Repairing Your Garbage Disposal When It Stops Working, Part Two

Last month, I told you what to do if your garbage disposal completely stopped working. But what if it is working, but is draining very slowly? The problem is a clog in the pipes.

How to Repair a Slow Draining Disposal

First of all, do not pour toxic drain cleaner chemicals into a garbage disposal. It will not work, and will probably harm the disposal. You will have to clear the clog manually.

Climb under the sink and remove the discharge pipe from the disposal. It is connected to the disposal with bolts that can easily be removed with a wrench. Once they are removed you can pull out the discharge pipe and the drain trap. Check for clogs inside the pipe and the trap.

If these are clear, the clog is deeper in the pipes. For this, you will need a sink auger or a small drain snake. These are available at any home repair or hardware store, and are handy to have around, especially if you find lots of hair in your drains.

Extend the auger cable inside the discharge pipe until you feel the clog. Once you feel it, pull out about a foot of cable and tighten the set screw. Then, start winding the auger with slow and gentle pressure. If you feel the cable go through the clog, retract the cable, and hook up the drain trap to the discharge pipe again.

Once everything is replaced, pour a bit of water through the disposal and check for leaks under the sink. Tighten the pipes until there are no more leaks. Then, and only then, pour boiling water through the drain to completely clear the clog.

If these steps do not help your sink drains run free and clear, it will be time to give our plumbers a call in the Nashville area at 615-568-5051. Our friendly plumbing technicians will be happy to come out and get your drains in tip-top shape.