Garbage Disposal Repair and Replacement Services Woodbridge, VA

Our homes are filled with a variety of appliances that are designed to make our lives easier.  The garbage disposal is one we often take for granted, until that dreaded moment when we flip the switch and it no longer works the way it is supposed to.  If you suspect a clogged garbage disposal, here are some tips that might keep it running.

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Troubleshooting a clogged disposal

A clogged disposal can definitely ruin your day.  After all, this is where all the waste food and other junk goes.  There's also the concern that beneath the drain hole is a dangerous environment that could easily hurt you if you aren't careful.  Please read first, and if you don't feel comfortable with these steps, call a professional!

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Listen

The first step would be in listening to your disposal.  If your turn on your switch and the motor is still running, this is a good place to start in diagnosing a clog.  A rough sound of something hard rattling around in the disposal might indicate some kind of blockage.  If the disposal just hums and the blades aren't moving, this is an entirely different issue.

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Look

• Shine a light down the drain if there is no standing water. You might see partially ground food, or other debris. These could be what is blocking your flow.
• Is there standing water in your sink?
• Does activating your disposal cause the water to swirl around but not go anywhere?
• If you have a two compartment sink, is water backing up on the other side?
• Check underneath the sink.  If there is a leak in one of the pipe joints, there might be something obstructing the disposal from draining properly.
• Have you been discarding carrot or potato peels in the disposal?  This kind of waste is very hard for any disposal to manage, and you might have a clog.

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Test

If water flows freely down the other side of the sink, this might be an indication of what is wrong, and where to locate the clog. Don't use liquid drain cleaner to clear the clog!

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Follow these steps

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1. Turn off the disposal and disconnect power to it, usually by unplugging the unit underneath your sink.
2. Drain off any standing water and attempt to remove material inside the drain manually.  Use gloves and be careful of sharp objects such as glass or bones. Carefully rotate the blades with a stick or spoon handle.  They should move freely. If they don't, your disposal might have seized and it will need to be replaced.
3. Run a little bit of water down the disposal without turning it on.  It should drain freely if the clog is removed.
4. If the unit is still clogged, place a bucket underneath the drain pipe under your sink. This will be messy. Un-thread the joint.  Water from the disposal will drip down if the pipe is clogged.  Hold the bucket to catch the water, to keep it from making a huge mess.  Once the pipe has been unfastened, you will notice whatever has been blocking the pipe.
5. Fish out as much as you can.
6. Reassemble the pipe to the drain and run the water again.  It should drain freely.
7. Plug in the unit and test it by running the disposal with running water.  It should drain and function normally again.
8. If those don't work, call a professional.  Kinnett Plumbing is your expert at plumbing repair and replacement.

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Garbage disposal leak

You can put a piece of paper underneath the disposal and drops directly underneath the unit indicate  a leak from the unit itself, rather than the pipe.  Leaks from the disposal unit itself and not the drain pipe usually mean internal gaskets have warn and the unit needs replacing.

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When to get a new one

If your disposal is leaking, no longer running, or doesn't perform the way it once did, you may consider an upgrade or replacement.  Also, your disposal may be showing signs of its age if it suddenly becomes louder or no longer breaks waste down into manageable chunks.  If you are constantly clearing clogs, you might consider a new unit.  Call Kinnett plumbing to get your replacement today!

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