The Empathy Hook & Rapid Diagnosis: The Menacing Hum

You flip the wall switch to grind up some dinner scraps, and instead of the usual roar, you get a menacing, low-pitched electrical hum. You quickly flip it off, afraid the motor is about to overheat or catch fire.

Don't panic—your disposal isn't necessarily dead. That humming sound actually means the electrical motor is still receiving power and is desperately trying to spin. The problem is that the internal impeller plate is physically stuck. The hum you hear is the electrical current straining against a stalled motor. If you leave the switch on while it's humming, the motor will eventually overheat and trip its internal breaker.

If your disposal is humming but refusing to spin, it is almost always caused by one of these culprits:

Hard Food Scraps: A rogue fruit pit, a chicken bone, or unpopped popcorn kernels have wedged themselves between the grinding ring and the impeller blade.
Fibrous Foods: Celery stalks, onion skins, or corn husks have wrapped around the blades like tiny ropes, locking them in place.
Foreign Objects: A rogue teaspoon, a piece of broken glass, or a coin slipped down the drain unnoticed and jammed the mechanism.

The "DIY Check" Section: Safely Unjamming the Disposal

This is one of the most common plumbing issues in any kitchen, and you can usually fix it yourself in under two minutes with a single tool. Rule number one: Never, ever put your hand down into the garbage disposal.

1. The Allen Wrench (Hex Key) Trick

Almost every continuous-feed garbage disposal comes with a small, 1/4-inch Allen wrench (also called a hex key).

Look underneath your sink at the very bottom center of the garbage disposal cylinder. You will see a small, hexagonal hole (the flywheel turning wrench hole).
Insert the Allen wrench into this hole.
Crank the wrench firmly back and forth. You are manually turning the motor shaft. Keep cranking until the wrench turns freely in a complete circle. You have just broken the jam!

The reset button and hex wrench hole on the bottom of a disposal, AI generated

The reset button and hex wrench hole on the bottom of a disposal. Source: Herrmann Services

2. Press the Reset Button

If you left the disposal humming for too long, it may have gone completely silent. This means the unit's thermal overload protector tripped to save the motor from burning out.

Look at the bottom of the disposal unit (right near the hex hole).
You will see a small, usually red, square button.
If it has popped out, push it back in until it clicks.
Run cold water, flip the wall switch, and the disposal should roar back to life.

3. The Tongs Extraction

If you manually unjammed the motor with the Allen wrench, you still need to get the object out, or it will just jam again next time. Take a flashlight and shine it down the sink drain. Use a pair of long needle-nose pliers or kitchen tongs to grab the bone, pit, or spoon that caused the jam.

The Pivot: When to Call a Licensed Professional

If you have tried cranking the bottom with an Allen wrench but it absolutely will not budge, or if the unit is completely dead even after pressing the reset button, the motor has likely seized or burned out.

You should call a licensed plumber if you experience any of the following:

Water is Leaking from the Bottom: If water is dripping from the bottom of the disposal cylinder (where the reset button is), the internal watertight seal has ruptured. Water is leaking directly into the electrical motor. The unit cannot be repaired and must be replaced immediately to prevent an electrical short.
The Metal is Grinding: If you clear the jam, but the disposal sounds like two pieces of metal violently grinding together even when empty, the internal bearings are shot or a blade has snapped.
Frequent Resets: If you have to press the red reset button every single time you use the disposal, the motor is failing.

Garbage disposals typically last between 7 and 10 years. If yours is older than that and starting to fail, it is usually more cost-effective to replace it than to pay for a repair. Check our garbage disposal repair and replacement cost guide to see current pricing for installing a new 1/2 HP or 3/4 HP unit.

Don't let a dead disposal ruin your kitchen routine. Enter your zip code in the True Plumber National Directory today to instantly connect with vetted, licensed plumbers who can swap out your unit in under an hour.

FAQs

Q: Can I use chemical drain cleaners to unclog a jammed garbage disposal?

A: No. Chemical drain cleaners like Drano will not dissolve a metal spoon or a peach pit. Worse, the highly corrosive chemicals will sit inside the disposal unit, eating away at the rubber seals and plastic components, ultimately destroying the machine and creating a severe splash hazard.

Q: Why does my garbage disposal smell like rotting eggs?

A: The smell is usually caused by rotting food sludge trapped under the rubber splash guard (the black rubber baffle in the sink drain). Pull the rubber flaps back and scrub the underside with an old toothbrush and baking soda. You can also grind up a few lemon peels and ice cubes to naturally deodorize the grinding chamber.

Q: Should I run hot or cold water when using the disposal?

A: Always run cold water. Cold water keeps any fats, oils, or grease in a solid state so the disposal can chop them up and push them down the drain. Hot water melts grease, allowing it to coat the pipes deeper in your plumbing system and cause massive clogs later on.