How To Remove Broken Glass In Garbage Disposal?
We wash all kinds of dishes in our kitchen sink – even the delicate and expensive ones like glassware. It’s only natural for the glass crockery to accidentally break at times while handling them in the sink. If you’re stuck in a similar situation, you must be wondering ‘will broken glass ruin a garbage disposal’ and more importantly, ‘how to get broken glass out of garbage disposal?’
These glass pieces can go down your garbage disposal system, ending up blocking it or block the drainage of the kitchen sink as well, in the worst case, it can cause your garbage disposal to leak. It’s essential to very carefully remove this debris without injuring yourself or your waste disposal. Here are some simple steps to remove the broken glass in garbage disposal.
How To Get Glass Out Of Garbage Disposal
- Disconnect the power – Turn off the power supply to the garbage disposal before attempting to do anything; this will prevent you from getting an electric shock. For additional safety, it might be a better idea to switch off the breaker at the panel as well.
- Pull out the big pieces first – When trying to remove the glass in garbage disposal, it’s best to start with the large pieces first, but again never with bare hands. Don’t put your hand in the drain to pull out glass; you’d end up injuring yourself. Instead, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to pull out glass – big or small pieces – whatever and as many as you can manage to. You’d find most of the big ones at the top of the drain’s opening so they’d be easier to get hold of first.
- Use a vacuum – Use the long-head attachment of your vacuum cleaner and suck out the glass from the drain opening. In the absence of this attachment, you can tape up thin PEX tubing to the vacuum’s nozzle. Note that the nozzle’s opening should be wide enough to suck in all the glass pieces; else you’d have to suck them out one by one.
- Suck up the last few bits – After removing the large bits easily, it’s now time to suck the remaining shards of broken glass in disposal. It’s essential to clear out the garbage disposal completely of all glass pieces, even tiny ones, to avoid any future blockage. For this, turn the blades of the garbage disposal using a hex key underneath the disposal. A broom handle or stick would serve the same purpose. You can push it through the drain opening to turn the blades and suck up any remaining bits and pieces of glass.
- Turn the power supply on – After ensuring that all glass pieces have been completely sucked up via the vacuum, you can turn back the power supply to the garbage disposal on. Then turn on the tap in the sink to wash out any tiny piece of glass that may have been left behind accidentally.
If your garbage disposal is too old and needed to be replaced then you can consider getting a stainless steel garbage disposal with tougher components which will help you avoid any future mishaps. Check this comparison table below to get a better idea.
| Product | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. American Standard ASD-1250 | ||||||
| 2. Waste King L-8000 | ||||||
| 3. Moen GXS75C GX Series | ||||||
| 4. InSinkErator Garbage Disposal |
Precautions to Take While Removing Glass from Garbage Disposal
Just as it’s essential it is to address glass stuck in garbage disposal and remove broken glass pieces from your waste disposal system, the process can be equally dangerous too. You’re at risk of hurting yourself if you fail to do it correctly or carefully. Follow these few precautions to effectively remove the broken glass in garbage disposal without harming yourself in any way:
- When you turn on the disposal, keep your face away from its opening. You may have missed out on clearing some tiny bits and pieces of the glass, and they may stick up against your face.
- If you feel removing broken glass from the garbage disposal system is difficult or are scared to try it out on your own for fear of getting hurt, contact a professional plumber or technician for assistance.
Summing Up
Glass always needs to be handled with care – broken or otherwise. If you notice something stuck in garbage disposal, keep it working by clearing it off but ensuring that you stay safe throughout.
