The Garbage Disposer
Not the most glamorous of all kitchen appliances but definitely one of the most important. Nestled securely under your kitchen sink it is ready to grind up the remains of food particles and to pulverize them so that they can be disposed of down your drain without clogging up the drain. This is when the garbage disposal is in working order, there are times when it will need some maintenance or maybe after years of use it will need to be replaced.
Garbage Disposer Won't Turn On
There could be a stuck flywheel which is one of the blades that chop up the food. You might be able to get it moving again by sticking a broom handle in and trying to rotate the mechanism or you can try running water through the unit while turning the garbage disposer off and on.
There Is Sound But Nothing Is Happening
More than likely this is due to an electrical issue. The circuit could be tripped, the garbage disposer just needs to be reset or the unit is simply not plugged in. If a reset is needed this can be easily accomplished by pushing a button on the bottom of the unit.
It Could Be Clogged
Sometimes things are placed in the garbage disposal that the unit can not process, items such as potato peels, bones, coffee grounds and egg shells. At other times maybe there wasn’t enough water running through the unit and a clog was formed.
You Might Be Able To Clear It Yourself
It is best to avoid using chemicals to try to unclog the garbage disposal it could damage the unit and the chemicals could also splash back into your eyes if the unit starts to work again.
Make sure all power is off before trying these steps. Once the power is off and unplugged from the wall check for any hard objects that may have been placed into it by accident. If by looking into the garbage disposal you notice something that should not be there use a pair of tongs to remove it and then try flushing water thru the unit and if the water flows freely you may have taken care of the issue. Again never use your hands in the garbage disposal as this could result in an injury.
If the clog is still not cleared it could be that the waste trap is clogged, to check this look for the S or P shaped pipe located after the unit. Then place a container under the trap, remove it and clear the pipe before replacing it.
Call Reno Plumbing Doctor for professional garbage disposer repair and/or garbage disposer installation 775-852-0111
Reno Plumbing Doctor is one of the most trusted plumbing companies in Reno. We have built our reputation by offering expert Plumbing Services at affordable prices and always giving the best customer service.
All of our plumbers are experts in garbage disposer repair and installation. No matter what type of garbage disposer situation you have; you can depend on our Reno plumbers to quickly and accurately diagnose your plumbing issue.