Is your Garbage Disposal Jammed, and the only tension is how to fix it? Don’t worry; my experience in clearing out foreign objects from the disposal will not leave your side and make your machine work like before without creating trouble.
Garbage disposals are powerful enough to eliminate food traces within minutes, but they are prone to get stuck. The reasons are obvious, like pushing bigger chunks of food items, overloading the disposal, corrosion, or dumping kitchen cutlery that it cannot handle.
In this article, I will mention the easy fixing of the jammed disposal. In addition, you must learn preventive tips to avoid inconvenience in the future.
Garbage Disposal Jammed | Causes
Before finding the fixes for jammed disposal, you must know the causes of something stuck in the disposal.
Food Items
What should you push inside the garbage disposal or whatnot impacts its functionality? Large-sized food items contribute to overloading the machine and ultimately clogging it. Other unwanted edibles that disposal cannot handle, like, grease, oils, starch, or eggshells, are harmful.
Garbage disposal suffers jamming when cooked food gets dissolved in water and form a thick paste. Moreover, seized drains restrict the water flow and send it back into the sinks.
Kitchen Cutlery
What if the metal is stuck in the garbage disposal? Do you blindly wash the dishes having cutlery in them? Garbage disposal allows entry to the food trash and only some other items. For example, if entrapped in the blades, silverware like dining forks or nails cause the garbage disposal to jam with loud noises.
Corrosion
When you leave running the water for extended times in the sink, there are chances that it will flow down the drains and corrode the metal blades. Rusted metal blades lose their capacity to cut the food into pieces and produce humming noises. A reset button shut off the device before overheating.
How to Fix Jammed Garbage Disposal?
Do you step into the kitchen to turn on the disposal? But wait, it did not turn. It’s not a big deal for you as the reset button restores the problems. The scenario is that the disposal jammed won’t turn but only hums even after pressing the overload protector. What to do to make your garbage disposal responsive?
Turn off the Disposal
I advise confirming that the garbage switch is not connected to the power supply. You must disconnect the connection before treating it. Moreover, gather pliers, tongs, or wrenches to avoid inserting your hands. The plus point is that you can save time by keeping all the essential tools by your side.
Initial Treatment
Shine the torchlight and look for the nearest jamming. Food scraps must be the culprit residing within the drains. You can quickly pick them up by tongs and manually remove the blockages.
You may turn on the disposal and check if it usually begins running. Otherwise, rotate the motor shaft with an Allen wrench.
Use Allen Wrench
If the jamming particles are deep down, you can use the garbage disposal tool to clear out foreign objects. Continue your effort and insert the Allen wrench into the hole below the disposal. Turn it in either direction the way you desire; if you want to apply force, do it and loosen the flywheel.
As you succeed in turning the flywheel, the chances are higher that the jamming is removed. However, you may remove the stuck particles.
Turn on the Garbage Disposal
Troubleshooting with a special garbage disposal tool will unjam your machine and make it work like before. You must press the reset button to ensure it won’t pop out. Run the cold water down the sink and check the garbage disposal by turning it on.
Disposal Jammed | Preventions
What can you do to increase the longevity of the Garbage Disposal? Everyone wants to avoid common mistakes, so the machine remains intact and lasts longer. Remember, your kitchen appliance demands attention to prevent it from damage.
- Make a routine of running cold water before and after the grinding.
- Use ice cubes to sharpen the machine’s blades
- Flushing cold water subsides the presence of corrosion
- You cannot overload the machine, for it creates clogging
- Only allow the things at your disposal that it can handle.
How do you unjam a garbage disposal with a broom?
Broomstick is handy when you don’t have a garbage disposal Allen wrench. Grab the broom, insert it into the disposal, and rotate it the way you used to do with a wrench. Loosen the flywheel and confirm the blades start rotating.
Can you lubricate the garbage disposal?
No, you cannot lubricate your garbage disposal. You must know the agents of lubrication are grease and oils, and they are not allowed to enter the disposal. Moreover, if you do so, the blades become less effective.
Summing Up
Garbage disposal serves you in many ways. You must confirm that it is in good health and condition. The greater the garbage disposal maintenance, the longer it grinds your food without inviting particles that cause it to jam. In this article, I mentioned the easy fix for releasing the jamming food items and the preventions to follow.
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.