Garbage Disposal Not Working? Outlet, Breaker, Reset and Jam Fixes
The short version
Walks through checking a garbage disposal that has no power or hums: test the outlet under the sink, reset the breaker, press the red trip switch, and turn the bottom bolt with a wrench to free a jam. If needed, the unit is removed to look inside. A burned out motor means buying a new disposal.
Full written account
A garbage disposal that is silent or humming is, by the video's estimate, not actually broken at least 90% of the time, and the checks are short. The sequence runs from the simplest cause to removing the unit.
No noise at all
If flipping the switch does nothing, first confirm the disposal is getting power. It plugs into an outlet under the sink, so it can be unplugged and a hair dryer or other device tried in that outlet. If the outlet is dead, go to the circuit breaker panel. In the example, one breaker is labeled for both the dishwasher and the disposal and sits in the off position. Breakers can trip partway, so a breaker that looks half-tripped should be turned fully off and then fully on. After resetting, plug the disposal back in and test it.
The red trip switch
If there is still no noise, look underneath for a small red button. It is a trip switch that trips when the unit is working too hard and might burn out the motor, shutting everything off. Pushing it resets it.
A weird noise or a jam
For a humming or odd noise, unplug the disposal. Inside, a bolt holds a disc with small blades; if it does not spin, something is probably jammed. The items found in past repairs include a chip of glass from a plate or cup, aquarium rocks from someone washing out a fish tank, and a piece of a soda can lid. A hole at the bottom of the disposal takes a regular Allen wrench, or a tool made for the purpose. Pushing it in and turning it almost always dislodges the obstruction.
Taking the unit off
If the wrench does not work and pliers from the top cannot get it out, the unit comes off. It connects in three places: a hose from the dishwasher, the drain to the sewer system with a P-trap and plastic pipe, and the main connection at the bottom of the sink. The sink mount unscrews by hand by twisting the plastic knobs. The hose clamp can be loosened with a screwdriver, though here there was enough room to leave it attached. The drain connection came off with one or usually two Phillips screwdrivers, with a third loop at the back, and the rest by hand while supporting the bottom. A rubber piece on top slips off by pulling up. With it open, look for what is stopping the disc; it should spin freely. A jam tends to be hard to see and the space may be dark.
When it is the motor
If none of this works, the motor may be burned out. That is not really fixable, and the disposal has to be replaced.
Questions this video answers
What if the garbage disposal makes no noise at all?
Plug a hair dryer or another device into the outlet under the sink to see whether it gets power. If not, check the circuit breaker, which may be tripped halfway; turn it fully off and back on.
What is the red button under the disposal?
A red button under the unit is a trip switch that trips when the motor is working too hard. Pushing it resets the unit.
How do you free a jammed disposal?
Unplug it, then put a wrench or Allen wrench into the hole at the bottom of the disposal and turn it. The video says this almost always dislodges what is stuck.
What if nothing works?
The video says a burned out motor is not really fixable and the disposal must be replaced.
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