Why Do Blenders Leak: Tips to Prevent and Fix a Leaking Blender

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Blenders are a great way to make your favorite smoothies, but they can also be a pain when you have to clean up afterward.

What’s worst is that when you use a broken blender, you might notice the smoothie you’re making is ending up on the outside rather than staying inside the container.

Yep, you guessed it. You’ve got a leak.

It is important that you take the time after each use to check and maintain your blender. And if it does start leaking, there are some simple steps that you can follow in order to fix it so that the next time you need your blender, it won’t leak!

So the question is, what causes blenders to leak?

This can be one of several answers. Blenders have rubber gaskets that go in between the rotating blade and the cup. It’s possible the gasket is worn or damaged which allows seeps of your food to escape. Also, make sure to check for any cracks on your cup. Even the lid could have malfunctioned. Something you have to do is know the signs and know how to fix them.

As I said, there could be a ton of reasons why your blender is leaking, so let’s dive into them.

What are the major causes of a blender leak?

There are a lot of different things that can cause a leak in your blender. If you want to prevent it or fix it, you’re going to have to understand the several reasons why.

Below is a list of possible reasons why your blender is leaking.

The lid is not tightened enough

This may be the easiest step to check so I suggest you try this option first. You’ll be surprised at how often a loose lid occurs.

Try to tighten the lid firmly and check by trying to open it back up again. Get a feel of how difficult it is to reverse directions when unscrewing the lid to determine if it’s tight enough.

When is the lid is not shut tightly, the blended food that’s being pulverized inside will eventually make its way out. It’s a rule of thumb that if there’s an opening where air can travel out of, food will find its way there in a blender.

Lid is damaged

This leads us to another situation. The lid can be damaged. This can be a crack that affects the structural integrity of the lid and the jar.

Again, a crack will allow air to enter and exit. This means that food can likely find its way out through the cracks.

Another reason could be that the lid is warped. Time and time again, I’ve been asked if you can place really hot foods into a blender.

This is definitely not a good idea. Depending on how hot the food is, it has the potential to warp the lid and even the body of the jar.

Don’t blend hot food.

Damaged blender jar

Make sure there are no small cracks on either side or anywhere else near where food could escape from when blended together. The jar is the main component that keeps all the food together while blending.

Like the damaged lid situation, the jar is likely to be susceptible to the same situation.

You can have a cracked jar which you should never attempt to use on a blender. Blending food creates a lot of pressure within the chamber of the jar. It’s quite possible that the jar will break and spill food everywhere.

Again, don’t place hot foods immediately into the blender. The warping of the jar and lid may not only damage the equipment, but it might also leak as well.

Gasket needs cleaning

The gasket is the rubber ring that gets in between the blade housing and the blender jar. It’s an extremely important part of many electronics and machines.

In some models of blenders, you’ll notice that you can separate the jar from the blades. This is where you’ll find the gasket. Its job is to create a waterproof seal between the two.

If this gasket is dirty, it might need cleaning. Dirty gaskets will often have dust and particles on them, which creates a less than effective seal.

These particles may create a micro-sized gap in between the two structures, allowing food to pass through.

The rubber gasket is damaged/dirty

The longer you end up having a blender, the more of a chance that it will get damaged and worn down.

Like all materials for equipment, this isn’t something shockingly new. Rubber gaskets will eventually tear, degrade, and flatten.

You should also check if any rubber gaskets have been worn out. Carefully examine every inch of the gasket for grooves and flattened areas that are uneven to the rest.

The blades

This is probably the most surprising spot and the most overlooked. When blending, the blades are connected to the rotating head of the motor. And the motor spins the blades.

What you’ll probably guess is that there’s a special design that allows the blades to move while at the same time seals that rotating part so that food doesn’t enter or exit. It’s usually watertight, but sometimes, particles can run through and over time make it less effective at resisting leakage.

If the blades are moving a little slow or making a lot of extra noise, you might want to take it apart and see if there’s something wrong with the blades.

Manufacturer defect

Not all products coming out of a factory are equal. Manufacturer defects are quite common and this is something you might want to consider if you can’t come up with any other solution.

If your blender is within warranty, you can call up the manufacturer and ask to see if they can fix it or replace it with working on it.

How to thoroughly inspect your blender for leaks

Unplug the blender.
Remove the blender jar from the motor unit.
Detach the blades.
Remove the lid.
Remove the rubber gasket (“O” ring).
Check the gasket ring for any tears, wear, and deformities.
Look around the jar for any cracks. Most cracks start at the bottom of the jar.
Check the blade housing to see if you can find any malformations or cracks.
Check to see if the lid is cracked as well.
Try to screw the lid on the jar and see how tight it is.
Examine the rubber gasket and make sure it’s not too worn out.
Clean these rubber gaskets with soap and water.

If you found any issues, attempt to fix them by cleaning them. If you found any damages, you can try to repair it or if the damage is too extensive, you might need to purchase a new part.

The best place to start is to notice where the leak is occurring. If it’s happening at the bottom of the blender jar, you may want to start there first to save time. If you see it happening at the top where the lid is, start examining the lid closely. It’s likely the issue. And if you happen to see it somewhere in the middle on the body of the jar, check for cracks on the jar.

Most companies who manufacture the blender have replacement parts so that you can buy a new gasket or lid to replace the old one.

How do you fix a leaky blender?

Step 1: Clean your gasket

Using a soft sponge and some dishwasher soap, clean and rinse the gasket thoroughly.

You’ll need to free your gasket from any unwanted particles that build upon it. I wouldn’t recommend putting it into the dishwashing machine because it can get damaged inside with all the moving parts.

It is recommended to wash your gasket after every week or so of use.

If you have found that there is damage on your gasket that is beyond repair, it’s likely that you might have to replace it completely. Oftentimes these gaskets will last you a very long time, but at any point, if they do become worn out you can simply order a new one on the manufacturer’s website.

Step 2: Replace a cracked jar

It is not usually recommended to try to fix a jar that has been cracked or damaged. The structural integrity has been compromised. And most likely anything you throw at it to repair it will only be temporary.

The tape will eventually fall off, and glue intentionally cracks again. It is the sheer pressure that is created inside the jar while blending that makes it difficult to repair.

It is recommended simply just to order a new jar from the manufacturer’s website. These jars are built to be very strong and don’t often break or crack under normal wear and tear.

Just be careful not to drop, bump, or knock over these jars in the future.

Step 3: Don’t overfill your blender jar

This may be something that may surprise a lot of people, but do not overfill your jar with food while blending. The blending process creates a certain amount of pressure throughout the chamber of the jar. This chamber needs a little bit of an air pocket to work properly.

You’ll notice that there is a recommended indicator amount that is carved into the jar. It limits the amount of food or liquid you can place into a jar.

Step 4: Clean the rotating blade area

If the blade is clogged or causing a lot of sounds, it most likely will be time to clean the blade compartment.

Most lenders will not allow you to completely detach the blade from its housing, but you can use his toothbrush to scrub throughout the inside of the blade.

Carefully work your way around the blade from the top to bottom, making sure you focus on the area that rotates. Spin the blades as you clean and try to see if you can feel any obstructions or resistance.

These blades have bearings inside that allow them to rotate freely with as little resistance as possible. If you were feeling a lot of resistance, and there is no way for you to get inside the bearing, then it might be time to replace the blade unit housing. This can also be found on the companies website.

My final thoughts

In my own experience, I own a Vitamix and we’ve had this issue once. Luckily for us, Vitamix has a warranty of several years! They even have their own recommendations page for things that can go wrong and instructions on what to do. I was able to reach out to the company in which they asked to bring it in and repair it for me. That solved my problem.

It is important that you clean your blender every time after using it because this will help prevent any leaks from happening in the future use of either yours and others who might be sharing its users with their own blenders as well!

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