Garbage Disposal Troubleshooting

Garbage disposal problems can be either plumbing or electrical.  First things first, never attempt to reach your hand into a garbage disposal for any reason!! Serious injury can occur.

If you turn on your garbage disposal, and no sound occurs at all (no "hum" or any sound of the cutter wheels turning), your problem could be electrical.

Try pushing the red reset button on the bottom of the garbage disposal.  If you still get no results, check your electric breaker in your electrical panel to make sure that it is not "tripped."  If this doesn't resolve the issue, then there may be a physical clog of debris preventing your flywheel from turning.  Most units provide you with a wrench that you can insert into the bottom of the garbage disposal to manually "unstick" it.  Keep in mind that the electric needs to be turned off to the garbage disposal before you try this step.  If your unit does not respond to these actions, then it is likely that it needs to be replaced.

Turning Wastewater to Drinking Water

How do you feel about drinking wastewater?  Check out this article on what many states are now considering to help alleviate water shortages.  By 2030 the UN estimates that over half of the world population will face water scarcity.  Many states are looking into using reclaimed wastewater for drinking water, while some already use wastewater for irrigation purposes.  Drinking wastewater may be hard to swallow for some, but with worsening water shortages, it's becoming a more viable option.  

Considering the droughts and shortages of water in many states, conservation of water is becoming ever so important.  Did you know that the average home wastes about 9,000 gallons of water each year waiting for hot water?  This number could be even higher if you have a larger home, think about getting a recirculator pump to reduce your wait time for hot water and to save water.  Visit our website for more ideas on what you can do to save water, or to calculate your water usage.