As you finish cleaning up the dishes, you turn on the garbage disposal and hear strange noises. You might think that there is something stuck inside but the problem might be bigger than expected and might need input from a commercial kitchen appliance repair technician. Therefore, we are going to discuss the potential causes behind your commercial garbage disposal making different noises that it normally doesn’t make.
Remove Any Foreign Objects
The most common problem amongst commercial garbage disposals when it comes to making strange noises is that something is trapped inside the unit. It might be a rattling noise due to items accidentally being washed up. It could be leftover bones or broken glass, silverware, or anything else. Garbage disposals are not designed to dispose of such items, therefore, they tend to make unusual noises.
If that happens to be the case, then you are lucky as this problem can be easily fixed. First, you need to unplug the disposal and inspect it for a foreign object. Grab a pair of tongs and remove the stuck item. You need to be gentle while pulling out the stuck item as it can occasionally get wrapped around the unit. Additionally, pulling the item with force can damage the unit’s internal components.
If you do not find anything stuck, it might be that the appliance could be failing or the blades are nearing their end. Garbage disposal blades last somewhere around 5 years. If replacement is required, you are going to need a professional to help you with the issue.
Loosen The Flywheel Or Impeller
If you hear and observe a humming noise coming from the appliance, it means that the unit is most probably jammed up. The blades might have caught onto something and are not rotating. The noise you hear is the motor running while the blades are stuck.
When using a commercial garbage disposal, you need to be cautious of what goes inside. Large and sticky food items can easily get stuck. At the same time, make sure that you run tap water so that the food pieces can easily pass down the drain.
Sometimes, while the garbage disposal is working, you may hear rattling noises but that is normal as the unit is breaking large objects before they get stuck. Furthermore, if the water tends to back up the drain, it means that something is inside, which is not supposed to be there in the first place.
If you are hearing a humming noise, you would want to do the same as you did in the case of the rattling sound. Inspect the unit for any large items but turn the unit off first. Plus, use tongs and not your hands.
If that does not solve your problem, you will need to open up the garbage disposal and loosen the flywheel along with any other debris that might be stuck. For this, you will need to purchase an offset wrench that will work with your brand of disposal. Then, insert the wrench into the flywheel hole located at the unit’s bottom and turn it clockwise to dislodge the stuck impeller or flywheel. Once the item has been dislodged, the flywheel will turn freely.
Replace Your Appliance
If you observe your appliance making a squealing noise, it means that the unit itself has broken. A squealing noise means that the motor bearings inside the garage disposal have gone bad and you will need to contact a specialist who will replace them for you. In some cases, you might need to replace the entire unit.
What To Do When Your Garbage Disposal Won’t Turn On
In the worst-case scenario, your garbage disposal will fail to turn on. However, you do not need to panic. It might be that it tripped the reset on the outlet. This happens when the appliance overheats due to foreign objects jamming the unit.
Another reason might be that your garbage disposal was accidentally turned off or unplugged. Therefore, it could simply be a case of plugging in the garbage disposal.
Final Word
The above-mentioned tips will help you determine the issue with your garbage disposal. If the problem is beyond your understanding, you should contact a commercial garbage disposal repair Alexandria service.
