Garbage disposal is one of the most useful inventions to help you do house chores. It simply allows you to easily throw out meal remnants without needing to scrape them into the bin.
Only by turning the switch on and the machine will be ready to help you with its powerful shredding feature. As a result, the food remnants can pass through.
However, garbage disposal sometimes does not work well. Usually, people will look to the internet to find out what to do with that. Pushing the reset button on the bottom is one of the solutions. However, some of you might not know how to reset a garbage disposal.
How to Reset a Garbage Disposal
1. Resetting a garbage disposal
It’s practically simple to reset a garbage disposal. Below is how to reset a garbage disposal.
- First, turn off the power to the machine. Never reach into the opening with your bare hands even if you’re turning it off or have unplugged it;
- Open the lower cabinet and find a protruding reset red button located outside the garbage disposal; then, press it.
- Run the water faucet, then turn on the machine. If it works properly, you’re done there. If it still doesn’t work or sounds humming, find out below how to reset the garbage disposal with an Allen wrench.
2. What conditions can cause the disposal to stop working
Some factors can prevent garbage disposal from running properly. For example:
- Running the garbage disposal without any water
- There are objects that are not ground well, probably some strings, dropping flatware, or bones.
- It is jammed
In the last case, that can lead the machine to stop working. Then, the reset button pops.
3. Other options to reset the garbage disposal
You can opt to use the Allen wrench while resetting the machine. These steps can also be done if your garbage disposal reset button gets stuck and not working properly.
- Turn off the disposal and free the machine from any electric current;
- Get your Allen wrench and find the socket on the center of your garbage disposal underside.
- Insert it, and then turn the wrench back and forth to loosen the object jammed in the disposal.
- If you feel it doesn’t work, try to look for what’s causing the impeller to get stuck. Find the object and grab it with pliers. Then, do the second and third steps.
- Press the reset button and do the steps as shown in point (2).
4. Other conditions that may happen
If the garbage disposal reset button is pushed in too far, you can try pinching and pulling it slowly down, although it may be tricky. It’s a good thing if you still manage to pull it off, and the machine still works well after that.
However, if you cannot pull the button or even after the button has been successfully pulled off, but the machine cannot work, there’s no other option left.
Read also: How to Fix Leaky Garbage Disposal
In that case, you’ll need to replace the machine as there are no spare parts available. If you’re still in the warranty period, you can claim the warranty.
Additional Tips for Maintaining Your Garbage Disposal
To prevent issues with your garbage disposal, it’s important to use it properly. Avoid putting hard or fibrous materials like coffee grounds, bones, or corn husks down the disposal, as these can cause jams or damage the blades.
Regularly cleaning your disposal with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda can help keep it running smoothly and prevent odors. If you encounter persistent problems, it may be time to consult a professional or consider replacing the unit.
This is a little information regarding how to reset a garbage disposal. To prevent such bad things from happening, make sure you don’t make your garbage disposal overwork.
Also, string objects, bones, and grease can be prevented from going through the garbage disposal area as those things can make the machine work harder. Hence making it overheated or even damaged.
