Plumber shares easy method to fix problematic garbage disposal: 'Good to know'

A jammed garbage disposal and clogged sink don't have to be a death sentence for your kitchen. A plumber on TikTok showed just how easy it is to fix.

The scoop

Handy Hoff Plumbing Services (@handyhoffplumbing), a California-based plumbing business on TikTok, gave a quick tutorial for fixing garbage disposals.

@handyhoffplumbing How to fix a jammed garbage disposal 👨🏻‍🔧 #garbagedisposal #howtofixgarbagedisposal #plumbing #plumbinghacks #cloggedkitchensink #plumbinglife #plumbingtime #foryou #virał ♬ original sound - Handyhoffplumbing

"If it's making a humming noise and not working properly, I have a simple fix for you," he says.

He shows a double-sided Allen wrench, which he explains usually comes with the garbage disposal. If you misplaced yours, they can be found at any local hardware store.

He then goes under the sink and sticks the wrench in the "center bottom" of the disposal before twisting. The water drained almost immediately.

"Usually the disposal being jammed is caused by hard items like seeds," he explains. In this particular instance, a fruit seed was lodged in the disposal.

After he fishes the seed out, he turns on the sink and runs the disposal to ensure everything works smoothly. 

How it's helping

This neat, easy trick provides a much better (and safer) alternative to Drano. According to the Environmental Working Group, Drano contains sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide, which irritate skin at best and cause vision damage at worst.

It's not great for the environment, either. These chemicals find their way into bodies of water, hurting aquatic wildlife.

While this solution is great for unclogging your sink, it should be noted that garbage disposals aren't that eco-friendly, either. They contribute to food waste, which releases methane into the atmosphere.

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If you don't have a garbage disposal but want to avoid Drano, you can unclog your drain with baking soda and vinegar. 

What everyone's saying

Commenters were glad for the tip.

"Uhm, good to know!" one said.

Another replied with a beaming smiley face emoji.

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