Clogged Kitchen Sink Food Disposal

Turn off the power and insert a long dowel a wooden spoon or a broom handle never your hand into the drain opening.

Clogged kitchen sink food disposal.

Don t overload the disposal. A clogged kitchen sink with a built in garbage dipsosal may just have food scraps from last night s dinner that the unit failed to grind up in which case running the. Place the plunger directly over the sink drain so the plunger completely covers the drain. If your garbage disposal sink is clogged there are several ways you can try to fix it without having to call a plumber.

A clogged disposal can stop up the drain so run the disposal to see if that clears the clog. Check the garbage disposal. Oftentimes a sink can be unclogged using a plunger or baking soda and white vinegar. If the disposal has overheated you may need to flip the switch found on the side or bottom of the unit underneath the sink.

Before trying to unclog it always switch off the garbage disposal s power source for safety purposes. Grind no more than 1 cup of food waste at a time and do not put any inorganic matter down the drain. Or the drain connecting the garbage disposer to the rest of the sink s drain trap assembly can become clogged and cause water to back up into the sink basin where the disposer is installed. These steps can help you avoid fixing a clogged kitchen sink.

Food can clog garbage disposals when it isn t broken down enough to be flushed out of the drainpipe. In these situations it s helpful to use a plunger first to try to loosen food that has clogged. The drain fittings can loosen and cause leaking beneath the sink. Do not allow grease oil or coffee grounds to run down the drain or go through the disposal.

Lift the plunger and check for water flow. Then inspect it to make sure it s running correctly. This causes the rotor to lock up and the drain to overflow. Push the bottom end of the wooden probe against the impeller the blades that grind up the garbage and rock it back and forth to free it.

Add water to the sink so the lip of the plunger is covered in water. Go beneath the sink and locate the dishwasher drain pipe that connects to the garbage disposal if you have one. If the disposal is still clogged follow these steps. You can usually release the rotor by inserting a hex wrench into the socket in the middle of the rotor from underneath the garbage disposal.

Clamp the end of the.