Why isn’t my garbage disposal working?

If your garbage disposal isn’t working, you may be able to fix it yourself and save some money. But before we talk about it, let me remind you that you should never place your hand or any other object into the opening up the disposal.

If the disposal suddenly stops working, and has no sign of life, wait a few minutes and let it cool down.
Most units have a reset button; usually red, on the underside. Press and release that button. Run cold water, and try turning the disposal on again. Also, check to make sure the disposal is plugged in.

What if your disposal hums but won’t turn?

To be safe: First, turn off the power at the breaker. Now, see if your disposal has a hole on the bottom designed to accept an Allen wrench. Most of them do. Insert the proper size wrench, and try turning both left and right to loosen whatever is causing the jam. Make sure the wrench is removed from the slot. Turn the power back on. run cold water, and see if the disposal works.

If not, Done is just a phone call away 24 hours a day!

Watch  our video with tips for your garbage disposal, from our master plumber: