Clogged Kitchen Sink Food Disposal

If the disposal is still clogged follow these steps.

Clogged kitchen sink food disposal.

Check the garbage disposal. Add water to the sink so the lip of the plunger is covered in water. Place the plunger directly over the sink drain so the plunger completely covers the drain. Go beneath the sink and locate the dishwasher drain pipe that connects to the garbage disposal if you have one.

Turn off the power and insert a long dowel a wooden spoon or a broom handle never your hand into the drain opening. 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. If the disposal has overheated you may need to flip the switch found on the side or bottom of the unit underneath the sink. 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.

Then inspect it to make sure it s running correctly. Grind no more than 1 cup of food waste at a time and do not put any inorganic matter down the drain. Before trying to unclog it always switch off the garbage disposal s power source for safety purposes. Do not allow grease oil or coffee grounds to run down the drain or go through the disposal.

If your garbage disposal sink is clogged there are several ways you can try to fix it without having to call a plumber. In these situations it s helpful to use a plunger first to try to loosen food that has clogged. Lift the plunger and check for water flow. This causes the rotor to lock up and the drain to overflow.

These steps can help you avoid fixing a clogged kitchen sink. Oftentimes a sink can be unclogged using a plunger or baking soda and white vinegar. Don t overload the disposal. Food can clog garbage disposals when it isn t broken down enough to be flushed out of the drainpipe.

Then vigorously plunge the drain for a minute. A clogged disposal can stop up the drain so run the disposal to see if that clears the clog. If the drain is still clogged continue to the next step. Most clogs are caused by food or other items lodging between the rotor and casing of the disposal canister.

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.