Can A Garbage Disposal Get Clogged?
Yes, A garbage disposal can get clogged if you throw in hard materials. Garbage disposals shred food material and other wastes, allowing them to be flushed down your kitchen drain pipes. Garbage disposal drains may get blocked from time to time since they handle many food particles, grease, and other waste.
If the blockage is in the disposal drain pipe, a standard sink plunger can usually dislodge it. However, if the blockage is in the disposal unit, you must free it before plunging the drain. Most homeowners can do this procedure without calling a plumber.
How to Know if Your Garbage Disposal is Clogged
If your trash disposal isn’t operating despite having electricity, it might be due to a blockage. Buzzing sounds often accompany the disposal unit that is jammed.
1. Sounds of Humming
If your garbage disposal system hums, it means you have a blocked garbage disposal system. The majority of clogged disposal machines are caused by larger or tougher things being pushed down into them. Avoid putting fruit pits and bones in the sink shredder since they are significant causes of blocked disposals. Small toys that tumble down the sink might potentially clog up your disposal. Putting too much food trash into the disposal might also cause it to clog.
2. Loud Grinding Noises
A louder-than-usual grinding noise is also a sure sign of a blockage in the disposal. That noise might indicate that the shredding blade has difficulty grinding a material. It might also suggest that food has been caught in the flywheel or elsewhere in the grinding chamber.
3. Clanking Noise
If you put on your disposal unit and hear a clanking noise, then after a few seconds, the noise ceases; it could be that your garbage disposal is clogged. You may remove the blockage on your own if you have the hex tool meant to unclog your disposal. Before you do anything, ensure the electricity to your disposal machine is turned off. You may either unplug the system from the wall or switch off the circuit breaker that supplies electricity to the kitchen.
Why Does My Garbage Disposal Smell?
Garbage disposal jams or food caught in the grinding chamber are two common causes of stinking sinks. Usually, your kitchen sinks may contain up to 500,000 bacteria that destroy waste and help it decay quicker. If you continue stuffing a big pile of waste into your disposal at a time, the bacteria may not be able to feed on them quickly. It won’t be long before you detect a foul odor from your sink.
A blockage may also be detected by foul odors coming from a garbage disposal system that takes an eternity to grind up food. If it takes a long time for your disposal system to dispose of food, something is stuck within. However, this might indicate that you need the services of a professional plumber to unclog your drains. If the odor comes from the disposal drain, the problem might be a blocked disposal drain. If your disposal isn’t draining liquids, you might have a clogged drain line.
Problems with the Power or Reset Mechanism of the Disposal
A clog may cause your disposal’s engine to overheat, causing it to stop working. As a result, you should always remove clogs as quickly as possible and never leave the unit running, even if the blades are not spinning.
The clog’s “power” buildup may trigger your circuit breaker even if the motor does not shut down. This may happen if the motor overheats and stops working as a precaution. If you’re lucky, all you have to do to reset the machine is press the “Reset” button. If your engine overheats often, it may burn out unexpectedly. If the disposal isn’t turning on, make sure it’s securely connected to the outlet. If none of these ways work, it’s time to call in a professional garbage removal service.
Can A Garbage Disposal Get Clogged? Steps to Unclog Garbage Disposal
Below are some steps you can take to fix your clogged garbage disposal;
- To activate the disposal, press the control button. If the device hums but does not spin, a blockage must be cleared before plunging the drain. Put off the power to the unit at the main breaker and then lay down under the sink on your back. At the bottom of the grinder, you will see a small aperture in the middle that accommodates an Allen key. Insert the Allen key into the grinder’s bottom and spin it clockwise. When you encounter resistance, turn the key counterclockwise. Continue turning the Allen key clockwise and counterclockwise until no resistance is felt.
- Fill the garbage disposal with water and place the drain stopper in the other drain.
- Place a sink plunger over the garbage disposal drain hole. Never use a toilet plunger. A sink plunger differs from a toilet plunger because it does not have a neck at the bottom. Using the plunger on your toilet might introduce fecal germs to your sink.
- Push the plunger down slowly, then pull it back up as if plunging a toilet.
- Push down and lift the plunger many times until the water starts to flow freely down your disposal drain.
- Turn the garbage disposal back on after removing the plunger from the sink.
- Allow water to pour into the trash disposal drain by turning on the faucet. Please turn on the trash disposal and let it run for a minute to eliminate any leftover waste.
What You Shouldn’t Put in Your Garbage Disposal to Avoid Clog
Garbage disposals are not designed to manage all types of kitchen waste. In reality, there are several items you should never put down your kitchen sink to prevent a blocked drain or malfunctioning disposal. Make sure you throw away the following things in your garbage bin instead!
1. Stringy or Fibrous Vegetables
Do not put rope-like vegetables inside your garbage disposal. Fibrous materials vegetables include artichoke leaves, broccoli stems, and cornhusks. Even before they go down the drain, the thick threads may twist and jam your disposal.
2. Grease
Solid grease, oil, or fat grease does not immediately harm your system but builds up over time. This ultimately causes your drain or pipes to get clogged. So avoid putting fat and oil substance inside your garbage disposal.
3. Ground Coffee
A few coffee grounds may not clog your garbage disposal, but if you continue stuffing large quantities in your disposal, you are likely to experience clogging.
4. Fruit Pits
Large fruit pits may cause harm to your garbage disposal by blocking moving components and wearing out the motor.
5. Big Bones
Most trash disposals may handle small soft bones, but bigger bones might clog your system. Even if the fragments make it down the drain, they might become lodged and cause a clog.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can Bleach Unclog a Drain?
No, bleach cannot unclog a drain. Bleach is not a clog remover. Bleach would be unable to eliminate built-up drain sludge because it doesn’t have dissolving properties. Food trash, breadcrumbs, oil, and hair cannot be dissolved with bleach. So please do not waste your bleaching, thinking it will unclog your drain.
2. Why Would A Garbage Disposal Not Drain?
A blockage is most likely why your garbage disposal is not clearing waste down the drain. When the unit turns on yet water backs up in the sink or doesn’t drain, this indicates a blockage in the trash disposal or the sink’s drain plumbing.
3. How Do You Unclog Garbage Disposal Naturally?
- To unclog your garbage disposal, follow these steps:
- Mix half a cup of vinegar with a quarter cup of baking soda to make a natural cleanser.
- Put the mixture inside your disposal and allow it to foam for a few minutes in the drain before rinsing it out with hot water from the faucet.
- Allow just a few minutes of running water to dislodge the problem.
- As needed, repeat the process.
4. Why Is My Garbage Disposal Pushing Water Up?
Water will back up through your sink and disposal drain line when the garbage disposal is clogged. It’s not unusual for a drain to block since your disposal breaks food and other trash, resulting in clogging.
5. Do Garbage Disposals Break?
Like any mechanical system, garbage disposals may fail or break down completely. You may have noticed that your sink drains more slowly or does not flow. This might mean that the disposal’s teeth have worn out, making it less effective in shredding garbage.
6. What Is The Average Cost To Replace A Garbage Disposal?
Garbage disposal installation costs anywhere from $130 to $600; Prices vary depending on the feed type, motor size, brand, and whether a handy person or plumber installs the device. A disposal unit costs $161 on average, with labor costing $105.
7. Can Garbage Disposal Clog The Sink?
Yes. Your sink is clogged, likely because the garbage disposal is a clog. A clog may develop when the impeller blades are stuck and filled with waste products that cannot be shredded.
