Garbage Disposal Care: Everyday Use, Cleaning, and What to Do When It Stops

Everyday use

Cold water, on the whole time. Run cold water before you turn the disposal on, while it grinds, and for a few seconds after the grinding sound stops, so the ground food is carried through the drain line.

A little at a time. Feed scraps in gradually instead of packing the chamber full. Overloading is one of the most common causes of jams.

Let it finish. Leave it running until the sound changes to a smooth hum with nothing left to grind, then turn it off and let the water run briefly.

What to keep out of it

Grease, oil and fat. They cool and harden in the pipes and are a common cause of kitchen drain clogs. Put them in the trash instead.

Fibrous and stringy scraps. Celery, corn husks, onion skins, artichokes and similar scraps can wrap around the grinding parts.

Starchy food in quantity. Large amounts of potato peels, pasta or rice can form a paste that clogs the drain.

Coffee grounds and eggshells in quantity. They do not hurt the disposal itself, but they can settle and build up in drain lines, especially older ones, so larger amounts are better in the trash or compost.

Large bones, large pits and anything that is not food. Some manufacturers allow small bones; check the manual for your model. Utensils, bottle caps, twist ties and glass never belong in a disposal.

Cleaning and odors

Most odor comes from food residue under the rubber splash guard and on the walls of the grinding chamber. With the power off, lift the splash guard flaps and scrub them with a brush and dish soap. Then, with the power back on and cold water running, run the disposal briefly to rinse it through.

Do not pour chemical drain cleaners into a disposal. They can damage the unit and the pipes, and they make the drain hazardous for anyone who has to work on it later.

When it hums but does not spin

A hum with no grinding usually means something is wedged and the grinding plate cannot turn. Turn it off right away; leaving it humming can overheat the motor.

Power off first. Turn off the wall switch and also unplug the unit under the sink or switch off its breaker, so it cannot start. Never put your hand into the disposal. If you can see the object, remove it with tongs or pliers.

Freeing the plate. Many disposals have a socket in the center of the bottom of the unit that fits the hex wrench supplied with it (often a 1/4-inch Allen wrench). With the power off, turning the wrench back and forth can free a jam. Check the manual for your model.

Reset. Many disposals have a reset button on the bottom of the unit that trips when the motor overheats. After the jam is cleared, let the motor cool for a few minutes, press the reset button, restore power, run cold water, and try it again. If the button will not stay in or keeps tripping, the unit may need service or replacement.

When it does nothing at all

No sound at all usually means it has no power: the reset button has tripped, the plug has come loose, a GFCI outlet has tripped, or the breaker is off. Check those in that order. If it still does nothing, the switch or the motor may have failed.

When it leaks

Where the water appears tells you a lot. A leak at the top, where the disposal meets the sink, usually means the sink flange seal. A leak at the side can be the dishwasher connection or the drain outlet. Water dripping from the bottom of the disposal body usually means an internal seal has failed, and that typically means replacing the unit rather than repairing it.

Repair or replace

Jams, tripped resets and loose connections are usually repairable. A disposal that leaks from its body, jams constantly, or has a failed motor is usually replaced. Sonlight checks the unit, the connections and the drain, then gives you a written price before any work — see garbage disposal repair and installation.

Related: garbage disposal repair and installation, drain cleaning, dishwasher plumbing, and bathroom and kitchen plumbing. Every Tri-Cities service area gets the same evaluation before any work.