Before learning the steps to take to unclog your disposal, you first need to be made aware that the clog likely happened because too much food was put into it without enough water to help it pass through correctly.
Always turn on the garbage disposal before adding food to it and put the food in slowly so you do not overload it. Plus, make sure that the entire time you have cold water running and keep the water running for at least 30 seconds after you have turned off the disposal.
Doing this is going to help you prevent more clogs from occurring in the future. Now, below are the steps that you need to take in order to correctly unclog your garbage disposal.
Clogged Garbage Disposal
1. Determine where the clog is – The clog can happen in the trap, which is the P or S shaped pipe under the garbage disposal. If the disposal runs, but will not drain, then you can be sure the problem is located in the pipes.
2. Clean out the obstruction – When you know where the clog is located, you can then take steps to clean it all out to get it working correctly again. If the problem is in the trap, then remove the S or P shaped pipe and clean out all food obstructions from it.
If the problem is in the pipe and it won’t drain, then you will need to put a shallow pan under the pipe, which is under your sink. Then you need to loosen the pipe slowly so you can let the water begin to drain without a big mess.
Once the pipe and sink are empty of water you need to take the pipe apart and get rid of any obstructions from it and also be sure to check the trap while you have it apart, if you haven’t already.
