In today’s kitchen, almost everyone has garbage disposal under the sink. It sounds like such trivial stuff, but with it, humans are greatly helped.
If your garbage disposal hums but doesn’t work, the most likely cause is that bits and pieces of food are stuck between the impeller and the drain hole. It is also possible that the motor has stopped doing its job because of this clog.
How Should You Deal with Humming Sound from Garbage Disposal?
When your garbage disposal doesn’t work as it should, you can check the device yourself before calling in a professional. To do it, here are some steps that may help you:
- Unplug the unit to cut the power to the garbage disposal.
- Under the sink, there is the breaker socket at the bottom section. Stick hex head Allen wrench in it.
- Turn the wrench left and right to get the flywheel free of the clog it might have. If you do not have an Allen wrench, you can use any stick like a short broom to put it in the garbage disposal. You can turn it around manually to get the flywheel free of the bits and pieces of scraps.
- Turn the power back on and check whether your garbage disposal is working as it should. If it doesn’t, there might be other problems that occur in your unit.
Garbage Disposal Hums but Spins Freely
When you turn your Allen wrench to take off the things that are stuck into your flywheel, you might feel that the flywheel spins freely without anything jamming it. The flywheel is not stuck with anything. This means the problem is not at the wheel but probably at the motor or the other part of your unit. How do you fix it?
Fixing Garbage Disposal Humming but Flywheel Not Stuck
You have checked your garbage disposal motor and flywheel, but they are not stuck. What may cause this?
The answer may lay on the GFI, GFCI power outlet, or the disposer itself has tripped. This happens when there is not enough power to run the motor, the unit will hum in response to the small amount of power it gets. If this is the problem you’re having with your garbage disposal, you can try to restart your unit. The button to reset it is usually placed at the bottom of the unit.
Try to Reset Garbage Disposal
There’s a significant probability the garbage disposal will need to be reset if it continues to hum after you’ve manually rotated the grinding plate or unclogged it. Locate the reset button and press it to accomplish this. The waste disposal will be reset as a result.
As you’re doing this, check the reset switch to make sure it’s not damaged or worn out in any way.
When this switch malfunctions or wears out, the entire device needs to be replaced.
Call a professional if you have no prior expertise in replacing a garbage disposal.
If you have tried to unjam your wheel, you have reset your unit and checked the motor but still, your garbage disposal hums but doesn’t work. It is probably the right time to call in the professional.
However, also consider replacing your unit with a new one. Think about the cost it will take between calling the expert for help and replacing your garbage disposer. It is probably better to choose to replace your unit in your area instead of fixing it, especially if your garbage disposer has served you for a long time.
