A humming disposer is a motor trying to turn something it cannot move. Never put your hand in the drain. Use tools, and make sure the power is off first.
Safe steps
- First cut power: unplug the unit or use its breaker.
- Shine a flashlight into the drain and look for a spoon, bone, cork or bottle cap.
- Remove anything visible with tongs or pliers.
- Insert a hex key into the socket at the bottom center of the unit and turn it back and forth to free the flywheel.
- Push the red reset button underneath the unit.
- Bring power back, start the cold water and try a short run.
If it still does nothing
- A motor that does not hum at all and does not respond to reset may have lost power or failed.
- A disposer that jams repeatedly can have worn or bent grinding parts.
- Leaking from the bottom or the side points to seals or the housing, and that is not a field repair for a worn unit.
Prevention
Avoid grease, fibrous scraps, pasta and rice in quantity, and coffee grounds in large amounts. Run cold water during and for a few seconds after use.
Repair or replace
A jammed unit is usually repairable. A unit that leaks from the housing, or is many years old and rusted, is typically a replacement. We tell you which applies after looking at it.
If the disposer runs but drains slowly, the clog may be in the pipe beyond it rather than in the unit. Running water and listening for gurgling at the sink helps tell the two apart.
If the unit leaks or hums with no movement, we can inspect it. See the disposer repair page and see which Houston-area cities we cover under the service area.