Before reading some of our do-it-yourself information on how to fix your disposal, you need to remember the most important garbage disposal rule of all: Never Put Your Hand Inside the Disposal (into the hopper.) Don’t reach in there for any reason, such as when you’re trying to clear a clog—you could be seriously injured.
Another thing to remember is to keep your disposal sharp. You may have been told to put various items down it to sharpen the blades, but there is only ONE thing that’s safe and effective to sharpen garbage disposals: ice. Feed a few cups of ice into the disposal while it runs and cold water is flowing through it.
One of the problems you might encounter with your disposal is turning on the power and not hearing anything, not even a hum. This means there’s an electrical problem. Turn the power switch back off, then make sure your unit is plugged in. If it is, then press the reset button found on the bottom, or side, of many garbage disposals. If it still won’t turn on, then check your circuit breaker to see if it has tripped. If these fixes don’t solve the problem it’s time to call your local plumber.
Sometimes the disposal will cut off while running the unit. This usually means your garbage disposal has overloaded and is automatically turning off as a safety precaution. Give it a few moments to cool down, then hit the reset button, turn the cool water back on, and try switching on the disposal again.
Another thing to remember is to keep your disposal sharp. You may have been told to put various items down it to sharpen the blades, but there is only ONE thing that’s safe and effective to sharpen garbage disposals: ice. Feed a few cups of ice into the disposal while it runs and cold water is flowing through it.
One of the problems you might encounter with your disposal is turning on the power and not hearing anything, not even a hum. This means there’s an electrical problem. Turn the power switch back off, then make sure your unit is plugged in. If it is, then press the reset button found on the bottom, or side, of many garbage disposals. If it still won’t turn on, then check your circuit breaker to see if it has tripped. If these fixes don’t solve the problem it’s time to call your local plumber.
Sometimes the disposal will cut off while running the unit. This usually means your garbage disposal has overloaded and is automatically turning off as a safety precaution. Give it a few moments to cool down, then hit the reset button, turn the cool water back on, and try switching on the disposal again.
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