One day, your garbage disposal stops functioning and you experience so much trouble draining water from your sink. While you are busy cleaning up after a delicious home-cooked dinner, your disposal unit decides to start humming instead of doing its job.
Typically, when garbage disposal starts humming, it means the internal blades have jammed. It could also be a faulty motor. The best thing regarding this issue is that you don’t need to have any special skills. In addition, you don’t have to buy any tools so as to get your garbage disposal back in working mode. Most of these units are designed to have an Allen Wrench which is the major tool you’ll need to fix your humming garbage disposal.
Why Is Your Garbage Disposal Humming?
But what causes the garbage disposal to hum? Well, in most cases this occurs as a result of foreign objects that get stuck on the unit. If an item sticks on the blades of your disposal they won’t be able to rotate. And this can trigger a humming noise. If this happens, simply unplug the garbage disposal below the sink and survey the drain hole. Remove any objects that are stuck on the blades, plug in the disposal, and flip the switch.
When it comes to garbage disposal, switch flipping and humming sounds are some of the most common problems. The good news is that there’s a way out- it only takes a few seconds to fix the problem.
If there isn’t any item stuck on the blades of your garbage disposal unit, get the Allen wrench that came with it. Most disposal brands come with a breaker circuit at the bottom. Mount the Allen wrench onto the breaker socket and move it back and forth. This might help you troubleshoot the source of the problem. When doing this, remember to turn on the disposal unit.
There are two possible causes of humming garbage disposal; a jammed unit or a faulty motor. The fact that your device hums mean that there’s still some power coming to the device. So, you can rule out electrical supply problems. Probably, it’s a jam or a malfunctioned motor that’s preventing the blades of your disposal unit from churning. If it’s a problem with the motor, it’s better to replace the garbage disposal instead of repairing it. But regardless of what’s causing it to jam, there are numerous things you can do to get it running again:
Click On the Reset Button
Most garbage disposals come with a small red button at the bottom. When run for too long, your garbage disposals’ internal circuit is more likely to trip. And pressing this button will help reset it.
Another simple way to fix humming garbage disposal is to push the reset button positioned at the bottom of the gadget. If the icon has “tripped” press on it and the issue could be rectified immediately.
Switch Off Your Garbage Disposal
Don’t just put it off. Unplug it from the power source or you could as well switch off the appropriate circuit from the circuit breaker. Make sure that there’s no power coming to the device before you can remove any debris.
Remove large blockages
Your hands are so precious and you don’t want them to get hurt, right? So, consider using tongs.
Push back the rubber drain flaps and carefully remove any visible blockages. From metals and glass to high-fiber foods such as banana peels plus artichokes, eliminate them all.
Turn the blades
Most garbage disposals feature a small hole at their bottom which can perfectly fit a hex wrench. And this hole allows you to manually rotate the blades from below the unit. Since disposal units are only designed to grind in one direction, so be sure to rotate them in both directions to dislodge anything that might have gotten trapped or stuck from the momentum. You might also want to remove more debris using the tongs.
Plug In the Device and Give It A Shot
At this point, you can safely plug in your garbage disposal and check if it’s working. Stay far from the drain since some debris might fly out. This is particularly important if the obstruction was caused by glass or metal pieces.
Break out Your Unit’s Shop Vac
If your garbage disposal doesn’t respond, you might have smaller debris that’s settling and cannot be removed using tongs. In that case, you may have to consider breaking out the shop vac. Disconnect power to your disposal once more, stick the vacuum down your drain and begin vacuuming. But be careful not to breathe in any substance that gets kicked up during this process.
Get Professional Help
If the disposal continues humming without running, you could have run into a problem that can’t be fixed with DIY strategies. And the only way out is to contact a professional plumber who has the right expertise and experience to fix the issue. However, you should be keen to choose a trusted plumbing service that’ll deliver efficient, reliable, and affordable services.
Replace the Whole Unit
If none of these methods have helped fix your humming garbage disposal, then your device could have stopped being operational and reached its end of life. And the only solution to this is to replace your disposal unit. Learn how to choose a garbage disposal if you want a good unit. Plus, for your own safety, it’s always important to unplug the disposal when attempting any of the above fixes. Plus, you should also avoid placing your hands near the blades when trying to rotate them. It’s better to utilize a tool to pull out items or check the unit’s plates for blockage.
The Bottom Line
Is your humming garbage disposal giving you a headache? Relax. There’s a solution to it. Follow the tips discussed above and you’ll definitely get your disposal fixed in no time. However, if none of the steps have helped correct the issue, you may want to consider replacing your unit. It might have become too old to repair or you could have purchased it from an untrusted vendor.
