DIY: How to Fix jammed garbage disposal

When you rent a house in GPS Renting, you may encounter some common maintenance problems, such as Jammed Garbage Disposal, Loose Toilet Seat, or misaligned door. These problems usually only need to be solved within one hour. So GPS Renting launched a DIY series of articles. In our DIY series, we will teach you how to fix some common household problems to reduce repair costs.

You know your garbage disposal is clogged or jammed if you turn it on and it makes a humming sound — and nothing else. Don’t force it to grind up whatever is lodged in there. Just follow these easy steps to troubleshoot the problem.

Tools needed: Flashlight, pliers or tongs, hex wrench (also known as an Allen wrench)

1. Turn off the garbage disposal or switch off the electrical circuit that feeds it.
2. Shine a flashlight into the garbage disposal, and use pliers or tongs to pull out whatever is clogging it. Never put your hand into the garbage disposal! If you locate and remove the object right away, you should solve the problem. If not, move to step 3.
3. Option A: If your garbage disposal has a reversal feature, run cold water into the disposal and run it in reverse. This should push up whatever is lodged in there so you can remove it.
   Option B: If your garbage disposal does not have a reversal feature, take the following steps.
   1. Turn off the power at the circuit breaker (if you didn’t already in step 1).
   2. Go underneath the sink and locate the hole at the bottom of the disposal. Stick the end of the hex wrench into the hole and work it back and forth in both directions. The goal is to free up the impeller blade, which may be stuck. Once you can turn the wrench completely in a full circle, you should be able to go back to step 2 and free the object.
4. Push the reset button and run cold water through the disposal for about a minute.
5. Turn the garbage disposal back on.

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