A garburator is a simple machine, and almost every one we replace died of the same few causes. Here is the short version of how to keep yours running, and how to tell when it is done.
What Goes Down
Small amounts of soft food scraps, with plenty of cold water running before, during and after. Cold water matters: it keeps fats solid so they chop and flush instead of coating the chamber and the drain line.
What Never Goes Down
- Grease and oil. It sets in the drain line, not the disposal, and blocks the kitchen drain months later.
- Fibrous scraps: celery, corn husks, onion skins, artichokes. They wrap around the impeller.
- Starches in quantity: rice, pasta, potato peels. They turn to paste and block the trap.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells. Both settle and build up in the trap arm.
- Bones, pits, shells. The unit is not a woodchipper.
- Anything that is not food: glass, plastic, twist ties, and the small spoon that fell in.
If It Hums But Does Not Spin
- Switch it off and unplug it or turn off the breaker.
- Use the hex key that came with it (or a quarter-inch Allen key) in the socket underneath, and work the motor back and forth to free the jam.
- With a flashlight and tongs, never your hand, remove whatever was in there.
- Press the red reset button on the bottom, restore power, and run cold water before switching on.
If it trips repeatedly, or spins freely and still does not grind, the motor or the impellers are worn.
Smells
Odour is food stuck under the splash guard or in the chamber. Ice cubes and a little dish soap ground with cold water clean the chamber; the rubber splash guard lifts out and can be scrubbed. Lemon peel does nothing useful except smell nice for an hour.
When To Replace It
Leaking from the body (not a connection), a motor that trips the reset every few uses, or a unit past ten to twelve years that grinds slowly. Replacement is quick, and it is a good moment to check the dishwasher connection and the trap arm, which are usually original.
Dishwasher Tie-In
The dishwasher drain normally connects through the garburator, with an air gap or high loop to stop wastewater siphoning back. If the dishwasher has started leaving standing water, a blocked garburator inlet is a common cause.
Related: a Langley kitchen sink, disposal and filter install · why drains keep blocking
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