My Garbage Disposal won't work. I have tried resetting it. I've tried drano.?

Question

I cna hear that it wants to run so I know it's not broken. My next step is taking it apart. I have poured boiling water and drano in there and everything. With my hands I do not feel anything stuck. Of course I turn the breaker's off before trying to do this. PLEASE HELP!

Answer 1

Thanks for turning the breaker off, do not trust the switch. Do not use your hands, take a long needle nosed plier and a small flashlight, it is generally a small piece of glass or ceramic, sometimes a small pry bar works.

Answer 2

I've had quite good luck using an old wooden broom handle to pry the top plate loose. As one of the other answerers mentioned, there's usually some small item stuck in the edge of the container that won't let the center spin. Unfortunately these things don't have a lot of starting torque so they usually can't break loose from whatever has them bound up. However, if you can get it to turn it will probably be ok.

Answer 3

It still sounds like something is keeping the impeller from turning.
You may not feel anything, but it could still be jammed. If the impeller turns and it still hums, there is another problem to look at. I've also heard that you should never pour any kind of drain opener in the disposal. The bleach is fine. Good Luck!

Answer 4

sounds like something is jammed up in there and preventing the motor from spinning the blade... if the motor is spinning and nothing is being chewed up, the "blade" is sheared off or not spinning (gear teeth or key pin on the shaft)...
I would carefully take it apart and have a peek in the pathway... you will find the issue for sure. Good luck!

Answer 5

On the bottom of the disposal there is an allen wrench socket....use the proper size wrench to manually turn the motor (while the switch is turned off)