An overheating commercial garbage disposal poses a serious risk and can cause a fire. Usually, the safety features in the unit can shut down the disposal automatically upon the detection of overheating. However, if the unit is overheating and still working, turn it off manually and call in a commercial kitchen appliance repair service. Mentioned below are some common reasons garbage disposals overheat.
Causes Of An Overheating Commercial Garbage Disposal
A commercial garbage disposal can overheat due to improper usage practices, jammed impellers, motor problems, electrical issues, and others.
Overloading
Commercial garbage disposals have higher horsepower and can grind a lot of food, however, they can’t grind waste efficiently if all of it is dumped at once or more quickly than instructed in the user manual. When the garbage disposal is overloaded with waste, the motor has to work harder. So, it consumes more power and produces more heat. This can overheat the motor.
Apart from that, if the overloading practices become a norm, the motor’s lifespan is shortened. Plus, the garbage disposal begins tripping frequently due to overheating.
So, train your staff to avoid overloading the garbage disposal and put waste in the unit at a steady pace. Read the user manual to know how much waste per minute the unit can handle. This depends on the horsepower of the unit.
Using The Disposal Non-Stop
Commercial garbage disposals have two general types: batch-feed and continuous-feed units. The former works like residential units that you turn on for a certain amount of time, grind waste, and then turn them off for a while. On the other hand, continuous-feed disposals can run continuously for longer periods. But even these ones need to be shut down for a while, as they are not designed to work endlessly without a break.
Breaks are important when using commercial garbage disposals because the motor can become hot due to constant operation. If it keeps running continuously, it will overheat and this can lead to many problems, such as reduced motor lifespan and frequent tripping of the disposal.
So, read the user manual to know which type of garbage disposal you have and how long it can run non-stop safely.
Not Flowing Sufficient Water When Using The Unit
Flowing cold water is essential when using a garbage disposal to help it flush waste and also keep the components cool. If you’re not flowing enough water before, during, or after grinding waste, the disposal may not process waste as efficiently. This puts more stress on the motor as it runs for longer or produces more torque. When the motor runs like this, it overheats quickly.
Another important part of this point is that you should ensure you’re flowing cold water, not warm water. Warm water can leave the oils and fats in the liquid or sludge state, which can clog the grinding mechanism and the drain line. This can cause drainage issues, leakage, and overheating.
Putting In Food Items That Can Clog The Disposal
You can put in many types of food or waste items in a commercial garbage disposal, but not all types of food or waste. If you’re trying to grind large quantities of oil, fats, starchy food (paste, bread, rice, etc.), fibrous foods (corn husk, onion skins, celery, etc.), or hard food waste items (seafood shells, fruit pits, large bones, etc.), they can jam or clog the grinders or the drain.
This can keep the rotating parts from their main function of rotating for grinding the waste. So, the motor runs but doesn’t grind. This is a nightmare for the motor and it will overheat until the safety switch trips the garbage disposal.
So, avoid putting the above-mentioned items in the disposal. If you need to, put only small quantities steadily and use a lot of water with it.
Jammed Impellers Or Grinding Mechanism
This is the continuation of the above point. When improper usage techniques are used, too much fat, starchy food, fibrous food, or hard items are put in the disposal, or any non-food item accidentally gets into the grinding chamber, the impellers can jam. The grinding plate won’t rotate, the unit will hum but won’t grind anything, and the motor will overheat. At this point, the safety switch will trip the unit to keep the motor from getting damaged.
So, if you notice that your garbage disposal is humming but not working, check for a jam. It can be food gradually layering up on the grinding mechanism to jam it, or a non-food item instantly blocking the grinding plate. If the garbage disposal is old, it can be a corroded internal component as well. So, consult a commercial appliances repair Chantilly professional.
Steps for checking for an obstruction:
- Turn off the garbage disposal at the breaker and look for anything blocking the unit, and use tongs or pliers to remove the item.
- If you can’t see anything, look for a small hole for an Allen wrench under the disposal. Use an Allen wrench and move it in any direction to remove the blockage.
- Press the red or black button under the disposal to reset the unit and run cold water to see if the unit’s grinding plate is working normally.
Worn Impellers Or Grinding Rings
Impellers and grinding rings help in grinding waste. As they wear over time, they become ineffective, and waste isn’t ground and drained normally. This causes the motor to overheat.
Call in an expert to have your garbage disposal’s grinding components inspected. A few components can be replaced, but if the unit is older than 10 years, replace the entire garbage disposal. But if you have a newer disposal, you can replace the grinding rings and ensure regular maintenance to extend its lifespan.
Motor Wear
The motor of the garbage disposal creates power to rotate the grinding plates. It can wear over time at its own pace or sooner due to improper usage practices. As the motor begins malfunctioning, it can draw more power and overheat, and even then, the grinding plate may rotate slower than usual or not at all. Hire an expert to inspect the motor. Replace your garbage disposal is the motor is faulty.
Faulty Capacitor
Sometimes, when the motor is not working properly, it’s not the motor but the capacitor. A capacitor provides the initial power boost for the motor to turn on. So, the motor will either struggle to turn on or rotate the grinding plate slower than normal if the capacitor is faulty. Capacitors are usually cheaper and replaceable components.
Electrical Problems
Any electrical issue can affect the operation of the motor due to which the motor may not work or overheat while operating. Electrical issues can be a damaged wall outlet, power cord damage, circuit breaker problems, loose wiring, low voltage, and others.
Smaller Disposal Size Than Required
There are various sizes of garbage disposals rated by horsepower, which dictate how much waste they can grind per minute. If your restaurant or businesses’ food waste disposal requirements are growing, your old garbage disposal may not work optimally to handle the larger volume.
For instance, if your restaurant requires a 3-horsepower garbage disposal, but you’re using a 1-horsepower unit, the motor of the unit will overheat frequently.
Conclusion
An overheating garbage disposal is a serious problem, so you should have it inspected ASAP by a commercial garbage disposal repair Fairfax Station technician. Moreover, if the unit is older than 10 years, consider a replacement.
