One of the most common household problems is clogged garbage disposal. It can be caused by food or objects too large for the system or obstruction due to corrosion, sediment, etc. Follow the steps to unclog the garbage disposal.
1. Shut off the electrical power switch
To unclog the garbage disposal, the first step you need to shut off the electrical power switch. The switch is usually located on the underside of the unit, right above the sink drain pipe. Turn off the switch by sliding the wall plate up or down.
2. Take a look at the disposal
After you shut off the power switch, look inside the unit and determine if there was anything in between. If so, try to remove it and throw it in the trash to avoid adding more work into your hands.
3. Remove the outer packing from the disposal
At the bottom of the unit, you should find a cap. Lift the lid and unscrew it to remove it. After that, you can remove all the packings around your unit.
4. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the cap that covers the disposal
After taking off all the coverings, you can now see your unit’s holes that will allow you to safely remove stuck objects in between with no problem at all.
5. Unscrew the two bolts that secure the bottom of the disposal to the sink
You should find screws at the bottom of your unit, right under where it is secured to your drain pipe. Use a screwdriver to unscrew them and make sure that they do not go inside the drain pipe.
6. Disconnect the drain hose from the bottom of the disposal with pliers
You can now disconnect your unit’s drain hose from its pipe after unscrewing it by using pliers. Please do not touch any other parts inside or outside your unit while working on this step because you will permanently damage them.
7. Pull out all debris, food, and other objects caught in between your sink’s drainpipe and garbage disposer.
After taking off the coverings, you should pull out all waste materials that cannot travel through the pipes to be taken away. You can safely use pliers here if you like until you are 100% sure that nothing is left inside your disposal.
8. Disconnect the power again
After making sure that your disposal is clean now, you can now turn off your unit’s electrical switch again to ensure safety.
9. Use a screwdriver to remove two screws that hold the disposal’s impeller assembly to the top of the garbage dispeller.
You should now remove the screws at the top of your unit using a screwdriver. This will allow you to pull out the entire impeller assembly safely without any problem at all during this step.
10. Remove the entire impeller assembly by lifting it out of its base with your hand, and set it aside with tweezers or pliers.
After removing the screws from the top of your unit, you can now take out the entire impeller assembly using a hand. Make sure that you do not touch any other parts inside your team while doing this because it can easily damage them permanently.
11. Unscrew and remove any corrosion inside and outside of both parts and clean it thoroughly under running water before installing a new one in place, and make sure it is tight before reassembly.
After removing the impeller assembly, you can now use a screwdriver to remove any corroded parts as well as the fan itself from its base. Make sure that you do not touch any other components inside or outside of your unit while doing this because it can easily damage them permanently.
12. After cleaning and replacing the impeller assembly, you can turn on the garbage disposal and see if it usually works.
After replacing the impeller assembly, you can now turn on your unit’s electrical switch again to ensure safety. Now, if your unit does not typically work even after cleaning and replacing its parts in proper order, then make sure that you have a current circuit with a fuse box nearby before reattaching anything back to it.
13. Reinstall the drainpipe and outer packing before disposing of any waste material inside your disposer.
After replacing all the parts, you should now reinstall your unit’s outer packing so that it can be secured tightly. It would help if you also put back all the coverings before you can completely close your disposal so that it will not be open again accidentally after reattaching things back to it.
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Conclusion
You have successfully unclogged your garbage disposal, so you can continue with the next step of repairing or replacing it with a new one if it still does not work correctly after cleaning and replacing all its parts.
FAQ’s
Q1. Can you plunge garbage disposal?
A. YES, you can plunge garbage disposal even if it does not have an electrical switch on it. But this way of using the disposal will deprive it of any special features available on some other types of disposals.
Q2. How do I know if my garbage disposal is clogged?
A. If you want to know if your garbage disposal is clogged, then remove its inner bolt and see if there is no space between the impeller and the disposal chamber. If there is no space, then that means your unit is clogged.
Q3. How do you get rid of hair inside your kitchen garbage disposal?
A. If you want to get rid of hair inside your kitchen garbage disposal, use an ice pick or a wood stick to push down the hair.
