Why Is My Garbage Disposal Not Working?

Reasons Why Your Garbage Disposal Gets Jammed

 

Garbage disposal is a very useful contraption. Designed to help cut down on the amount of garbage in the household and reduce odors in the kitchen, the garbage disposal is built into the sink and shreds waste dumped into it. Once the waste is shredded, it is able to pass through the plumbing. Unpleasant scents associated with rotting garbage do right down the tubes with the food waste.

Using a garbage disposal is simple. Small food items are dropped or pushed through the rubber flaps covering the opening in the sink. The disposal is then switched on, causing the shredder blade inside to start moving. It is best to run cold water during this process to help flush the shredded items down the pipe.

Since the disposal is connected to plumbing, it is important to be cautious of clogging the pipes. Items that cannot be shredded by the blades in the mechanism, for instance, may fall down into the pipe, causing backups and jams. Large items may sit on top of the blades or jam them. Particular food items can also get wrapped around blades or other waste, halting all flow.

To avoid such issues, be sure to think before dropping items at the disposal. If any waste is large, cut it up ahead of time. For instance, if disposing of orange peels, chop the peels up into small pieces before dropping them into the device.

Never put hard waste materials, like bones or kernels, into the disposal because it will not be able to shred the material and may even dull the blades. Fibrous materials, like corn husks, may also be too sturdy for the blades to shred. Hair and similar materials, though not strong, can tangle around blades or other shredded items.

Also, avoid putting starchy foods like bread, flour, or eggs down the disposal. These items, especially when mixed with the water that goes down the pipes as well, can form sticky, thick substances that do not move through plumbing easily. Dispose of such materials by composting or through the traditional trash.