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Do Garbage Disposals Have Reset Buttons?

Yes, garbage disposals do have a reset button under the unit and even though getting access to it could be a challenge, you can use a mirror, just place it under the garbage disposal to gain a clear vision of its location.

Make sure the power is turned off before you do anything else.

So once your mirror is in place you will see a little square red button that is also known as an overload protector button.

To effectively use the little red square button you have to make sure that it always stays on flush.

So how do you reset the overload protector button, the reset process is simple and you first have to make sure that the disposer is off, and then you can proceed to check the overload protector that is positioned at the bottom of the disposer.

If it has extended out about ¼ inch, you will have to gently press it back, and if you don’t get successful on making it stay up then you will have to wait ten minutes before you give it another try.

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However, be careful to see if the overload protector fails to stay in as it may be a sign that it requires service.

How to free a jammed garbage disposer

The good thing about garbage disposals is that it will still drain water off the sink even when it is jammed. (Garbage Disposal from InSinkErator is a great choice; check it out at Amazon here.)

And on many occasions the jam is usually caused by food particles that get stuck between the drain hole and the impeller blade, however, if the problem is the motor then you will have to replace the disposal but that is if it has already burned out.

On other occasions, you might find that the garbage disposal is stuck, and in such a case you will have to unplug the disposal or just shut off the breaker to prevent any incident of someone accidentally turning the switch on.

The next step is to rotate the disposal blades; you will then proceed to find a hole on the underside (hexagonal).

You will then put the Allen wrench on to the socket and attempt to free the unit, turn the wrench counterclockwise, and then turn it clockwise until it reaches the end.

So at this point, you will crank the wrench back and forth until it gives in and you are able to rotate it in a circle.

Remember also that you might need to exert some force because after all, the wrench has been designed to bend and will rarely cause damage to the unit.

You now have to test if you managed to free up the unit, so first, you will remove the wrench, then release water, which will also help get rid of any dirt or debris that has remained behind on the blades.

Plug it back and switch on the unit.

So here you will have two results, either the disposal is working or you were unable to rotate the wrench.

If you are experiencing the latter then you will have to try out the manual method and given that the above is simple, the manual method might have you contract the service of a professional.

How to care for your Garbage disposal

If you are a first time user of a garbage disposer then you might not be sure of what you are to place into the disposer and what you are to refrain from putting into your disposer.

So here is a list of what you can place on your disposer, poultry, vegetables, dairy, vegetables, meat, seafood, and fruits among others.

There are also other things that you need to avoid at all costs if you don’t want problems with your disposer, and these are the stringy and fibrous materials such as the corn husks, pineapple tops, and the artichokes, among other things of the above nature.

The above will cause drain line clogs.

Other items include pieces of glass, silverware, lids, soda cans corrosive chemicals, latex gloves, and plastic wraps.

Remember that whatever you decide to put into the garbage disposer has to be chewable by the grinder and ensure to have a heavy flow of water, so that the garbage can move to the grinding chamber with ease.

You will then proceed to put the garbage into the disposer steadily and continuously, the food will then be ground into small particles in the disposer’s grind chamber and will be transported into the sewer line.

The smooth grinding and transportation of food particles is why you are discouraged against inserting things like broken glasses or silverware that will subsequently damage the disposer and cause blockages.

When you finish putting the garbage into the disposer, you will have to ensure that it is clean thus you will leave the water running for about 60 seconds before you switch it off.

And in any case that the disposer will experience a jam then you will be notified via the disposer overload, and here you will have to first turn it off before you proceed to clear the jam.

You will then check the disposer, and get rid of any excess material and check to see if the rotating shredder spins with ease, if not then you will have to use the dejamming wrench, place it inside the rotating shredder breaker bars and rotate it until you set the jam-free.

You will get rid of the jammed item.

Proceed to press the reset button and then turn it on, wait for at least 30 seconds, then you can continue to dispose of food into the disposer, avoid the use of instruments that might damage the disposer such as a hammer.

Tips on using the garbage disposer

Avoid starting the unit when it is already loaded, instead start the disposer then proceed to load it with garbage.

Also, don’t put garbage in batches, instead, put it in gradually, and after you have put in your last load of garbage, let the disposer run for at least 30 to 60 seconds, to ensure that no garbage remains in the grinder.

Benefits of a garbage disposer

While many people might not see the essence of using a garbage disposer, it does come with many benefits one of them being that it will keep your kitchen clean and even prevent flies from dominating your cooking areas.

You will also pay less waste hauling charges, and even better is that you will promote a healthy environment, as the garbage will not end up in landfills.