To repair a broken garbage disposal, cut power at the breaker, free the jammed flywheel with a hex key from underneath, then press the red reset button. That fixes most units that hum without spinning or sit silent. A unit that leaks, trips the breaker again or smells burnt needs a plumber.
Most disposals jam because of a hard object such as a bone fragment, a fruit pit or a bottle cap. The motor then overheats and a thermal switch trips, which is why the reset button matters.
Safety first, every time
The wall switch is not enough. Flip the kitchen circuit off at the panel before anything else.
Even with power off, the blades can cut. Use tongs or pliers to lift out anything you can see.
The hex key socket sits at the bottom center of the motor housing. Use it from below, not from the drain opening.
If you see water dripping from the body, stop and call. A leaking housing does not get better.
Match the symptom to the fix
| What you hear or see | Likely cause | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Humming, blades will not turn. | Jammed flywheel. | Breaker off, hex key, then reset. |
| Silence and no hum. | Tripped reset or dead outlet. | Press the red reset button, check the breaker. |
| Water under the sink. | Loose drain line or cracked seal. | Dry it, run water, find the wet joint. |
| Slow drain above the unit. | Clog past the disposal. | Check the trap and the line, not the motor. |
| Rattling or metal noise. | Foreign object inside. | Breaker off, look with a flashlight, lift it out with tongs. |
Freeing a jam, one step at a time
Switch it off
Turn the wall switch off, then the breaker. Confirm the unit is dead by trying the switch.
Look inside with a light
Shine a flashlight down the drain. Remove anything visible with tongs, never with fingers.
Turn the hex key
Insert the 1/4 inch hex key into the bottom socket and work it back and forth until the flywheel moves freely.
Wait, then reset
Give the motor a few minutes to cool, then press the red reset button on the bottom.
Test with water
Restore power, run cold water and flip the switch. Listen for a clean, steady spin.
Where the do-it-yourself part ends
Reasonable to try yourself
- Freeing a jam with the hex key
- Pressing the reset button
- Tightening an accessible mounting nut
- Clearing the trap below the sink
Call a plumber for
- Leaks from the unit body
- A motor that hums after you clear the jam
- Repeated breaker trips
- Corroded or cracked drain connections
A leak from the body usually means the seals have failed, and the motor is rarely worth rebuilding at that point. If a sink drains slowly even with the disposal off, the problem may be a clog in the line, which our drain cleaning crews clear with a cable. Homes in Delran and Burlington Township call us for the same two problems.
Willingboro, NJ: what to know about kitchen drains and sewer
The Willingboro Municipal Utilities Authority runs sewer service in the township, and it lists a sewer emergency line at 609-877-4962. If water backs up out of the disposal and a second fixture gurgles too, the blockage may sit in the main rather than in your sink. Call that number if the whole street seems affected.
Levitt and Sons sold the first Willingboro homes in June 1958, so the kitchens in the Levitt-era sections are now well over 65 years old. We cannot say which of them ever had a disposal fitted. What we can say is that older kitchen drain lines catch grease, and a disposal sends more of it down the pipe.
Rancocas Creek drains the township, but your kitchen sink does not go there. Sanitary sewer lines carry household waste to treatment, and storm drainage is a separate system. Never pour grease, coffee grounds or fibrous scraps into either one.
Keeping the next jam from happening
Most jams trace back to a short list of items. Fibrous scraps such as celery, corn husks and artichoke leaves wrap around the shredder ring. Starchy food such as rice, pasta and potato peels swells into a paste that clings to the walls of the drain line.
- Run cold water before, during and for 15 seconds after each use.
- Skip bones, fruit pits, coffee grounds and eggshells in quantity.
- Keep grease, oil and fat out of the sink, because they harden in the trap.
- Feed scraps in slowly instead of dumping in a full load.
A unit that jams every few weeks may have a worn grinding ring or a motor losing strength. In that case, a garbage disposal repair visit or a replacement costs less than repeated trips to the reset button. We can also check the trap arm and the line behind it, since a partial clog downstream makes any disposal work harder.
What we check on a service visit
We confirm the power supply and the switch, then test the motor and look at the mounting ring and the sink flange. We run water to find drips at the drain connection, the dishwasher inlet and the discharge elbow. A dishwasher hose that was never knocked out during installation can cause slow drains, and we look for that too.
Disposal jammed, leaking or dead?
Call and describe the sound it makes. We will tell you what to try and when to stop.
What drives the repair or replacement cost
Homeowners insurance generally treats a sudden leak differently from slow seepage under the sink. Photograph any water damage before you clean up, and ask your insurer what applies.
Questions from Willingboro homeowners
Can I put my hand in the disposal if the power is off?
No. Use tongs or pliers, because the blades can still cut and someone may switch the power back on.
Why does my disposal hum but not spin?
The flywheel is usually jammed. Turn it free with the hex key from below, wait a few minutes, then press the reset button.
How long does a garbage disposal last?
Many last roughly 8 to 12 years, depending on use and what goes down them. A unit near the end of that range with a leak is usually better replaced.
Can I fix a leaking disposal myself?
A loose drain connection often can be tightened. A leak from the body or the lower seal means the unit is generally done.
Who do I call if the whole street's sewer is backing up in Willingboro?
Call the Willingboro Municipal Utilities Authority sewer emergency line at 609-877-4962. If only your own house is backing up, call us at (609) 547-1417 and we will check your line.
We also serve Burlington Township and Delran. Delran runs its own Delran Sewer Department, so a street-wide sewer problem there goes to that office rather than to Willingboro's utility.