Five Reasons Your Garbage Disposal Stopped Working in Kanarraville, UT

If you’re like many homeowners in Kanarraville, you probably don’t pay much attention to your garbage disposal until it stops working. Having your garbage disposal fail is frustrating, but fortunately, these small appliances are usually fairly easy to fix. You may even be able to repair yours without calling a plumber.

Below, you’ll learn the most common reasons why your garbage disposal stopped working and how to resolve them. If you still can’t fix the problem, call us for garbage disposal repair in Kanarraville, UT.

Top Reasons Why Your Garbage Disposal Stopped Working

Garbage disposals, while tough, can fail for any number of reasons. Should your disposal kick the bucket, it’ll stop grinding food, leaving waste to rot in your drains. The disposal might make a humming noise or refuse to turn on at all. Needless to say, you want the issue fixed ASAP.

Here are a few common reasons why garbage disposals stop working.

1. You’ve Got a Nasty Drain Clog

When food gets stuck in your pipes, your garbage disposal will refuse to budge. Most often, clogs are caused by throwing things down the disposal that should go into the trash instead. That includes food waste such as:

• Onions and potatoes, the skins of which can get stuck around the disposal’s blades
• Rice and pasta, which turn into a thick paste that gums up the works
• Eggshells, which feature an inner membrane that’ll wrap around the impeller
• Coffee grounds as they become thick and sticky when wet

Essentially, don’t throw any sticky or fibrous food scraps down the disposal.

In some cases, clogs happen when you or someone else in your home drops a foreign object down the disposal. Our plumbers commonly find items such as forks, pieces of glass, and even wedding rings in customers’ disposals.

2. You’re Having Electrical Problems

Does your garbage disposal refuse to turn on at all when you flip the switch? If you hear nothing, not even a soft hum, you’ve likely got a power problem. There may be something wrong with either the unit or your circuit breaker.

If other devices connected to the circuit breaker work fine, the issue probably lies with the garbage disposal itself. You may need to call a plumber or replace the disposal.

3. The Flywheel Is Jammed

All garbage disposals feature a motor with a hopper or grinding chamber on top. Inside the grinding chamber is the flywheel, which looks like a little metal plate, plus a shredding ring that chops up food scraps.

If the garbage disposal turns on but only makes a humming sound, the flywheel is probably jammed. Luckily, it’s easy to fix. We’ll explain how to do so below.

4. The Unit Is Overheating

If your garbage disposal runs for a while but then shuts off without warning, it’s likely overheating. The disposal features an overload protector that forces the unit to shut off to prevent damage.

Overheating typically happens when homeowners run the disposal for too long. Let your disposal rest for a while, and it should cool down enough to be used again.

5. The Disposal’s Motor Has Gone Bad

Just like your car, a garbage disposal needs a motor to run and chop up food. With good care, your disposal’s motor can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years. After that point, the motor may burn out.

It’s possible to replace the motor, but given the relatively inexpensive price of garbage disposals, you may be better off replacing the unit.

Troubleshooting Your Garbage Disposal in Kanarraville, UT

If your garbage disposal stopped working, you’re probably wondering what to do about it. Follow these troubleshooting tips before you call a plumber.

Check the Power Supply

There’s a reason why so many customer support agents ask, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” Such simple fixes may seem silly, but far too many people don’t bother with the basics. Starting with the little things is smart because it can save you hours of frustration.

To start, make sure the disposal is still plugged into the electrical outlet under your sink. The power cord may have fallen out while you were rummaging around in the cabinet. If the plug is disconnected, simply plug it back in, and you’re good to go.

Is your disposal tripping the circuit breaker? This is common in older homes when multiple appliances share the same circuit. The breaker can’t supply power to all of them at once, so it trips. A tripped breaker is likely the problem if other devices on the same circuit have stopped working as well.

The cheapest and easiest solution is to only run the disposal when you’re not using other devices on that circuit. Alternatively, you could upgrade your circuit breaker or run the disposal on its own circuit.

Reset the Disposal

Once you’ve confirmed that the disposal is receiving power, try resetting it. Like your phone or computer, disposals occasionally need to be reset when they stop working. Luckily, resetting the disposal is simple and doesn’t require you to take apart the unit.

Look at the bottom of the disposal and locate the reset button. It might be black or some other color. Press the button down firmly and release it. For some models, you might need to hold the button down for a few seconds.

Once you’ve pressed the reset button, try running the disposal.

Remove Food Clogs

As mentioned above, certain food items should never go down the disposal. If you’ve tossed something bad down your disposal, you’ll need to remove it.

First, try plunging the sink drain with a cup plunger. Pour a little water into the sink so the plunger can get good suction, then press the plunger firmly over the drain. Pull up and down on the plunger vigorously to dislodge the clog.

If this doesn’t work, try disconnecting the drain trap and discharge line. Set a bowl or bucket below the disposal before you do this to contain water spillage. Look for clogs in the line or trap and remove them.

Rotate the Impeller and Flywheel

We commonly get calls from customers asking, “My garbage disposal makes a humming noise but doesn’t work. What’s wrong?” Most likely, there’s a jam somewhere in the flywheel or impeller. Both of these parts are responsible for chopping up food debris. If a foreign object like a knife falls down the disposal, it’ll get stuck.

You may be tempted to reach your hand into the disposal and grab whatever’s blocking it, but never, ever do this. The blades of a garbage disposal are extremely sharp and can seriously injure you. You wouldn’t want to have your hand caught in the disposal if it somehow springs to life.

To fix a stuck impeller or flywheel, here’s what to do:

1. Disconnect the disposal from the power outlet (or flip the circuit breaker if your unit is hardwired).
2. Look for a small hole on the bottom of the disposal and in the very middle of the unit. Insert the garbage disposal key that came with your unit (or a 1/4-inch hex wrench) into the depression. Turn the wrench back and forth a few times to dislodge the object.
3. If this doesn’t work, you can also try inserting the end of a broom handle into the disposal to dislodge the item. Once you’ve done that, use pliers to extract it.
4. Plug the unit back in, run your faucet, and turn on the disposal to see if you’ve fixed it.

Find and Fix Leaks

Maybe your garbage disposal still works, but you discover a puddle of water below your sink every time you run it. If your disposal is leaking, first check the lines that run to and from the unit. If either of these lines is leaking water, simply tighten the connections. If that does not fix the problem, you will need to replace one or both lines.

If the disposal only leaks when the dishwasher runs, inspect the dishwasher drain line which is located near the top of your disposal. Again, try tightening the connections to see if this resolves the problem.

Replace the Garbage Disposal

It’s generally easy to fix most garbage disposal problems, but if your unit still won’t work, you might need to replace it. This is the case if your disposal has a burnt-out motor or is leaking from its casing.

Check your warranty to see if it will cover a new disposal. If not, you’ll pay anywhere from $75 to $950 to install a new one.