Garbage disposals contain sharp “blades” that rip through food waste to send it down the drain. They also have a shredding ring and a flywheel that work together to grind and pulverize foods.

But sometimes these units can have problems that home inspectors can detect. The most common problem is a clog.

Clogs

When the garbage disposal won’t turn on at all, or water backs up into the sink, it usually means that there is a clog in the unit or the drain piping. Turn off the power to the unit and use a flashlight to look inside the canister to see what is causing the clog. Don’t put your hands in the disposal, even when it is unplugged; you could get cut by the blades.

Stringy, fibrous foods like celery, artichokes and banana peels can wrap around the disposal blade and jam it. Eggshells and coffee grounds also grind up into tiny granular waste that sticks to other food particles and forms a clog. These items can also put a strain on your home’s plumbing system and septic tank.

Leaks

Garbage disposals are designed to keep water and food waste from leaking out of the drain, but over time that internal seal can fail. If your garbage disposal has a leak, first make sure it is unplugged and that the circuit breaker is not tripped.

Next, examine the connections for any signs of water damage. Often, a leaking disposal will have screws that need tightening, and this can be done with a wrench.

Another common reason for a disposal leak is when the metal sink flange that connects to the sink drain becomes loose. This is usually due to a cracked or deteriorated plumber’s putty, and it is easy to fix by loosening the bolts, scraping off the old putty, and applying fresh putty.

Noise

The first thing to do if you hear a loud noise coming from your disposal is make sure the power is completely off. Then you can feel around with your hands to see what is stuck in there. If you can see something and it doesn’t look like it could hurt your hands, use a pair of tongs to remove it.

It is also a good idea to drop some ice cubes in the disposal once in a while to sharpen the blades. Doing so should help prevent them from becoming dull, which is a big reason for many of the issues mentioned above.

Overheating

If you’re using your disposal and hear a low humming sound, that may indicate that it’s overheating. This can occur if you put something into your disposal that it’s not designed to handle, like hot grease, coffee grounds, egg shells, or large bones.

These items can jam the disposal, causing it to overheat or even burn out the motor. If this occurs, you should shut off the unit by flipping its switch to the off position and wait several minutes for it to cool down. Then, locate the reset button, which should be found on the bottom of the unit and push it. This should reset the disposal to its working state, but if it doesn’t work, you might need to check the circuit breaker switch in your home.

Motor

The motor in your disposal is what turns the blades to grind up food waste. If it’s humming, you may have a clog that’s keeping the blades from spinning. You can check with a flashlight to make sure there isn’t a spoon or other object stuck between the blades.

You should also try a disposal reset button—look for one under the unit or in the manual for its exact location. If the disposal still won’t turn on, you may have a circuit breaker issue that will require the help of an electrician.

Repeated clogs can indicate that the disposal is overworking its motor or blades. It may be time to have it replaced. You can also clog your disposal by flushing fats, oils, and grease down the drain.

A plumber in Melbourne can help you with these problems from a garbage disposal. They easily identify the problems it can have and save you from spending more time and creating larger issues if left unattended.