Garbage Disposals

A garbage disposal works by using a high torque motor that runs at roughly 1 horsepower to grind food before it can be flushed down the drain with your waste water. The idea is that by effectively grinding and flushing the food waste, it reduces the volume of food in landfills and uses the existing sewer system to handle waste products. However, a garbage disposal – while very efficient most of the time – simply does not have the power to grind everything placed in it. Certain foods like artichoke leaves or potato peels can get caught in the blades and create a jam. If the disposal gets jammed it can lock up or even overheat. Most disposals will simply stop working when this happens.

If your disposal gets stuck, it is sometimes possible to fix the problem without calling a plumber. Make sure you unplug your disposal before doing any work on it to avoid potential injury. Once it is unplugged, stick a long wooden spoon or dowel in and turn the grinding chamber until the food that got stuck can be removed. If a larger object like a fork or spoon is stuck, you may need to retrieve it. Again, make sure the device is unplugged before sticking anything inside. Most of the time, clearing out a jam will take care of your garbage disposal problems. However, in some cases, the issue goes well beyond a small jam. It might have put pressure on the motor or the disposal might just be getting old and can no longer grind food as well as it once did. If this is the case, it may be time to call for professional help to either service or replace your ailing garbage disposal.