Garbage Disposal Jammed? Free It Tonight
- 15 minutes
- 6 parts and tools
A jammed garbage disposal usually announces itself in one of two ways. Either it hums loudly when you flip the switch but nothing spins, or it does nothing at all. Both are fixable tonight in most cases, and neither requires reaching into the disposal. Read that again, because it is the most important sentence in this article. Never put your hand inside a garbage disposal, even when it is switched off, even when you are sure it is unplugged. Use the hex key from below, or pliers from above, and keep your fingers out of the drain opening entirely. With that rule respected, this is a 15 minute job.
What's probably wrong
Work through these causes in order, because they are listed from most likely to least likely.
A stuck flywheel is the number one cause. Something hard got between the flywheel and the grind ring, or the flywheel rusted slightly in place after sitting unused. Common culprits are bottle caps, twist ties, small bones, fruit pits, and silverware that slipped in unnoticed. When you flip the switch, the motor hums because it is trying to spin a flywheel that cannot move. That hum is actually good news. It means the motor has power and the jam is mechanical, which is exactly the kind you can fix.
A tripped reset button is the next most likely cause, and it often follows the jam. Disposals have a small overload protector. When the motor strains against a jam, the protector trips and cuts power to prevent the motor burning out. After a trip, the disposal does nothing at all when you flip the switch, no hum, no sound. Many people assume the disposal is dead at this point, when it is actually just waiting for its reset button to be pressed.
A power problem is the third cause to check. The disposal may be unplugged under the sink, the plug may have worked loose, or the breaker or GFCI outlet feeding it may have tripped. If the disposal does nothing and the reset button does not help, power is the next thing to verify. This is especially common after work under the sink, when someone bumps the plug.
A failed motor or a leak is the least likely cause for a disposal that worked recently, but it is the one that ends the DIY path. Motors wear out, usually after many years, and a disposal that leaks from the bottom housing is done. A unit that trips its reset button every time you run it, even with no jam, has an electrical or motor problem that you should not chase at midnight.
Fix it tonight
Start with power off and your hands out of the drain. Switch the disposal off at the wall switch. Then unplug it under the sink, or switch off the breaker that serves it if it is hardwired. Confirm it is off by flipping the wall switch and hearing nothing. Only then proceed. Keep your fingers out of the drain opening for the entire job, no exceptions.
First, check the reset button. Crawl under the sink with a flashlight and look at the bottom of the disposal. You will see a small red or black button, usually in the center of the bottom housing. Press it firmly until it clicks. If it was tripped, you will feel it pop back in. Plug the disposal back in or restore the breaker, turn on cold water, and flip the switch. If it runs normally, you are done, and the jam may have been minor enough that the reset alone cleared it. If it hums but does not spin, or does nothing, move on to the next step with the power off again.
Second, work the flywheel free with the hex key. With the power off, find the hex shaped socket in the exact center of the bottom of the disposal. Most disposals come with a 1/4 inch hex key, sometimes called an Allen wrench, that fits this socket. If you do not have the original, a standard 1/4 inch hex key from a set works. Insert it into the socket and work it back and forth firmly, clockwise and counterclockwise. You are trying to break the flywheel loose from whatever is jamming it. At first it may barely move. Keep working it. You should feel it gradually free up until it turns smoothly in both directions. This step fixes most jams. When the flywheel spins freely by hand, you have won.
Third, remove the object from above, without your hands. Shine a flashlight into the drain opening and look for the object that caused the jam. Use needle nose pliers or kitchen tongs to grip it and pull it out. Work slowly and check with the flashlight between attempts. Common finds are bottle caps, small bones, and the occasional spoon. If you cannot see anything but the flywheel now turns freely, the object may have been small enough to pass, or it may have been rust holding the flywheel. Either way, proceed to the test.
Fourth, test with cold water running. Restore power, turn on cold water at a moderate flow, and flip the switch. Let it run for 30 seconds. Listen for smooth grinding with no rattling. Run a small amount of food through it, a few ice cubes and a little dish soap actually help scour the grind chamber, and confirm it drains normally. If you hear rattling, switch it off, cut power again, and look for another object with the flashlight. Sometimes a jam has two culprits.
Fifth, if the disposal does nothing at all after the reset and the flywheel work, check power properly. Confirm the plug is seated firmly under the sink. Check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker serving the kitchen, and reset it by flipping it fully off and then on. Check the GFCI outlet under the sink or on the kitchen wall, and press its reset button if it has tripped. Then test again. If power is confirmed good, the reset button is in, the flywheel turns freely, and it still does nothing, the motor has likely failed, and that is the end of the DIY road for tonight.
One habit worth starting tonight. Always run cold water before, during, and for 30 seconds after using the disposal. Cold water keeps grease solid so the disposal can grind it and the water can carry it away. Hot water melts grease, which then coats the pipes further down and hardens into a clog. Also, feed food in small amounts rather than dumping a whole plate at once, and never put bones larger than small fish or chicken bones, coffee grounds, pasta, rice, or fibrous vegetables like celery down the disposal. Those are the foods that cause most jams.
Parts and tools
When to call a pro
Call a plumber or appliance technician if the disposal leaks from the bottom housing, because that means the internal seals have failed and the unit needs replacing. Call a pro if the reset button trips every time you run the disposal, even with no jam, because that points to a motor or electrical fault. Call a pro if the flywheel will not move at all even with firm hex key work, because forcing it harder can crack the housing. Call a pro if the disposal is hardwired and you are not comfortable working at the breaker. Call a pro if water is leaking from the disposal connections under the sink and tightening the mounting ring does not stop it. And if at any point you are tempted to reach inside the disposal to feel what is stuck, stop, step back, and call someone. That temptation is exactly how serious hand injuries happen.
What a pro typically costs
These are broad typical ranges, not quotes. Your area will change the number. A service visit to free a jammed disposal typically costs 150 dollars to 350 dollars, though many plumbers will tell you that a hex key and a reset button are worth trying first, because they know how often that is the whole fix. Replacing a disposal typically costs 250 dollars to 500 dollars installed, depending on the model and the complexity of the connections. A high end quiet model with more horsepower sits at the top of that range. If your disposal is more than ten years old and it has jammed repeatedly, replacement is usually the better value than another repair visit.
FAQ
My disposal hums but does not spin. Is the motor dead?
Almost certainly not. A hum means the motor is getting power and trying to turn. That is the classic sign of a jammed flywheel. Cut power, work the flywheel with the hex key until it turns freely, press the reset button, and test. That sequence fixes most humming disposals.
My disposal does nothing at all. No hum, no sound. Is it dead?
Check power and the reset button before you conclude anything. A tripped reset button after a jam, a loose plug under the sink, or a tripped breaker or GFCI all produce total silence. Work through those three checks in order. Only if all three are good and the flywheel turns freely should you suspect a dead motor.
Can I use chemical drain cleaner in a jammed disposal?
No. Drain cleaner does not dissolve the hard objects that jam disposals, and it can damage the disposal seals and splash back when the unit finally runs. It also makes the disposal hazardous for anyone who works on it later. Stick to the hex key and pliers method.
What should I never put in a garbage disposal?
Bones larger than small fish or chicken bones, coffee grounds, pasta, rice, potato peels, celery and other fibrous vegetables, grease in quantity, and anything non food. When in doubt, throw it in the trash. The disposal is a convenience for small food scraps, not a trash can, and treating it that way is what prevents most jams.