A commercial garbage disposal that’s grinding slowly can slow down your business operations. It’s best to call in a commercial kitchen appliance repair expert for troubleshooting garbage disposer issues. However, some issues can be easily fixed, so here are the major causes of a commercial garbage disposal grinding slowly.

Reasons Your Commercial Garbage Disposal Is Grinding Slowly

Overloading The Garbage Disposal

An obvious reason for a slow-grinding garbage disposal is overloading. If the operator is putting more food waste in the disposal than its capacity, then this will affect its performance and it will grind food slowly. Plus, as more food is being fed into the disposal, but it’s grinding food at its regular pace, it will feel like the disposal is grinding slowly, when the actual problem is overloading.

Commercial garbage disposals come with a maximum food waste per minute limit which you should not exceed to make sure the unit works without malfunctions. Because, as stated above, overloading impacts the performance and puts stress on all the components, including the motor, blades (impellers), and the drainage. So, consult the user manual to understand the capacity of your disposal and instruct your staff to never exceed it.

If your business is growing and the existing garbage disposal is not fulfilling your business needs anymore, then it’s better to buy another disposal, as putting stress on a single one could damage it sooner than expected.

Partially Jammed Disposal

A jammed garbage disposal is when it hums but doesn’t grind food at all. However, there can be a partial jam or a developing jam in this case, where you may notice the disposal grinding slowly.

The causes of both a complete and a partial jam are the same. A partial jam means you have spotted the problem before it completely halts the waste disposal operation of your business.

Many things can lead to a jammed garbage disposal. Some are explained below:

• Foreign objects in the disposal: What would immediately lead to a complete or partial jam? Foreign objects or non-food items in the disposal. They can be small kitchen items like spoons, forks, bottle caps, corks, toothpicks, sponges, wipes, small pieces of packaging, etc. They could also be personal items like clips, hair ties, etc.
• Fats, oils, grease: You can’t avoid them completely, so they can get in the disposal and solidly, forming sludge over time that jams the disposal. This is a common cause of a partial jam.
• Bones and large food items: Animal bones, fruit pits, seafood shells, nuts, nut shells, eggshells, etc.
• Starchy and fibrous food Items: Potatoes, potato peels, paste, rice, oatmeal, bread, flour, corn husk, onion skins, banana peels, and others.

To fix this issue, first check the garbage disposal for a foreign object or a stuck food item. Cut the power to the disposal and then use a flashlight to check it. If you see anything, remove it with pliers. Moreover, thoroughly clean the garbage disposal to remove sludge and clogs. However, if the garbage disposal jams frequently, consult a professional.

Not Using Enough Water

Garbage disposals rely on the impellers for grinding food. However, they also need a sufficient flow of water to ensure the food keeps flowing and draining. If there is lower water flow than required, food waste may not flow as easily or could even cause a partial jam, leading to slow grinding or slow draining.

So, ensure that you’re using enough water. Remember to only use cold water, as it’s helpful for garbage disposals, whereas warm or hot water is never advised. You can, however, grind ice cubes in the disposal.

Worn Impellers (Blades)

Commercial garbage disposals have impellers that grind food waste. They are textured, and as they rotate at high speeds, they break down food waste. Over time, they lose their texture, which lowers their performance.

If the impellers are worn, they may grind food, but it would take much longer than before. This may be the cause of your commercial garbage disposal grinding slowly.

Depending on the garbage disposal brand and model, the impellers or other components like the flywheel, grinding ring, and others may be replaceable. If they are, you can have a commercial appliances repair Chantilly expert replace them. But if they aren’t or multiple components or the impeller housing is bad, it’s better to replace the entire unit than to spend money on repairs and replacements. It will be more cost-effective in the long run.

Clogged Drain Line

As food waste is grinded and it goes through the drain line, some of it can create clogs. Moreover, oil and grease are infamous for creating clogs as they solidify in the drain lines. Due to this, the food waste doesn’t drain quickly when you use the disposal. So, it will look like the garbage disposal is grinding slowly when the culprit is the clogged drain line.

To unclog the drain line, you can use regular tools like a plunger or an auger. Moreover, you can use an enzyme-based cleaner as well. Make sure to perform drain cleaning after turning off the disposal. If the disposal doesn’t work after that, try resetting the garbage disposal.

Failing Motor

The motor of a commercial garbage disposal is what rotates the flywheel and the grinding plate or impellers to grind the food waste. As you may know, when motors begin failing or giving up, they operate more slowly than normal. Over time, they give up completely and don’t run at all.

So, if your commercial garbage disposal is grinding slowly, it could be a failing motor that is near the end of its lifespan. However, sometimes motors fail prematurely due to electrical issues or improper usage techniques.

In any case, if the motor is malfunctioning, you should consult an expert who will then inspect the motor and the garbage disposal to let you know if the motor is replaceable. You can have the motor replaced if it’s replaceable. However, in most cases, it’s better to replace the entire unit instead of just the motor, especially when the unit is already old.

Electrical Issues

If the motor is working slowly, it’s not always a failing motor. There could be an electrical issue triggering this problem. Commonly, when the motor is not rotating optimally, it’s a bad capacitor, which is a rather inexpensive component and an expert can easily replace it.

However, other electrical problems can lead to a slow motor as well, such as low voltage, voltage fluctuations, circuit breaker issues, motor wiring problems, and others. So, it’s important to call in a professional to test the disposal and the facility’s electrical system.

Incorrect Installation

Improper installation can lead to many problems, including slow grinding. Installation problems like wrong drainage configuration, power supply problems, improper mounting of the disposal, choosing the wrong size or type of disposal, inadequate ventilation, or any other problem can create issues.

If the slow grinding issue has been occurring since the day of installation, the disposal is likely improperly installed. Consult the technician who installed the unit.

Conclusion

A slow-grinding commercial garbage disposal can be due to various reasons, such as overloading the unit, incorrect usage, jammed disposal, clogged drain line, worn impellers, and others. So, you need a commercial garbage disposal repair Arlington who can inspect the unit, determine the cause, and fix it.