Most modern kitchens have a garbage disposal to take care of food scraps. This is a nice amenity, but clogs and blockages are a pretty frequent occurrence. If your kitchen garbage disposal rattles or makes a lot of noise, it could be a sign that maintenance is required. Excessive vibrations from the garbage disposal can loosen screws and bolts over time. If abnormal sounds are ignored, significant damage to the pipes and sink is possible. Objects stuck in the disposal can easily prevent it from working altogether.

Fixing a Jam

The culprit could be as simple as something hard like a piece of glass or metal spoon caught inside. This must be removed as soon as possible. Never stick your hand inside a garbage disposal. It’s dangerous for three different reasons. First, the power could inadvertently be turned on while your hand is inside. Second, your hand could get stuck inside causing injury. Third, whatever is caught inside may be sharp and jagged and could easily cut you.

Emergency Maintenance

• Disconnect the electrical power from the disposal.
• Use tongs to remove anything loose inside.
• Check to see if the impeller lugs are rotating (these are sometimes referred to as blades; but they are not actually sharp). Use a large screwdriver for a brace and rotate the lugs manually with it. If they move freely, then the problem could be the motor. If it was stuck, physically rotating the lugs can release enough tension for the disposal to operate normally again.
• Make sure all screws, bolts and pipes are connected securely.
• Reconnect the power and test the disposal’s operation again. Always run cold water down the disposal while it is turned on. This lubricates the system, keeps it cool, and protects the seals from any potential overheating.

If removing a jam doesn’t work, the motor may have seized. If so, it is probably time to replace the garbage disposal. Consider a quieter or more powerful model rather than picking the one with the lowest price. Upgrading your garbage disposal is a smart and cost effective home improvement project and paying a little extra for quality is well worth it.

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1. Tips For Refurbishing Kitchen Cabinets
2. Putting Contact Paper in Your Kitchen Cabinets
3. Walk-In Pantry Design Tips
4. Fixing Leaky Faucets
5. Kitchen Remodeling Tips: Wallpaper Trim

Tags: Kitchens

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 9th, 2010 at 6:53 pm and is filed under Kitchens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.