Reasons why your garbage disposal gets jammed

Ever since it was first invented, the garbage disposal has managed to present its own sense of challenges to those lucky enough to own one. Part of the problem is that many of us believe that because of its name, we should be able to shove everything from our plates, pots and pans into it. Sadly, that is not true and if not monitored, our favorite disposal can easily get jammed.

As plumbers, we witness many garbage disposals that are jammed or stuck for one reason or another. In many cases the problem is handled without too much cost to the customer. There is a way to avoid placing your garbage disposal in harms way however and it is as simple as monitoring what you choose to put in there in the first place.

One familiar cause for a jammed disposal is the pile up of food that has no way to go after being improperly dumped. Don’t be tempted to throw anything in the disposal, remember that there are some things that these devices don’t like, such as rice, pasta and egg shells.

Another reason why disposals end up getting jammed is when all that oil and grease that slips through the cracks finally decide that it has nowhere else to go. The majority of this grease will come from our cooking and clean up activities, especially from pots, pans and greasy plates that were wiped clean into the disposal.

It is probably not necessary to state the obvious, but garbage disposals require water to work. Users who fail to turn on the water to coincide with the turning on of the device, are setting themselves up for a service call. Water is essential to help the food particles disperse as they are broken down and sent on their merry way.

There are a couple more reasons why your device might be inclined to get jammed, like the waste line being clogged and backing up into the device itself, or the fact that your device may just need to be replaced. Whatever the cause, whether it is to unclog or replace, we stand ready to help.