The garbage disposal is one of the many conveniences of the modern kitchen. To date, half of all homes in the US have one installed and rely on them daily to clean up after messes, remove unwanted waste from our sinks and ensure the water keeps running freely. But, what happens when your garbage disposal gets clogged or stops working? You need a plumber who can quickly and efficiently remove the clog and get your disposal back in action.
The technicians at Boulden Brothers have helped greater Wilmington & Dover, DE area home owners maintain their garbage disposals for years, ensuring that they can remove their unwanted food waste as needed without any hiccups. If you find your garbage disposal broken or simply not working as well as it once did, call us today to have us schedule a service call.
Possible Garbage Disposal Problems
A garbage disposal works by using a high torque motor to grind food before it can be flushed down the drain with your waste water. The idea is that by effectively grinding and flushing the food waste, it reduces the volume of food in landfills and uses the existing sewer system to handle waste products.
However, a garbage disposal — while very efficient most of the time — simply does not have the power to grind everything placed in it. Certain foods like artichoke leaves or potato peels can get caught in the blades and create a jam. If the disposal gets jammed it can lock up or even overheat. Most disposals will simply stop working when this happens.
Quick Fixes for Garbage Disposal Jams
If your disposal gets stuck, it is sometimes possible to fix the problem without calling a plumber. Make sure you unplug your disposal before doing any work on it to avoid potential injury. Once it is unplugged, use a wrench on the bottom of the disposal and turn until unstuck. If a larger object like a fork or spoon is stuck, you may need to retrieve it. Again, make sure the device is unplugged before sticking anything inside.
Most of the time, clearing out a jam will take care of your garbage disposal problems. However, in some cases, the issue goes well beyond a small jam. It might have put pressure on the motor or the disposal might just be getting old and can no longer grind food as well as it once did.
If this is the case, it may be time to call for professional help to either service or replace your ailing garbage disposal.
Fixing Your Disposal for Good
If you’re experiencing issues with your garbage disposal, call Boulden. We’ve been providing the Wilmington & Dover metropolitan area with top–notch plumbing service for years. Our technicians will pinpoint the problem and help you come to the fastest, most cost efficient solution for your disposal problems.
If a new unit is required, we can help you choose the unit that best suits your needs and our professional installers can have it in place and ready to work in no time. You won’t find anyone in the region who can provide better, faster, or more reliable service.