One of the many appliances you’ll find in a home is the garbage disposal. Like any other appliance, the garbage disposal is something that needs regular maintenance. Without regular maintenance, it could be possible for your garbage disposal to malfunction. In fact, even with regular maintenance, your garbage disposal may stop working. It could be due to age or it could also be due to improper use. But whatever caused your garbage disposal to stop working, there are a few ways on how you can repair your garbage disposal on your own. Here are a few tips to get you started with repairing your garbage disposal the “do-it-yourself” way. Remember though, that if you are not completely confident on what you are doing, it’s best to stop and call a professional to do the job. In fact, if your garbage disposal still has warranty, it would be best to take advantage of that benefit.
If your garbage disposal seems to stop working, works erratically, or you don’t hear it working at all, here are a few steps to take to see what you can do about it.
- Unplug your garbage disposal.
- Check the power outlet where your garbage disposal is plugged. You can do this by plugging other devices and checking if it works.
- If the power is out, good for you! It may be that your garbage disposal doesn’t need repair. What you need to do if to find a working power outlet.
- Reset your garbage disposal by looking for the reset button on the bottom part.
- Let your garbage disposal cool for about 15 minutes at the least.
- Push the reset button again.
- Plug it into a working outlet. If it works, then the only problem you have left is the power in the previous outlet.
- What you need to do next is to check your circuit breaker for a possible overload. Simply reset your circuit breaker or replace the fuse. If not, have your wires checked by an electrician.
- If the power is not the problem, then make sure that the switch or stopper is working properly.
- Turn on the switch and see if it turns on just before it stops again. If this is the case, then you’ll need to replace it.
To avoid having to repair garbage disposals and making it last a decade or even more, it would be best to have it checked from time to time. Perhaps once a year of maintenance or check will already help you avoid garbage disposal repairs. It would be best to check your manual and remember to follow the proper use of your appliance.