How to Unclog Garbage Disposal with Standing Water

A garbage disposal breaks down food leftovers so that they can easily pass through your house’s plumbing system and make their way out to the sewer. This waste disposal unit can grind various types of things, including bones, meat, egg shells, fruit peels and vegetables. But if it becomes too full, then it would clog up and shut itself off automatically, leaving water in the unit and even spilling it over into your sink. When this happens to you, here are steps you can follow to fix it up:

1. The first thing to try in de-clogging a garbage disposal is removing its contents and resetting the system. If it still does not work, then check its power cord under the sink to make sure that it is securely plugged into the power supply. Also, try to see if its breaker, which is located in its service panel, did not trip.

2. Using a flashlight, look into the unit, and if there are any objects stuck in it, remove them with the use of tongs. Then, press the “Reset” button to attempt to turn the unit on again.

3. If the previous steps fail, then it is time to insert a wrench into the hex slot on the underside of the unit and turn the device back and forth to loosen and get rid of the clog. Continue doing this step until it is easy for you to turn the wrench 360 degrees sans the obstruction and until the standing water drains from the sink. When the debris is finally removed with tongs, reset the machine, which should already work after this step.

Clog in the Drain Pipe

It is also possible that the clog is in the garbage disposal’s drain pipe. If this is the problem, its blades would still run, but the standing water will not drain out of the sink. You can fix it with the following tips:

  • If it is just a small clog, then keep cold water running and turn unit off and on to see if it will flush the debris.
  • A plunger can also work well in this situation by using it on the disposal side, while the other side of the sink is being plugged. If plunging on the clogged side does not work, then you can try filling the other side of the sink with water and use the plunger to loosen things up.
  • You can also use some kind of drain cleaner, such as Drano or Liquid-Plumr, in this case. You might have doubts about this, considering that if a plunger and a strong arm cannot get the job done, such a chemical should not be of more help. However, many people have seen it work in less than a day. Just make sure to scoop all of the standing water out of the sink, so these cleaners can work in full strength.
  • If you want to use more elbow grease, look under the sink and find the section of the pipe that is clogged. Then, you can unscrew the pipe and unclog it.

By following these steps, you can unclog a garbage disposal with standing water and make it function properly again!

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