There are few things as annoying as a broken garbage disposal, because it always seems to be full when you discover the problem.
That leaves you with two choices.
You can call someone to repair it, or you can do the repair yourself.
The good news is that the homeowner can resolve most garbage disposal problems.
The user's manual is a great resource for understanding how the disposal works.
Before you go any further, turn off your power to the disposal.
This just keeps things a little less exciting, and that is a great thing.
Disposal Turning Tool Many garbage disposals come with a special turning tool that is essentially just a hex key, also known as an Allen wrench, that neatly fits into the hole at the bottom of the garbage disposal.
All you do to use this tool is insert it into the hole and turn it back and forth.
If you do not have one, you can find one at your local hardware store.
Checking for Obstructions The number one cause of garbage disposal problems is simply getting something stuck in the disposal.
This is the main reason that you are turning the power off.
That is right, you are going exploring.
Remove the splashguard, and grab a flashlight.
See if you can locate the object.
If you can reach it with tongs or pliers, just remove the obstruction.
After you have removed the object, turn your power back on and test the disposal with cold water running through it.
Drains and Clogs Another really common problem with garbage disposals is a clogged drain.
Before you do anything else, use drain cleaner and see if that does the trick.
If the sink is still clogged put a large bucket under the drain and use a pipe wrench to take apart the pipe fittings.
Once the P trap is located and removed simply remove the clog.
If there is no clog in this area, you may need to use a snake to get further down the drainpipe to work on the clog.
Power Glitch Every once in a while a disposal just stops working, and this is frequently caused by a power overload.
In this case the fix could not be easier.
All you need to do is push the reset button on your disposal to reset it.
All disposals have a reset button, and this is always the first thing that you should check.
If the reset button does not do the trick, then you will have to check to see if you have a wiring problem.
This is the point where you access your skills as an electrician and perhaps bring in a professional.
If the problem with your disposal is something more complicated or serious than any of the problems mentioned above, you will probably find that it is cheaper to simply replace the entire unit.
Usually though, what the reset button does not fix, removing the obstruction will.