Sink only drains when garbage disposal is on. The sink is the most significant part of the workspace; as we talk about kitchen sinks then, almost 60% of the time that we usually spend is in using the sink because we use it for cleaning food or cleaning dishes, and if something goes wrong with the sink then this is going to be very disturbing even to think about it.
And if you have a sink with garbage disposals attached to them, then you have to be extra careful because garbage, since 1972 garbage invented, keeps on giving us an experience of blockage.
Garbage disposals are machines that convert food chunks into a paste and then drain them through pipes. But what do you do when your sinks stop draining water without a garbage disposal?
Then let us tell you the answer, your garbage disposal is clogged, and it will remove the blockage when it turns On. And when it removes its blockage, it will surely drain your water through the pipes.
Well, you are surely going to look for a solution, then you are at the very right place because in this article we are going to tell you the reason and solution to the problem of sink draining without garbage disposal, but before that, you have to identify the reason of the problem.
Sink only drains when garbage disposal is on
Identification process
The most common reason for your sink that drains water only when the garbage disposal is ON is the blockage in your garbage disposal.
Because garbage disposal is used to convert food chunks into a paste, and that paste drains through the pipes, but sometimes something like potato peels or some other thick substances drops in the garbage disposal that is difficult to convert into the paste.
Then they get stuck into the garbage disposal, and when the garbage disposal is turned off then, these chunks don’t melt, and that becomes a reason for not drawing water through the sink.
So here are some reasons for your clogged garbage disposal.
Reasons and Solutions:
There could be many possible reasons for clogged garbage disposal, but the most common ones are listed below.
1: Defective plumbing system
People usually love to DIY things, but sometimes they can make little mistakes that can go through you in trouble; the same goes for garbage disposal. You might be one of those who attached garbage disposals by themselves.
We are sure that you did it properly but still, some faults left behind can only be cleared by a plumbing professional.
- When you install drain pipes higher and garbage disposal pipes lower onto the wall, then it causes problems because, as we know that water drains with the help of gravity; then, if the drainage pipe is higher than the garbage disposal, it’s going to disturb the drainage system.
- A p-Trap is U shaped pipe that works to trap food scraps; it is installed between the garbage disposal and a drain; when the depth of the p trap is a little deep, then it makes it difficult to pass through properly.
2: Blocked Pipelines and garbage disposal
Blocked pipelines are one of the most common problems that don’t let drain the water unless the garbage disposal is on.
But you can remove the blockage by doing it yourself; but you just need the right type of steps to follow, and here they are.
- Turn off the garbage disposal: turn the garbage disposal off because it could be dangerous to use a fixing tool or start a fixing process with the garbage disposal on. So turn off the garbage disposal as a precautionary measure.
- Try using a Plunger: take a kitchen sink plunger and try plunging it, but make sure to put in a good amount of force so that your plunger can remove the blockage.
- Vinegar and baking soda Solution: mix vinegar with baking soda and make a solution. Then put this solution in the garbage disposal and through the pipelines and wait for a few minutes to show its magic. Vinegar and baking soda solution are the best for removing the blockage.
- Rinsing the blockage with hot water: after putting up the vinegar and baking soda solution and waiting for a few minutes now, take a bucket full of hot water and rinse your garbage disposal with it.
- Use garbage disposal cleaner: Use some ready-to-use garbage disposal cleaners as they are specially made to clean garbage disposal. Then they will do their job, and this way, you can get rid of the clogged pipeline and garbage disposal.
3: Venting Problem
Venting problems can cause very serious problems not only with the sinks or drains but also with poor venting systems that can disturb many other parts of the house.
If the plumbing is not vented properly, then it will cause problems with flowing water properly.to check up on this problem.
Whether it is the reason for not letting sink flow water unless garbage disposal is on, then you have to identify and solve the problem.
Start your process by unplugging the garbage disposal and then draining water through it
- If water starts draining properly, then the problem lies in the disposal, and you have to set it up by following the steps to set up the disposal that we’ve mentioned above.
- If water doesn’t drain properly, then garbage disposal is not a problem. Then at this point, you have to call a professional plumber because he can solve such big problems using their professional tools. The sink only drains when the garbage disposal is on.
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