5 Ways to Repair Your Garbage Disposal

There will come times when you need to repair your garbage disposal. Most repairs to a garbage disposal are quite straightforward and can be accomplished without any special tools. There are several different kids of repair you’re likely to encounter on a regular basis.

Disposal Won’t Turn On

If your garbage disposal won’t turn on at all, check that it’s plugged in and switched on. If everything seems good, check the reset button at the bottom of the garbage disposal. If it’s out, push it back in and try the garbage disposal again. Failing this, look at the breaker that controls the circuit with the garbage disposal. If it’s off, switch back on.

Hums But Won’t Turn

To repair a garbage disposal that will hum but won’t turn, you’ll need the flywheel turning wrench that come with the unit. Turn the unit off at the circuit breaker before starting work. Take the wrench and insert one end in the hole in the center of the bottom of the unit. Turn the wrench clockwise. You’ll encounter resistance at first. This will fade as you keep turning and free the flywheel. The alternative is to push a broom handle down the disposal through the sink and try to unjam the garbage disposal that way. To finish, press the rest button in, run water and then turn the garbage disposal back on.

Leaking

To repair a garbage disposal that leaks at the sink flange, turn off the garbage disposal at the circuit breaker. Reach under the sink and turn the unit to slide it off its mounting flange. From here, tighten the mounting bolts. If they’re fully tight, loosen them, push the sink flange up and replace the plumber’s putty between the flange and the sink before tightening again. Wipe off any putty that oozes out. Put the disposal back in place and switch back on at the circuit breaker.

If the leak is where the tube from the dishwasher enters the garbage disposal you’ll need to tighten the clamp on the hose. If this doesn’t stop the leak you’ll have to replace the hose from dishwasher to disposal. When you leak is at the discharge pipe from the garbage disposal, you can try to tighten the clamp on the hose. If this doesn’t work you’ll have to replace the pipe gasket which will repair the garbage disposal.

Slow Drain

Slow drainage isn’t a problem in your garbage disposal. You’ll have to put a bucket under the drain trap under the disposal: the "U" bend in the pipe. Clean this out and replace. If the drainage is still slow, the problem lies beyond that and you’ll have to use a auger on the pipes.

Odors

If you have a problem with odor in your garbage disposal, put 1/2 cup of vinegar, mixed with some baking soda into the disposal. Don’t turn on the disposal. Allow it to sit in the unit as it foams, then rinse with cold water. This will leave your disposal smelling fresh.