Garbage Disposal just quit!!?
Question:Not sure what happened here. Flipped switch to disposal, heard a dull humm. No turning of motor or nothing though. Checked fuse and it is fine. Flipped switch again and now no humm either, nothing happens.
Wondering if these things just go out all of a sudden or not. I am sure they wear out over time, but our house is only about 12 years old, I would think the disposal would last longer than that.
If I have to replace, is it a huge deal or something a guy with general abilities do without much trouble.
Any help would be appreciated.
Answers:
OK, it sounds like the blade is stuck. Turn off the switch, and take a broom handle and try to turn the blade the opposite way (ie, if it usually turns clockwise, turn it counterclockwise). This'll take some effort, but it's usually a piece of food or something underneath the blade.
As for it not responding at all, a lot of these things have internal breakers, to shut them down in the event of a problem, and prevent further damage. So my guess is that you threw that breaker trying to run it when it couldn't spin. Usually the breaker is a button on the bottom of the unit. Push that.
Having done both of these things, try turning it on again. If it starts up, let it run, while running PLENTY of water through (you want to clear out that stuff that was stopping it.). If not, then we are at the limit of my repair knowledge.
As for your last question, these things do wear out, and 12 years could be your limit. However, replacement is fairly simple and straightforward, involving attaching it to the sink, attaching a few pipes, and plugging the thing in. If your undersink piping is PVC, that makes things even easier. Your local home-improvement house will be able to show you how.
I had a garbage disposal at my old apartment and it went on me a couple of times out of the blue with no warning. Just like yours, no response at all to turning it on, just silence. The weird thing is that I never put food in it b/c I was afraid it would break down or something. I'm thinking the people before me must have messed it up. I think a plumber can just come by and fix it, idk though cuz I wasn't there to let the guy in.
There might be a reset button on the unit.
When our's quit, it kinda did the same thing... well, at least there was a little bit of humming... and then it just stopped. So... for three weeks we thought about buying a new one, and then one of our friends came over and pushed the reset button on the bottom.and it worked.
So, I don't know if that's the problem... but, if it's not, they aren't to terribly hard to replace. I helped my husband replace our's, and it wasn't much of a big deal... if you follow the instructions, or at least read them first, it makes it SOOO much easier later!
most of them have a circuit breaker at the bottom(red most of the time). Push it back and try again.
Make sure there's nothing inside the disposer that might be jamming it.
It might have a re-set switch on it.
Sometimes if bones or something jam in it, it will automatic-ly stop before the motor burns out.
If it does unplug the electricity, get whatever is stuck out of it, then turn the blades with a long wooden spoon handle or something.
Then remove everything from inside plug it in and push the re-start switch.
i do appliace repair and i have to tell you if you got twelve years out of the garbage disposal than you are very lucky just replace it it is very easy to replace just try to get same brand if possible that way all plumbing and such will line up
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