Last week I had a customer call our shop about getting a new garbage disposal. This was not an unusual call, people call all the time with garbage disposal questions and concerns. She asked several different questions. How much a service call was? If her disposal could be repaired? If she needed a new one, which one did she need? What kind of warranties did it come with? All of which were great questions. However, after listening to her story of what happened. I had a feeling I knew exactly what going on. I suggested checking a couple of things over the phone. The very first thing we tried solved the problem! Elated she did not have to buy a new disposal she expressed her thanks and told me she would call me for her next plumbing problem.
- If you turn on the control switch and nothing happens. Turn the control switch off. On the bottom of most disposals there is a little red button. This button is an overload switch and will trip in the event that the disposal is overloaded or jammed. If you push on the switch and you feel it “click” in. Try turning the control switch back on.
- There is a tool that will come with almost all disposals. It looks like an Allen wrench with each end angled. (More than likely your plumber gave you this tool and informed you to keep it in a safe place and you did right???) On the bottom center of the disposal is a spot for this angled Allen wrench fits. This tool helps spin the armature of the motor and is used to help free up the teeth inside the disposal in the event something jammed and the motor can’t start to turn on its own. Use the tool to spin the motor back and forth. If it spins free then remove wrench and try turning on the control switch again.
