuum Technique
Another effective method to get rid of the rocks in the disposal is using a wet/dry vacuum. So, begin with attaching the vacuum hose to the garbage disposal opening. Turn on the vacuum and place it near the place where the rocks reside. Doing so will pull out debris and rocks at the same time.
Rocks in Garbage Disposal – Maintenance Tips
Here are several maintenance tips to stop foreign objects from going into the disposal unit and make garbage disposal in an ever-green working condition.
Install a Mesh/Strainer Over the Sink
You must habitually use a mesh or a strainer over the sink to restrict the large food items or foreign objects from falling into the disposal. The inexpensive equipment not only saves you costly repairs but also protects the garbage disposal to run for many years.
Separate Large Food Particles
Before allowing all the food waste from the dishes or the plates to be dumped in the garbage disposal grinding chamber, you must have a strict glance at them and separate them beforehand. It will make the grinding process easier for soft food items for which the disposal unit is purposefully designed.
Educate Family Members
Following all the garbage disposal maintenance tips and operating steps alone does no benefit in ensuring the appliance’s long life. You should educate family members to contribute to the safety of the disposal unit, that is making kids or teenagers in your home learn the safety measures on how to dispose of food items, turn on/off garbage disposal, and deep clean it.
Run Cold Water/Ice Cubes
No matter whether you run the garbage disposal filled with food items or vacant, a flow of cold water is essential. In both cases, it serves as a sliding agent in letting the crushed food items and debris from the grinding chamber to the drains.
In a nutshell, you must run cold water before, during, and after the disposal run. However, the ice cubes come in handy when you intend to clean the appliance from leftovers or congeal fats or grease.
Clean with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Garbage disposal deep cleaning does not demand costly cleaners. Instead, you can complete the process by using an effective household remedy, which is Garbage Disposal Cleaning with Vinegar and Baking Soda. So, mix one cup of vinegar and a half cup of baking soda and pour into the disposal drains.
Let the mixture complete its job for a good fifteen minutes and run cold water after that. Doing so, you increase the garbage disposal shelf life and notice enhanced performance.
Over To You
Removing rocks from the disposal does not take a toll on you as this guide helps you every bit in explaining the three effective techniques with time-saving quick steps. In addition, I have mentioned significant tips so that you maintain a garbage disposal’s long life till its expiry date and the entire household plumbing.
Asad is a garbage disposal enthusiast, mechanical engineer by education, and the visionary founder of Best Pro Product. Asad’s journey has seamlessly blended his engineering acumen with his passion for kitchen gadgets, leading to the creation of a go-to online platform for homeowners and DIY enthusiasts seeking expert guidance on garbage disposals. His meticulous research, hands-on testing, and insightful reviews have established him as a trusted authority, while his commitment to sustainability resonates through his advocacy for proper waste disposal and reduced food waste. Asad’s interactive engagement with his community and his penchant for experimenting with new recipes make him not just an online resource but a friendly companion for those navigating the world of kitchen appliances and eco-friendly living.