kitchen sink garbage disposal jammed
#1
09-07-00, 10:48 PM
#2
09-07-00, 10:56 PM
Member
Most disposal will have an allen wrench slot in the center on the bottom of the disposal, see if there is one there, if so get an allen wrench that size and hand turn it back and forth, do this with the switch off, see if that will unjam it.
Best Regards Plumber2000
www.atozplumbing.com
Best Regards Plumber2000
www.atozplumbing.com
#3
09-08-00, 12:19 PM
Does the water spin vigorously like a whirlpool, but just not go down? In that case the motor's spinning fine but the pipes are clogged. Sometimes a plunger does the job without having to take the pipes apart or use a snake. But often times it doesn't. Worth a try.
If the thing just hums and the water just sits there still, and it's evident that the impeller's not spinning around, then plumber2000 is right, it's jammed. If you keep trying to run it it will trip on thermal. There's a reset button on the bottom if this happens. You will notice that you don't even have a humming sound.
As far as the allen slot on the bottom end of the shaft, I thought only Emerson/In-Sink-Erator had that. If you don't have the allen slot, there's a special wrench you stick down into the disposal from above and physically turn the impeller to free it. I think Home Depot has one. It's called, oddly enough, a disposal wrench. It's like a "T", with the top of the T hinged to fit down the opening. I have seen people have success using a broom handle for this, too.
One thing that can jam a disposal is disuse for an extended period. But one thing that's particularly troublesome is a coin or a small screw stuck in there. Happens all the time. You'll have to feel around the perimeter of the impeller, around the inside wall of the grinding chambet at the bottom. If you find something stuck between the wall and the impeller plate you'll have to pry it out of there with a screwdriver. It doesn't come easily, but keep working on it. Of course you must be realizing by now that you're gonna have to stick your hand in there with who-knows-what down there. Oh well, that's what soap is for. Good luck.
If the thing just hums and the water just sits there still, and it's evident that the impeller's not spinning around, then plumber2000 is right, it's jammed. If you keep trying to run it it will trip on thermal. There's a reset button on the bottom if this happens. You will notice that you don't even have a humming sound.
As far as the allen slot on the bottom end of the shaft, I thought only Emerson/In-Sink-Erator had that. If you don't have the allen slot, there's a special wrench you stick down into the disposal from above and physically turn the impeller to free it. I think Home Depot has one. It's called, oddly enough, a disposal wrench. It's like a "T", with the top of the T hinged to fit down the opening. I have seen people have success using a broom handle for this, too.
One thing that can jam a disposal is disuse for an extended period. But one thing that's particularly troublesome is a coin or a small screw stuck in there. Happens all the time. You'll have to feel around the perimeter of the impeller, around the inside wall of the grinding chambet at the bottom. If you find something stuck between the wall and the impeller plate you'll have to pry it out of there with a screwdriver. It doesn't come easily, but keep working on it. Of course you must be realizing by now that you're gonna have to stick your hand in there with who-knows-what down there. Oh well, that's what soap is for. Good luck.
