Garbage Disposal - Glass

[mommy100903]

A baby food jar slipped unseen into the depthes of the garbage disposal. There was a loud pop the next time we ran the disposal. It then began only to humm and not turn. I used a broom handle to turn the cylinder backwards to see if it would release (at this time I didn't know it was glass) and I heard crunching/grinding noises. I got a flashlight and saw small chunks of glass along the edges of the cylinder.

OK. Now what?

I thought I might wait till it dries and use a vacuum to remove the excess nuggets of glass, and then see if the disposal will work the current bits out. Is this a good idea?

Thanks for any suggestions. (other than get a new one)

M

[Troy]

I guess the first goal is to remove all the glass. I think your idea of using a vacuum to remove the glass is a good one. I would definitely disconnect the power before you start. You might want to remove the disposal before you start.

Anyone else? Let us know how it goes, and welcome to the forum!

[LazyPup]

Clearing a jamb in a disposal is normally a pretty simple procedure but some very important safety precautions must be taken.
Step 1. Make sure the power switch is turned off.
step 2. Check the reset button on the bottom of the disposal motor housing. (Some older disposals had the reset button on the front side of the motor.)
Step 3. Locate the power cord to the motor. Most disposals are connected via a cord and plug under the sink. That is a code requirement to provide a service disconnect to prevent injury to service people. Believe me when i say you only have to see a disposal start once with someones hand in it to convince you to disconnect it first.

Now that you are sure it is disconnected use a flashlight and look down the throat of the disposal. (You should never put any part of your hand into the throat any deeper than the ends of the rubber flappers.) If you are lucky enough to see what is jamming it you can use a pair of needle nose pliers to reach in and pull it out. Another tool that i find works very well is a long pistol gripe type fish hook remover that has little moveable gripper jaws on the end.
Once you have removed all the foreign material you can, try turning the cutter platform (the round part in the bottom of the disposal chamber) with either a disposal wrench or an appropriate size allen wrench inserted into the hex socket on the bottom end of the motor shaft. If it will not turn free try rocking it back and forth a few times. Normally that will loosen whatever is jambing it, then you can look in the top again as before and remove the obstruction.
When you look at the top of the rotating platform inside the throat of the disposal you will see two cutters that are on pins to allow them to rotate free. In operation centrifical force holds them out against the sides of the disposal, but if they encounter something hard they can swing to releive the pressure preventing damage to the motor shaft. If you do not have a disposal wrench or allen wrench you can effectively turn the platform by prying it with a wooden broom handle or a plunger handle. As soon as you can feel the platform or motor shaft turning free, again examine the throat to see if you can remove the obstruction. although it is difficult to see, the actual grinding action takes place between the sides of the cutter platform and the inside of the disposal housing. Quite often whatever caused the obstruction will be down in that section, very difficult to see and often it will fall on through the disposal when you turn the platform or motor shaft so you may not see what caused the problem.
If the motor shaft will turn free, plug the disposal in, turn the water on and turn the motor on in the normal manner. It should turn ok now. If it didnt turn, check the reset button then try it again.
If the shaft turns free but it still hums or trips the reset the problem is a bad winding in the motor and will require replacing the unit.
Once you have cleared the problem, if you noted that the problem was broken glass or plastic and if you are afraid the pieces may have gone through the unit, you can dis-assemble the drain trap and remove the pieces that are caught in the trap. In most cases, if the foriegn object went through the disposal it should be ground fine enough that it will not cause a significant problem in the drain.
Occasionally you will encounter a clogged drain on a double sink with a disposal. Here is a trick. Cover the opposite drain with a plunger to seal it,hold the plunger tightly in place, then turn the water on and start the disposal. The pumping action of the water going through the disposal will normally clear the clog.