How is your garbage disposal running?

A garbage disposal is a great plumping appliance we all need in our homes. It’s an appliance we don’t think much about until it stops working. A garbage disposal can last years if used properly and maintained. But even if we are careful, we can in haste pour stuff down our sink that will cause damage to the garbage disposal. There are several signs that tell you, your garbage disposal needs maintenance repair.

An obstruction is one of the biggest problems. Knowing there is an obstruction could be as easy as hearing a loud grinding noise coming from your garbage disposal. Sometimes Small pieces of gravel or shards of glass can cause an obstruction that you cannot see. Another sign that there may be an obstruction is, if you turn on the garbage disposal, you can hear the motor humming but the blades don’t turn. You do not want to stick your hand or any other object into the disposal. This could injure yourself and the garbage disposal. Another sign of an obstruction are the obstructions you can’t hear. Sometimes an obstruction of jammed food can cause the sink to back up, not drain or drain slowly. This also could be a sign that the blades of the disposal are not chopping up the food. Either the blades have become dull or worn out. In this case a professional can sharpen the blades or replace them if needed.

Other problems are leaks and blown motors. If you see a leak coming from your garbage disposal you may need to the disposal inspected to see if was properly installed. This could be as easy as having a few bolts tightened or having the gasket replaced. The worst case If you turn on your disposal and it doesn’t turn on and you can’t hear the motor humming. After checking the circuit breaker and pressing the reset button, nothing happens then the motor may be blown and the garbage disposal may need to be replaced. In any case it is important to have your garbage disposal maintained by a professional.

Is the garbage disposal in your Naperville home acting up? Contact Jim Wagner Plumbing, Inc. today at (630) 577-9241 or (815) 609-1859!