Glass In The Garbage Disposal? (What To Do and Why)
No matter how careful you are when you work in the kitchen, accidents happen. Glasses and dinner plates get broken in or around your kitchen sink. Cleaning glass shards from the sink is easy, but what should you do if glass gets into your garbage disposal?
Glass should be removed from the garbage disposal. It will damage the flywheel and blades, clog the disposal, reduce performance, and even shorten the lifetime of the appliance. Seeing glass in the sink or disposal and unusual noises are signs of glass inside the chamber. Remove the glass with tongs, pliers, and a vacuum cleaner, or dismantle the unit.
It is always best to exercise caution when you suspect or know that glass has gotten into your garbage disposal. Let’s look at signs of glass in the disposal, reasons to take care of the problem, and some tips on how to safely remove the glass.
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4 Signs of Glass in a Garbage Disposal
There are some obvious and subtle signs that you have glass in your garbage disposal.
1. Broken Glass in the Sink
If you see broken glass in your kitchen sink or on the rubber drain baffle, you also have glass inside the chamber of your disposal. Glass shatters when it breaks, and you can have pieces that are large to practically microscopic inside the chamber.
2. Finding Glass in the Disposal
You may find glass inside your garbage disposal when you are troubleshooting a strange humming noise or jammed flywheel. When you shine a flashlight inside the chamber, you will see glass fragments and a mysterious shimmering material.
3. Unusual Noises
Glass in a garbage disposal makes distinct noises. Rattling and clanking inside the chamber indicates large pieces of glass. As the large pieces are broken down by the blades, the noise gets quieter and more high-pitched. Squealing is another sign of glass in a garbage disposal. This is caused by a small shard getting trapped under a blade or between the flywheel and chamber wall.
4. Overheating
If your garbage disposal overheats often, this is a good sign that a piece of glass is jamming the flywheel or blades. The disposal has a safety mechanism that automatically shuts off the unit to cool down the motor.
6 Reasons to Remove Glass from Your Garbage Disposal
Glass is a material that is broken down easily by metal, so why should you remove broken glass? After all, won’t the appliance take care of the problem? Actually, no. Leaving glass in your garbage disposal is dangerous and can destroy your disposal. Here are some more reasons to remove glass from your garbage disposal.
1. Damage to the Blades and Flywheel
Even though the metal flywheel and blades in the disposal are harder materials than glass, even the smallest glass shard can do a lot of damage. Glass causes loose garbage disposal blades, and knicks in the metal parts.
2. Flying Shards
The rubber baffle on your kitchen sink drain is designed to prevent large pieces of food waste from spewing out of the disposal. The baffle is not designed to stop smaller objects, such as glass shards. Batch feed disposals offer an extra layer of safety because the stopper has to be in place for the unit to work. If you have a continuous feed garbage disposal, small pieces of glass will fly out of the disposal.
3. Clogs
Glass shards in your garbage disposal bind with pulverized food waste. Eventually, your sink won’t drain, and the clog travels into your plumbing drain pipes.
4. Poor Performance
Your garbage disposal does not perform well when there is glass and other small objects inside the chamber. Pulverizing food waste takes longer. The disposal clogs and overheats frequently.
5. Costly Repairs
If glass shards damage the flywheel or blades of your disposal, the unit needs to be repaired by an appliance expert. Unexpected repairs are costly in any household. Even if you do the job yourself, you need to purchase parts and set aside time for the project.
6. Shorter Lifetime
Garbage disposals typically last about 10 years. If you leave glass in your disposal, that lifetime is shortened. You will need to replace the disposal sooner than expected.
3 Ways to Remove Broken Glass from Your Disposal
Fortunately, cleaning glass out of your garbage disposal is easy. Here are some ways to remove the broken glass.
1. Tongs and Pliers
Remove large pieces of glass from your disposal with tongs or a pair of needle nose pliers. Never reach into the disposal. Broken glass has very sharp edges.
2. Vacuum Cleaner
For smaller pieces of glass and tiny shards, use a wet/dry vacuum. The crevice tool is ideal for the job. If you don’t have a crevice tool, use the extension wand. Make sure to move the tool around inside the chamber to clean up as much glass as possible.
3. Rinse the Grinding Unit
Rinse the grinding unit to remove tiny pieces of glass. The best way to do this is to remove the unit from under the sink. Insert a hose with a spray nozzle through the opening for the kitchen drain. Hold the unit so the water drains out of the opening for the plumbing drain pipe. Repeat this process, but working from the drain pipe hole, letting the water empty through the drain hole. If you still have glass in the unit, you can take it apart to better clean the parts of the grinding unit.
Related Questions
How can I prevent glass from getting into my garbage disposal?
Cover the drain of your kitchen sink to prevent glass and small objects from falling into the disposal. A screen cover is the best type because it lets water into the disposal while it is running.
How do I manually turn the flywheel of my garbage disposal?
There is a hex nut in the center of the underside of your garbage disposal. Insert a ¼” allen wrench into the hex nut. Move the allen wrench back and forth to loosen the flywheel.
Can I fix a jammed garbage disposal without an Allen wrench?
Yes. Use a long, thick wooden spoon. Hold the spoon end, and put the handle end into the disposal next to one of the blades. Use a gentle motion to push down on the flywheel and against the blade. Repeat the motion on the other side of the blade. Continue this process until the flywheel loosens. Using a flashlight, look inside the disposal to find any small objects that may have caused the jam.
How do I clean the chamber of my garbage disposal?
Routine cleaning of your garbage disposal keeps it running efficiently and eliminates odors. First, put a small amount of vinegar and baking soda into the chamber in equal parts. The mixture foams up and breaks down food particles that are stuck on the blades and flywheel.Next, put about two tablespoon of salt in the disposal, turn on the water, and run the disposal for one to two minutes. Finish the job by putting a few pieces of lemon peel into the disposal while it’s running. Use only the peel, not the entire lemon or lemon slices.
Does ice sharpen the blades of a garbage disposal?
No. The blades of your garbage disposal are angled pieces of metal. They do not have edges like a knife, so they do not need to be sharpened. You can safely put small pieces of ice in your garbage disposal to clean the blades.
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What Did We Learn?
There are several ways to tell if you have glass in your garbage disposal. Finding glass shards in your kitchen sink is a good indication. You may also see glass in the chamber while you are fixing a jammed flywheel. When glass moves around inside a garbage disposal it makes distinctive noises, such as rattling and clanking. Glass jams the disposal, causing it to overheat. If this happens regularly, it is a good sign that you have glass inside the chamber.
Remove glass that gets inside your garbage disposal. Large pieces and tiny shards of glass will damage the flywheel and blades, and these can be costly to replace. Glass also causes clogs in the disposal and plumbing drain pipe. Expect the garbage disposal to not work well with glass in the chamber.
Food waste is not pulverized properly and may collect inside the chamber. You will need to run the disposal longer to process food waste. Glass inside a garbage disposal shortens the lifetime of the appliance, and you will need to replace it sooner than expected.
Fixing glass inside a garbage disposal is easy. Remove large pieces of glass with a pair of tongs or needle-nose pliers. Do not remove the glass with your hands. The edges are sharp. Use a wet/dry vacuum to clean out the chamber. If you still have signs of glass in the unit, remove it from under the sink. Use a spray hose to rinse the grinding unit.
Jennifer L. Eggerton loves being hands-on, whether it's with a home DIY project, making repairs, re-decorating a room, or keeping life organized. She enjoys helping people by sharing her knowledge, insights, and experiences, as well as her lessons learned. In addition to her work as a writer, Jennifer is a Jeep® overlander, self-published author, and nature photographer who loves being outdoors.
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