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If you have a garbage disposal that is jammed, clogged up, or leaking, these steps will guide you on how you can be able to repair it without hiring a plumber. To remove a jammed disposal the first thing that you need to do is turn off garbage disposal or unplug the unit that serves it. Secondly find the hex-shaped hole which is located under the sink on the bottom of the disposal. If there is one find a hex-head Allen wrench to fit in the hole and force it forth and back directions a couple of times to destitute the vanes. If you don’t have a hex wrench use short brooms stick to rotate the impeller in all directions. Rotate it until the jaw locks itself inside the disposer. Plug in the disposer after removing the wrench and check how it will perform. Remove any unnecessary materials that may have stuck there like glass, fibrous food, rubber, and metals. If your disposal is not making any humming sounds when turned on then definitely that’s an electrical issue. After confirming that it is plugged in you can go ahead and switch on the unit reset button. You can also try to check if the circuit breaker is turned off or stumbled in the electrical service control board. You should consider replacing a new garbage disposal only if your current disposal doesn’t make any noise or turn on after trying to repair it.
Make sure you’re running enough water when your disposal grinds poorly while working on the unit to make sure you are not scrunching unwanted materials. If the blade is running but not grinding then you should know it’s broken and you should replace it which is easier than replacing the whole unit. If there is standing water in the sink that means the disposal drainage is clogged. When this occurs normally it’s the plumbing problem and not the garbage disposal. Disassemble the drainage pipe and clear the clog under the sink. If by any chance you notice some leaks below the garbage disposal find the source of the leak and tighten the loosened connections. You can either replace the unit’s mounting screws or the drain gasket if it’s really necessary. When grinding food always use cold water, do not overfill the disposal, run water before and after before you grind anything, do not pour drain cleaners or bleach. Never place your hand in the funnel-shaped part at your disposal while working on it.
