Reasons why your garbage disposal gets jammed

 

Your garbage disposal is the true workhorse of the kitchen. It provides a quick and convenient way to dispose of most messes you make and typically does it without a fuss. All you have to do is flip the switch and, voila, problem gone! Right? Well, it is right until it is wrong. Garbage disposals are just like any other appliance in that eventually they can wear out or run into issues. If you are dealing with a jammed garbage disposal there are many reasons why this could occur, ways to prevent it in the future, and steps you can take to get it fixed now.

The primary reason for a jammed disposal is the slow buildup of some unsanitary waste. This sort of waste buildup, that is strong enough to jam a garbage disposal, will probably include things like: globs of grease, hair, and even glass. If you ever broken a bowl or a cup inside the sink with a garbage disposal make sure to clean it rather thoroughly and make sure to keep the glass out. All of these things combined make for a quickly jammed garbage disposal.

The best way to avoid this sort of jam in the future is to install some sort of wire mesh screen over your sink. It will provide an instant filter that stops things like glass or bones from getting into the disposal. This will help drastically cut down on frequency of jams. Also try to resist pouring things like grease down the drain and instead choose to get rid of them in more environmentally friendly ways, perhaps catching it in a glass mason jar for proper disposal later.

If you have run into a jam by all means keep your hands out of the actual disposal. Call a licensed professional to come down and look at your unit. There are many ways that they can assess the level of your jam and even more ways to actually repair the problem for you. If a garbage disposal jam is your issue, don’t stress, there are many solutions out there for you.