Insinkerator Jams and How to Reset a Garbage Disposal

Often a humming sound can be heard at this point as the cutting blades stop turning. The humming sound is coming from the high electrical current still trying to turn the motor and blade assembly. Eventually even the humming sound will stop when there is a jam. Most of the time when an insinkerator jam occurs a diy homeowner can resolve the insinkerator jam on their own.

To avoid calling a plumber to fix your garbage disposal most of the time all you need to do is follow the steps described below. Fortunately insinkerators are designed to shut off when they become jammed and the blades are unable to rotate anymore. In addition, current to the motor is automatically shut off via a circuit breaker to ensure the motor is not burned out and destroyed. As a matter of fact, you’ll typically find a reset button on the garbage disposal itself that you need to push to restart the insinkerator, after it has automatically cut off and you’ve subsequently removed the jam.

After cleaning out an insinkerator jam, plug the unit back in and press the reset button once. Note that you should always unplug a garage disposal when removing a jam. In the process of pushing the reset button listen for a clicking sound. This will indicate that the garbage disposal unit has been reset. Once reset, you can then turn on the cold water faucet and throw the switch to the insinkerator to see if it again operates. As a side note, you should always turn the cold water faucet on when using an insinkerator as the water helps to aid in the grinding of the food debris and keeping the garbage disposal blades cool.

Never put your hands down into a garbage disposal, even if the unit is unplugged. While removing the debris with the screwdriver, also push the end of the screwdriver down into one of the holes in the base of the insinkerator and try rotating the screw driver in a circular motion. This effort will cause the blades to move and potentially release any debris stuck in them. If and when the blades begin to turn freely you can then remove the screwdriver, plug it back in, and try testing the unit again. With any luck you’ve eliminated the insinkerator jam and your garbage disposal should be operational again.