Garbage Disposal Repair
Causes of garbage disposal problems include improper installation, lack of proper maintenance, or a garbage disposal that is not robust enough to service your needs. These all may be reasons why you need a repair, service, or a replacement.
- To save on costs many homebuilders today install low grade disposals with a 1/3 horsepower motor that usually last about two years. Better disposals have one horsepower motors and are made of stainless steel that doesn’t rust, and has an auto-reverse feature that will dislodge jams saving the disposal from permanent damage.
- Installation of a garbage disposal must be done right to work efficiently with your dishwasher drain, allowing proper disposal of food.
- Sometimes garbage disposals are the cause of clogged drains. This will require using a snake to clear the clogged drain.
- You’ve all heard noise coming from your garbage disposal and this is caused by objects such as metal, bones, or other materials such as forks, knives, staples, paper clips, or rings getting in the disposal. You will need to retrieve the objects to prevent damage to the disposal. Over time, using the garbage disposal may cause screws and mounts to loosen, so check these to make sure if that is what is causing the noise.
- If your garbage disposal jams, it is usually cause by bones, glass, metal, or hard vegetables.
- When you lose power for the garbage disposal, there may be a reset button on the bottom of the disposal. If this doesn’t get the power back on, you may need a new disposal.
- Garbage disposal leaking at the drain pipe connection usually requires replacing the rubber gasket. If this is not the case, and your disposal is leaking, it may need to be replaced.
Garbage Disposal Maintenance
Some tips a homeowner can use to keep their disposal working well include keeping the blades sharp and keeping debris from building up causing bad odors. Good ways to do this include grinding ice combined with vinegar, grinding citrus fruit skins, and squirting dish detergent through the running disposal 3-4 times a month. Also, refrain from putting grease in the disposal.