Why Is My Garbage Disposal Humming but Not Working in My Winnipeg Home?
King's Services
Ah, the humble garbage disposal: It's easy to take yours for granted, but you'll certainly notice if it grinds to a halt. If your garbage disposal is humming but not working, then allow King's Services, a garbage disposal service in Winnipeg, to explain everything you need to know.
Why Is My Garbage Disposal Humming but Not Working in My Winnipeg Home?
If you're running into an issue with your garbage disposal, it may be time to review the do's and don'ts of what to put in there. When your garbage disposal hums, it means it's trying to work, but something related to the motor is stopping it. A garbage disposal that simply hums is trying to spin, but having a hard time due to an obstruction or malfunction.
If you have a garbage disposal that hums but refuses to do its job, consider some of the possible diagnoses below.
1. Accumulated Clog
Sometimes, accumulated food can get so caught up in your garbage disposal that it clogs the drain pipe and stops the unit from working. Blockages don't just stop the garbage disposal system from working properly, but they can also cause slow drainage and foul odors to emerge from your kitchen sink.
Common items that clog your disposal include:
- Hair: Sometimes, hair can get in the garbage disposal despite your best efforts. Long hair easily becomes tangled in the blades, causing the unit to stop running.
- Eggshells: You should never place eggshells in your garbage disposal. The insides of eggshells have a thin, sticky membrane that can get lodged in the disposal's blades.
- Rice and pasta: If you're tempted to dump last night's stale rice down the disposal, just don't do it. The starches in rice and pasta can clog your disposal's blades in short order.
- Grease: If you pour grease into the garbage disposal, it will eventually cool down and harden.
If you notice that a clog has gummed up your garbage disposal in your Winnipeg home, call King's Services to help get your pipes back in order. We deal with all kinds of sink and garbage disposal issues, which makes us perfect for the job.
2. Faulty Garbage Disposal Motor
If you're wondering, "Why is my garbage disposal humming but not working?" then it may simply be broken. When the motor attempts to run, there's a brief hum before the blades spring to life. If a hum is all you hear, though, then your motor is likely broken. If you discover that you have a broken motor, take a few things into account: the age of the system you're using, when it last saw repair, and what kind of items you've put through the garbage disposal.
There's a chance that your motor is only undergoing a temporary malfunction. If this is the first time you've encountered this issue in your Winnipeg home, unplug the disposal's electrical connection and wait a few minutes. Then, plug it back in and turn it on again. If you still hear humming, you likely need King's Services' help.
3. Foreign Object Stuck in the Disposal
If there's a humming noise coming from the drain in your Winnipeg home, then there's a chance that you have something stuck that's stopping the blades from spinning. Sometimes, an object, such as a fork, dropped toy, or something else that's too solid for the garbage disposal to take care of, gets stuck. When this happens, the garbage disposal can burn itself out trying to turn the motor.
Many kinds of objects can get stuck in your garbage disposal which can cause it to hum instead of run. Whether it be hair, bones, eggshells, bottle caps, bread bag tags, or something else hard and non-disposable, the best thing to do is to call a professional. While you could reach in there and extract the object yourself, doing so puts you at risk. Disposal blades are sharp, and it's easy to cut yourself. Call a pro to handle it instead.
4. Worn Gasket
If you're wondering "Why is my garbage disposal humming but not working?" you may have a pipe issue. If you have a worn-out gasket on the pipe in the drain, this degradation could cause your garbage disposal to malfunction. When you have a water leak via damaged seals or loose connections, you may notice discharge around the drainpipe, dishwasher connection, and sink flange.
If you have the necessary tools to tighten a gasket or connection, you can attempt to tighten the area so that the leak stops and your garbage disposal resumes normal function. However, if your gasket is worn from use, no amount of tightening can help save it. You'd be better off getting the part replaced, which is a relatively simple and quick fix.
Disposal Not Working? Try This Fix
If your disposal isn't running, try this quick and easy fix:
- Turn off the power to the disposal.
- Locate the wrench that came with the unit and insert it into the flywheel hole at the unit's base.
- Spin the wrench clockwise until the flywheel starts turning.
- Flip the breaker, and then push the reset button on the unit.
Work With King's Services in Winnipeg
If you have a humming garbage disposal, don't risk your safety by trying to fix it yourself. Instead, reach out to King's Services, where we have experts who can assess your situation and fix the problem quickly. Our expert plumbers can unclog garbage disposals with standing water, remove stuck objects, replace broken disposal motors, and much more.
Now that you know the answer to the question, "Why is my garbage disposal humming but not working?" why not get King's Services to come to your home and assess it? If your garbage disposal system suddenly stops working, it can disrupt your entire evening. Call us at 431-813-5843 to hire King's Services for expert jammed disposal fixing services near you.
