Fix That Garbage Disposal Clog

Why Is my garbage disposal not draining?More times than not, unclogging a garbage disposal is something you can knock out on your own. And the best part is you don't have to be incredibly handy to pull off the task.

Peter Sawyer

Published: January 2, 2023
Filed Under: Fixit Academy, Plumbing, Uncategorized

A garbage disposal not draining, clogged.clogged or just not running could happen for one of several reasons — but in general, it occurs when objects bind the impeller blades or clog the drains of the appliance. When this happens, the disposal drain is more likely to back up, leading to water leaks under your sink and foul smells in your home.

Here are possible reasons for clogs:

Lack of flushing water: Not using enough water when disposing of food waste will slowly lead to buildup. Over time, this buildup will prevent the flow of water, clogging your disposal drain. There are certain items, such as coffee grounds, eggshells, potato peels, and banana peels that are great at causing clogs. Food peels, in particular, form a thick paste that easily stops your drain.

Foreign objects: Dropping foreign objects, such as silverware, into your drain can result in a clog. Before grinding up your waste, ensure it doesn’t contain anything that isn’t food.

Disposing of liquid fat, oil, and grease in the disposal drain causes clogs, too. While they may seem innocuous, they quickly solidify, turning into a tough, waxy substance that inhibits waste flow.

You also need to know that your garbage disposal should never be used for inorganic waste such as tin foil, paper, plastic, etc. These should go into your trash can — adding them to your disposal will quickly jam it up, resulting in a clog.

Let’s try the obvious first. Press the reset button or overeload protector. Unplug the garbage disposal. Don’t skip this step! Protect yourself by cutting off the power to the unit before you work on it. The outlet should be under the sink, near the unit. Push the RESET button. You will find this small, red button on the bottom of the garbage disposal unit. Press the button back in if it appears to stick out.

Turn on the faucet. The water should be cold. This way, the fat or grease that may be clogging your drain isn’t melted and pushed further down your pipes. Run the water down the drain, into the garbage disposal, for about sixty seconds. Turn on the garbage disposal. Now you can plug the unit in, and flip on the switch. If the blades are not spinning, then you should move onto another method. If the motor is humming, then it’s clear that the problem is indeed a blockage.

If that didn’t do the trick, then check the Garbage Disposal.

You’ll then need to inspect your disposal — a flashlight can be quite handy here. If there’s a clog, it might be possible to see a blockage in the disposal. If there’s anything obvious that you can see, use tongs or pliers to grab it and dispose of it.

In some cases, if you turn on your disposal, you might hear the motor turn on and hum, even if it’s not rotating the macerators — this means it’s probably jammed. If the clog is due to food waste buildup, create a natural cleaning solution using ½ cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda. Mix the solution well and pour it into your drain. Leave it for about 10 to 20 minutes, and then pour hot water into the drain. For most food waste and FOG clogs, using a natural cleaner is an effective way to unclog your drain. If it fails, try the next option below.

IMPORTANT: Be sure not to use chemicals to unclog your garbage disposal — the chemicals can eat away the plastic parts of your disposal system. Natural cleaners (described above) can be an effective replacement for chemical ones. In the event of a tough clog, you’ll need to use the plunging method or the disassembly method to unclog your disposal. Once you get the hang of it, unclogging the garbage disposal will be almost effortless.

Next up, In some cases, the disposal can be bound up. You’ll need to manually rotate the blades and pick out any debris. We can’t stress this enough — make sure that the power to the disposal is turned completely off before putting your hand into it. You can either reach your hand (not recommended) or a tool like a wooden spoon (a better option) down into the drain or check under the disposal to locate the operator for turning the impeller blades.

In some cases, you’ll need to use a wrench to turn the blades. There are two types of wrenches. An Allen wrench,or a garbage disposal wrench. We will start off with the Allen wrench. As you turn the blades, you’ll either break down the clog or at least rotate it so that you can grab it manually.The first kind of wrench that can be used on a garbage disposal is an Allen wrench. An Allen wrench of the proper size is usually included and can be found in the packaging or taped to the outside of the disposal. If it is not included, or you have misplaced the included wrench, a 1/4 inch Allen wrench should fit most hex holes on garbage disposals as it is the standard size.

Using the Allen wrench is simple and straightforward.

Insert the wrench into the hole at the bottom of the garbage disposal. The hole is located under the sink at the bottom of the garbage disposal, dead center, facing the floor. Use the wrench like a crank.
Work the wrench back and forth in both directions.If the wrench will not turn easily, it is OK to use some force. The wrench is designed to bend before any damage is done to the garbage disposal.
Continue working with the wrench.Continue working with the wrench until it turns freely in complete circles in both directions.
Check inside garbage disposal’s grinding chamber.Look down into the garbage disposal using a flashlight. Do not place your hand into the garbage disposal. Pay special attention to the area around the outer edge of the garbage disposal’s shredding disk where you see the little teeth. If you see anything in the garbage disposal, remove it using tongs or pliers.
Turn on the water, then the garbage disposal. The garbage disposal should now run. If it jams again, use the wrench again. You may need to repeat the process several times.

The other kind of wrench used for garbage disposal is a garbage disposal wrench, which is pretty self-explanatory. This wrench was made specifically for one purpose, unclogging garbage disposals. The dimensions of this wrench are made to fit perfectly inside of a garbage disposal. The great thing about this wrench is that it can access the inside of the disposal while keeping your hands safely on the outside should something go wrong. When there is a clog in your garbage disposal that calls for a garbage disposal wrench, just follow these steps to free up the mechanism again.

Insert the swivel head of the disposal wrench through the drain hole till it hits the bottom of the disposal.
Turn the wrench slightly so that it locks onto the shredder plate of the unit. Turn the wrench to and fro to dislodge any debris that jams the shredder plate. Once the shredder plate starts rotating freely, remove the wrench from the disposal unit. Keep some cold water running and turn ON the disposal to wash away any debris left in the disposal unit.
If any of these steps worked for you, you’re a do-it-yourself pro and just saved some serious dollars. But, If you’ve made it this far into the tutorial without success, then you will need a professional to give it a look. Need further assistance? Don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re happy to help!

If any of these steps worked for you, your garbage disposal is fixed and working like it should – you’re a do-it-yourself pro and just saved some serious dollars. But, If you’ve made it this far into the tutorial without success, then you will need a professional to give it a look. Need further assistance? Don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re happy to help!

Here’s a Pro Tip! When you purchase a garbage disposal, or find that wrrench in that drawer somewhere, tape it to the side of the disposal so it’s alwas there when you need it! That’s what we do for all of our clients.

Peter D. Sawyer

Founder & CEO

Born in New York and now living in California, Peter is a dedicated and proud father of Xander – a true miracle of life. After spending 26 years as manager of Operations and Engineering for the CBS Television network, he launched OMG! Amazing in 2019 because he wanted to help people enjoy life in a smarter home.

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