How To Repair Your Garbage Disposal
Your garbage disposal in your kitchen helps you to clean your dishes faster, as you can skip the scraping part entirely from your dish washing routine. The downside to the garbage disposal is it's just another appliance that can break over time that will need to be repaired. Disposals can get clogged and stop working for a number of reasons, so you should be able to diagnose the problem and make repairs, or you can hire a professional appliance repair specialist to get your appliance working properly again. See below for some disposal issues and how to make the repairs yourself:
Clogged Disposal
If your disposal is clogged, turn off the power to the appliance. Take a look inside to see if you can spot the clog. If it's something such as a bone or other hard item that was stuck inside, go ahead and pull it out. If you aren't able to spot the clog, you may need to open up the disposal from the bottom using a screwdriver. Then remove the clog from there. Put your disposal back together and then turn the power back on. Test it out to see if it is working properly.
Disposal Not Running
If your disposal is not running at all, the problem could be the power isn't turned on. Press the reset button at the bottom of your appliance to see if that does the trick. If these weren't the problem, check that the fuse did not blow in your fuse box. If that wasn't the problem, look for any clogs inside (with the power turned off). If it still is not running, it's time to call in a professional for help.
Disposal Not Chopping Food Particles Properly
If the disposal is not cutting up the food properly, it could lead to a clog down the road. Place ice cubes into the disposal to help keep the blades sharp. If you have dull blades, they won't chop the food as they should. Ice cubes will keep your blades sharp, so use them in your disposal at least once per week.
Disposal Has Foul Odors
If the disposal has foul odors stinking up your kitchen, you can solve the problem by chopping up frozen lemon slices in the disposal. The lemon will help give your disposal a fresh scent. You can also sprinkle baking soda around your drain, then allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. The baking soda will help soak up the smells. Use cool water to wash it through your disposal.
Using your disposal properly will help prevent issues with your appliance. Do not place anything hard down the disposal such as bones, fruit pits or tough food leftovers such as corn cobs and husks. Keep the blades sharp by placing ice cubes down the drain, and always run cool water through the disposal - never hot. If you are having any issues with your disposal or any other appliance, call a professional appliance repair specialist to help make the repairs.
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