How to Fix a Humming Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are in just about every Queen Creek home we’ve been to. Your home’s garbage disposal is an integral part of your kitchen’s plumbing system. It will operate for years and years without a hitch. However, it is a mechanical component and will eventually need to be serviced or replaced.

Fortunately, getting into working order again is straightforward and pretty simple. 

So what does it mean when your garbage disposal starts to hum?  

The Sound

The humming (or sometimes buzzing) sound that your garbage disposal makes is an indication that there is power coming into the unit but the blades are not turning. The humming sound can be a sign that the motor is clogged or jammed resulting in its failure to grind. Sometimes you may find that the garbage disposal will stop on its own even if you did not turn the unit off. What is the best way to deal with this?

It is not uncommon that bits and pieces of food are the culprits. These could be stuck between the impeller blade and the drain hole causing the unit to jam. To solve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Cut the power to the garbage disposer by unplugging the unit and cutting the electrical circuit to prevent the motor from burning out and ensure that you do not get electrocuted;
2. Go under the sink and stick the hex head Allen wrench in the breaker socket found at the bottom section of the garbage disposer;
3. Start turning the wrench tool back and forth to get the flywheel to turn and set free the jammed particle in the impeller blades;
4. If the garbage disposer does not have a hex hole or if you do not have an Allen wrench, get a short broom and stick it into the garbage disposer. Make sure that you force it down against one of the impeller blades and start rotating it manually back and forth;
5. Feed power back to the garbage disposal unit and check if the normal function has been restored. Take note if you can still hear a humming or buzzing sound coming from the unit;
6. If this process does not work, there may be other reasons why you are experiencing problems with your garbage disposal unit. Go ahead and call Angry Pipe Solutions

Other Causes of Humming

Aside from what has already been mentioned, there are instances wherein a humming sound is emitted by your garbage disposal unit. Understanding them will give you an informed decision on what to do next. So, what are these other causes that you should be aware of?

1. Stuck Foreign Object – this means objects that are not supposed to be in the garbage disposer in the first place. How did it get there? Possibly, a child threw it down the sink and the object found its way into the unit without being noticed. When this causes the impeller blades to jam, a humming sound is produced. Cut all power to the unit and inspect the disposer for anything that is jammed in the unit. Use a tong to remove any stuck foreign object to restore disposer functionality.
2. Tripped GFI or Disposer – it is not impossible that the GFI, GFCI electrical outlet or the garbage disposer itself has tripped. This lack of electrical current to turn the motor may cause a humming sound to be produced. In this instance, the best solution is to simply press the reset button and test if normal disposer operation is restored. The reset button can be found at the bottom of the unit.

Now that you are aware of why your garbage disposal unit can be producing a humming sound, you will be able to decide on the best way to remedy the problem. In case you continue to experience problems with the operation of your garbage disposal, call the Queen Creek Plumbing Experts at Angry Pipe Solutions today!