Garbage disposal problems, lifespan and upkeep
A garbage disposal sits under the sink drain and uses a motor-driven grinder to break food scraps into pieces small enough to wash away. Most trouble is one of two things: it's out of power, or the grinder is jammed. A disposal that won't turn on is usually the reset button or a tripped breaker; one that hums but won't spin is jammed. Always cut the power before reaching in, and never put a hand in the chamber.
- Garbage disposal won't turn on?Total silence when you flip the switch, which is usually the reset button, a tripped breaker or GFCI outlet, or the wall switch.
- Garbage disposal humming but not spinning?It hums or buzzes but the grinder won't spin, which means a jam you can usually free with a hex key from below.
Typical lifespan: about 5–10 years
Signs it is near the end:
- Jams and tripped resets are getting more frequent.
- The motor hums, struggles or smells hot even when it isn't jammed.
- Water leaks from the body of the unit, or there's rust around the bottom.
- Loud grinding or rattling, or the flywheel no longer turns freely.
- Food stays in the chamber and drains slowly after grinding.
- Run cold water before, during and for 15–30 seconds after grinding.
- Feed scraps in small amounts rather than all at once.
- Keep bones, grease, fibrous peels, coffee grounds and pits out of it.
- Never pour chemical drain cleaner into it.
- Run it briefly every week or so so the grinder doesn't seize from disuse.
- FurnaceFall
The furnace runs but the house stays cold, which is usually a clogged filter, a thermostat setting, or an ignition fault.
- Heat pumpFall
The heat pump runs but the house stays cold, which is usually thermostat settings, a clogged filter, or an iced-over outdoor unit.
- Washer
Water is left in the drum after the cycle, which is usually a clogged pump filter or a kinked drain hose.
- Fridge
The fridge section is warm or warming. The cause depends on whether the freezer is still cold, and the first fix is often free.
- Washer
The drum fills and washes but won't spin, which is usually an unbalanced load, the lid switch, or a drain problem.
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Snap one of these:
- the bottom of the disposal, showing the reset button and the hex-key socket
- the model label on the side of the unit
- the outlet or switch under the sink
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