Fifty percent of homes in the United States have garbage disposals installed in their kitchens. These disposals make clean up in the kitchen much easier, because they take solid food waste and grind it into small particles, turning it into an almost liquid substance.

When there isn’t enough water running into the disposal as it’s being used, or excess grease or foreign objects enter the garbage disposal, the two impellers inside the garbage disposal can stop working and the drainpipe can get backed up. It’s important that you unclog your garbage disposal as soon as you realize it’s clogged, because running the motor without clearing the clogged garbage disposal can burn it out.

Unclogging a garbage disposal can seem intimidating at first, but it’s not as difficult as you may think. Below we’ve detailed how to unclog a garbage disposal in 5 easy steps.

1. Turn off the Power

When you work on anything with an electrical plug, such as a garbage disposal, it’s important to shut off power. There is a switch for your disposal you should turn off. Typically, this is under the cabinet or on a wall near the disposal. Once you’ve done that, unplug the garbage disposal or turn the power source off at your breaker.

Avoid placing your hand down the drain or near the blades even when the power is off. Accidents have happened to many DIYers as they attempt garbage disposal repairs. If you’re uncomfortable with your abilities, contact 1^st American Plumbing, Heating and Air and we can help.

2. Check Inside the Disposal

Oftentimes when disposals stop working, it’s due to something blocking the impellers. Grab your flashlight and look inside the disposal for any obvious blockages or items wrapped around the blades.

If you notice an item that needs removal, use tongs or pliers to grab the object and remove it from the disposal. Turn on the water and try running the disposal again. If the blades still won’t turn, move on to the next step.

3. Use a Natural Drain Cleaner

Start by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain, followed by a cup of baking soda. A few minutes after, pour a mixture of one cup hot water and one cup of vinegar into the drain and cover it. Let the cover sit for 10 minutes. Once you uncover the drain, rinse warm water down the drain and flush the mixture out.

Using the mixture of baking soda and vinegar creates a carbon dioxide liquid that bubbles through the clog. These bubbles help break up clogs and create loose materials that can then be flushed down the drain. The boiling water plus gravity helps create pressure in your pipes, removing the sludge from the pipes.

4. Plunge the Clog with a Plunger

Most homeowners own a plunger for toilet clogs in the home, but these plumbing tools can also be used on blockages in your sinks and disposals. Placing a plunger over the garbage disposal opening creates a vacuum, dislodging clogs.

If you have two sinks in your kitchen, start by plugging the non-disposal side of the sink. Press the plunger down over the disposal opening and fill the sink with a few inches of water. Vigorously plunge the drain for a few seconds and remove the plunger. Hopefully the water will drain. If it doesn’t, repeat.

5. Manually Rotate the Blades

With the power still off to your disposal, insert the proper sized Allen wrench into the hexagonal-shaped hole under the unit. Turn the wrench in both directions so the blades are loosened. You should try turning counterclockwise until the motor shaft stops turning, then switch to clockwise.

Moving the blades both directions often loosens debris, allowing you to twist the motor shaft freely in a full circle. At this time, you can also try pressing the red reset button on the bottom of the garbage disposal.

These 5 steps should help you to unclog your garbage disposal easily. If you find you’ve tried the steps above and are still experiencing issues with your disposal, it may be time for a new disposal. Contact 1^st American Plumbing, Heating and Air at (801) 477-5818 for assistance inspecting in your garbage disposal.