5 Steps to Remove Glass From a Garbage Disposal

Regardless of how it happened or who is to blame, glass in a garbage disposal can be an expensive and dangerous problem. Your garbage disposal is meant to break down soft foods. However, when hard objects such as glass, ceramic, or bones get in there, they can damage your pipes and garbage disposal. There is no doubt you know the dangers of reaching into your garbage disposal, but to resolve this issue you will also need to avoid turning it on. Luckily, you can safely remove the glass from your garbage disposal. Just follow these 5 steps on how to get the glass out of the garbage disposal.

How to Get Glass Out of a Garbage Disposal

1. Turn Off the Power

Start by turning off the power to the garbage disposal. Safety is always of the utmost importance, so ensure the power is off.

2. Remove the Large Pieces Of Glass

Use a pair of pliers to remove larger pieces of glass in your garbage disposal. You should not stick your hand down the disposal to remove pieces of broken glass.

3. Adjust the Blades

Using your pliers, you can manually adjust the blades to better see and reach any remaining large pieces of glass.

4. Shop-Vac the System

For smaller pieces of glass, you can use a shop-vac to suck them up. Insert the hose or a narrow add-on down the disposal to get those finer pieces.

5. Turn the Power On & Test

Once you get the glass out of the garbage disposal, you will need to test the system and turn the power back on. Run water and turn the disposal on to test the system. An unusual loud grinding noise means there is still glass caught in the disposal.

How a Garbage Disposal Works

Each part below is designed to grind up food for safe disposal and make your life much easier.

Hopper Chamber

The hopper chamber, the hollow cylinder that houses the disposal, has two segments: the upper and lower chambers. Food enters and collects in the upper chamber before being ground up in the lower chamber. Once it's finished grinding, the food moves from the lower chamber to the drain pipe.

Flywheel and Shredder Ring

The flywheel is a rotating metal turntable attached to the bottom of the shredder ring, which sits between the chambers. The flywheel prevents large food chunks from passing through to the lower chamber of the garbage disposal and the shredder ring grinds food up. They help ensure food is broken down enough to be pipe-safe.

Tips and Insights: Top Items to Avoid Putting In Your Garbage Disposal

Motor and Impellers

Just like your car, the motor powers your garbage disposal, allowing the impellers or “blades” to grind up food. A typical garbage disposal can rotate the flywheel and blades at speeds up to 2000 RPM—another reason to always use caution.

Waste Line Connector

Once the food is ground up enough, it’ll make its way down the lower chamber and into the waste line collector. From there, food is flushed out of the disposal into your drainpipe, eventually reaching the sewer.

Plumbing Services From Horizon Services

Whether it’s glass in your garbage disposal or something else causing your plumbing issues, our highly-trained plumbers have you covered. Our technicians offer various types of plumbing services such as water heater repair, water softener maintenance, sump pump installation, drain clearing, and sewer line replacement. We offer full-service plumbing solutions for homeowners in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Give our team of licensed technicians a call by phone at (800) 642-4419 to receive assistance with a malfunctioning garbage disposal or a plumbing issue.