3 Ways to Fix a Clogged Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal keeps rotting food smells out of your kitchen and it also ensures that excess waste does not end up in landfills. The garbage disposal in your home requires regular cleaning, care and maintenance in order to continue to work properly. To avoid costly garbage disposal repairs or replacement, Roto-Rooter offers these helpful tips to fix your garbage disposal:

Reset your disposal

If your disposal isn't working at all, it probably isn’t getting any power. Look for (and press) the reset button located on the underside of the fixture - Give it a few seconds and then try the power switch to see if your disposal starts running again - If this doesn’t work, try unplugging the disposal from your outlet and trying another outlet. If your disposal gets power from another outlet than you need to look at your circuit breaker panel and reset the breaker switch.

Clear the jam

Food can often get stuck in your garbage disposal, causing a jam. If you flip the switch and the motor is running but the disposal doesn't grind, you could have something stuck, preventing the disposal from rotating. Unplug your fixture and try to pull out (by hand) anything that feels stuck in the disposal. Sometimes, kitchen tongs can be helpful in accessing things that your hands cannot. For step-by-step instructions on clearing your clogged garbage disposal, watch our video.  Always remember to unplug the garbage disposal before reaching for any items that might be causing a jam.  

Check your plumbing

If your sink has standing water it could be an issue with your drain, not your disposal. For issues that require professional service, call the plumbing repair experts at Roto-Rooter. We can assess any drainage problem or repair promptly and get your plumbing working at peak performance again in no time.