In this article, we will understand how a garbage disposal works. Let’s start with the main fact that surprises many: The garbage disposal has no blades. At the bottom of the trash, a shredder is free-swinging lugs, also known as hammers, on a spinning impeller. So, should garbage disposal blades be loose?
What are garbage disposal blades?
For the blades of the garbage shredder, people perceive special protrusions at the bottom of the device. This leads to confusion and misunderstanding. In fact, these protrusions do not crush pieces.
They rotate and throw food up to the real blade. These protrusions have to be loose, so they will be able to swing when rotating and throw food up. This is how grinding food works in a garbage disposal machine.
How garbage disposal works
When you put food in the chute, it ends up on a special flat metal disc bolted to the impeller. These impellers turn a flywheel, which then uses centrifugal force to push food against the sides of the machine. On the sides of the grinder is a stationary grinding ring. This ring cuts the food into small pieces.
The chopper ring has sharp edges and slotted holes that chop food into pieces so that can then pass through the flywheel and down into the pipes.
It is necessary to run water when using the garbage chute. The water helps flush fine particles through the device and into the pipes.
How to loose garbage disposal blades
As mentioned earlier, the debris removal blades are designed to be loose. But sometimes they can get stuck when food waste enters the free space between the blades and the impeller. In this case, it is necessary to loose garbage disposal blades so that the waste chutes can effectively grind food waste.
The blades of the garbage disposals can be loosened by crushing ice cubes.
Here’s how to loose garbage disposal blades:
- Disable garbage collection
- Add two tubs of ice cubes to the disposal
- Turn on the hot water and start the garbage chute
- Start recycling until cubes are completely crushed
- Repeat the process until the blades loosen.
How do you tighten garbage disposal blades
If you need to tight garbage disposal blades, you can do it by following simple steps
How can you tighten garbage disposal?
Cut off the power – when you decide that you want to tighten garbage disposal blades, always cut off the power source before you fix the device.
Check the blades – if you see the impeller blades moving up and down, that means you should tighten them.
Remove the clogs – clean the food waste completely, you can do it with your hands wearing safety gloves.
Use a pipe wrench to tighten the blades – find a threaded nut connecting the disposal to the sink. Then unscrew the nuts using a pipe wrench.
Use a nut driver to tighten the bolts.
Plug, reconnect the garbage disposal, and start using your garbage disposal.
How to clean garbage disposal
There are several ways that you can apply to remove all the remaining food scraps and garbage that can cause an unpleasant smell or mechanical failure in the shredder.
Put ice and rock salt in the garbage disposal and run it with water. Such a combination will make a salty mixture that will clean the inside of your trash bin.
Then you can pour baking soda and then vinegar. A mixture of vinegar and soda will lead to the formation of a new chemical called carbonic acid.
This acid will eat any unwanted bacteria. Leave the vinegar and soda for about 15 minutes for the acid to do its job. Then drain the hot water into the waste bin to remove the carbon dioxide.
You can plug the sink, fill it with warm soapy water, and then turn off the drain and run the garbage chute while the water drains into the disposal unit.
Final step – put a few citrus crusts (orange or lemon) in the garbage collector to add a pleasant aroma to your freshly washed garbage collector.
How often do I need to clean the disposal
It really depends on you. You can clean it every day if you really want to. As a rule, you should do this at least once every two weeks to keep the garbage disposal clean. However, if you already feel an unpleasant smell, then this is a signal that it’s time to clean
How to fix a garbage disposal
Sometimes, garbage disposals can stop working or have trouble with processing. Basically, there are a few reasons. So, here is the list of issues and things to do in that case.
If your garbage disposal has stopped working, it may be due to overheating the engine. This is easily solved. At the bottom of your device, there is a red reset button for overheating. If you click this button, your deletion will be reset, and it should work as usual.
If you try to reset the garbage disposal settings, and it still won’t start, perhaps something has jammed the impellers and prevented them from rotating.
When checking the garbage disposal blades, make sure that the device is completely disconnected from the mains or that the power is completely turned off so that you do not accidentally turn on the garbage disposal blades while your hand or anything else is in the device.
After you turn off all the power, you can just stick your hand into the heat exchanger and find anything that can clog the parts. Wear safety gloves to protect your skin.
After removing everything that could be inside, try running it to see if that was the problem. Use a flashlight to see everything. If a garbage disposal is still not working, you can use a wrench to open it and see what’s wrong inside.
Make sure the power is off before you open the device.
Generally, if your garbage disposal doesn’t work after dumping, cleaning, or any other effort, you may consider buying a new disposal. If you need to replace basic parts, such as impellers or a grinding ring, it probably would be cost-effective, so it’s easier to purchase a completely new unit.
If a garbage disposal is clogged, product waste is likely to get stuck between the chopper ring and the rotor and prevent the rotor from rotating. To prevent the engine from burning out, the emergency switch stops the operation of the unit.
You can restore the operation by using a garbage removal wrench to manually spin the rotor to remove the lock and then press the reset button. If you have to do this often, or you often hear rattling sounds from objects that have not been crushed, it is likely that the chopper ring is clogged.
Why is my garbage disposal rattling?
If you hear a loud rattling noise coming from the garbage disposal, the reason is almost always that some solid piece of waste is flying inside. But if the disposal is very old, some part of the motor could be loose, but in that case, the electric garbage disposal will probably stop working at all.
Check your machine for the following problems: chopping things takes longer than it needs to; it gets clogged frequently, then the problem is probably related to the chopper ring, and the most common problem is simple clogging.
Also, the chopper ring can be clogged with starchy foods such as potato peels, pasta, or rice. These items that you shouldn’t throw into the garbage disposal.
Garbage disposer maintenance tips
If you want to keep your chute in good condition, follow simple rules for proper maintenance:
Not all waste can be put in the garbage chute. Don’t put pasta, bones, eggshells, fats, and oils in the garbage disposal. Stuff that is too hard can get stuck, and grease and oils can mix into a thick, dense lump and cause clogged pipes in the kitchen sink.
FAQ
Are the blades on the garbage disposal supposed to move?
Many confused blades and special protrusions at the bottom of the device. The blades of the garbage chopper are located along the perimeter of the pipe itself at the top, and the protrusions are needed to throw up pieces of food. These tabs must be movable in order to process food particles.
How tight should garbage disposal be?
The screws must be tightened so that the sink flange fits snugly against the bottom of the sink.
Can you tighten the garbage disposal?
Yes, you can.
Cut off the power, and check the blades. Then remove the clogs – clean the food waste. Tighten the blades – find a threaded nut, connecting the disposal to the sink. Then unscrew the nuts using a pipe wrench. Finally, plug it in.
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