Garbage Disposal Troubleshooting

Garbage disposals first began to appear in homes in the late 1940s and are now standard equipment in the modern kitchen. The design of a garbage disposal is fairly simple and hasn't changed much over the years. A motor spins a drive shaft which is connected to a drum that contains sharp cutting blades. The blades pulverize food waste as they spin. If your garbage disposal stops working, you can troubleshoot the problem before calling a plumber and possibly save yourself the cost of an expensive service call.


Tools Of The Trade
Garbage disposal wrench
Flashlight
Long standard screwdriver

Step 1:
Turn off the switch that controls the garbage disposal.

Step 2:
Locate the reset button on the bottom of the garbage disposal. Probe the bottom of the unit with your hand until you find the button. Press the button in and hold it for 15 seconds. Turn the unit back on to determine if that solved the problem.

Step 3:
Unplug the garbage disposal from the wall outlet or turn off the circuit breaker associated with the unit if the previous step didn't work.

Step 4:
 Insert the specialized wrench that came with the garbage disposal into the fitting underneath the disposal. The wrench looks like a large Allen wrench that is bent at either end. The wrench can be used to free a stuck drive shaft. Move the drive shaft back and forth with the wrench, then restore power to the unit and turn on the switch. Sometimes this is enough to get the garbage disposal spinning again.

Step 5:
Shine a flashlight into drain if the garbage disposal is humming but won't spin. Use a long standard screwdriver to probe the edges to determine if something has been lodged in between and is preventing the drum from spinning. Ensure that you unplug the unit or shut off its circuit breaker while performing this task. If you see something stuck, try to pry it out with the screwdriver and reach in a grab it with your hand. Many times silverware or other small objects can become lodged between the drum and the housing and prevent the unit from functioning.