After heavy use, it is important to unclog garbage disposal to ensure that it would still be working perfectly after a few days. Although the unit’s main purpose is to pulverize food particles to make them easier to pass through, the fact is that this isn’t always the case. Hence, there are chances when even the small particles manage to form a big wall that causes the unit to be blocked and therefore function poorly.
The good news is that it is easy to unclog garbage disposal. All it takes is a bit of know-how as well as patience from a person. That being said, following are some tips on how to unclog the garbage disposal unit.
Safety First
Always UNPLUG the unit before attempting to do any fixes on it. Keep in mind that placing the hand inside the drain is NOT recommended.
How to know if the Unit is Clogged
There are several symptoms a person can look out for to find out if their unit is clogged. Usually this means that when the unit is switched on, it just gives off a humming noise without actually running. This means that the main machinery is working but the spinning device is not capable of moving due to a blockage. In some cases, the water would not drain down due to the number of debris stuck within the holes.
So how can this be removed?
One of the age-old methods is the use of baking soda and vinegar. Basically, the first is poured down the drain followed by the vinegar. The two are allowed to fizz together for several minutes before being washed off using warm or boiled water.
Currently, there are also products sold in the market that work well with getting rid of garbage disposal clog. Ideally, one should purchase an item that also gets rid of the odor brought on by a clogged garbage disposal.
Using a wrench to reach to the flywheel and turn it clockwise to dislodge whatever is stuck on the surface is also possible. However, this usually doesn’t work if the clogging is caused by multiple numbers of debris, which formed a solid wall on the drain.
How often should one unclog their garbage disposal?
Ideally, one should do this task at least once a month or when it starts to smell. However, it would be better to start the cleaning process before the drain actually stinks because this would necessitate numerous use of cleaner in order to get rid of the odor.
Like many other devices, the garbage disposal only works best when kept at top form. Usually, it only takes a small amount of maintenance to avoid heavy repairs – or the purchase of new garbage disposal – in the future. Considering how expensive the item is, it’s crucial to be as careful as possible. Plus, nobody really wants their kitchen to be smelling of something rotten. Unclog garbage disposal after a particularly heavy use too like after parties, birthdays, Christmas, New Year and others.