Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibility. There are a variety of maintenance needs and expectations. If you don’t keep up with the required maintenance of your home, you risk having larger expenses down the road. Most homeowners are not keen on fixing things. So, if your appliances start to break down, it becomes an issue to repair. For example, fixing a humming garbage disposal. Wondering how to fix the garbage disposal humming? There are a few reasons why this would happen. It is best to call a master plumber to make this repair.
Let’s take a look below at what your best steps are to fix your humming disposal.
Why Does This Happen?
Believe it or not, your garbage disposal could start humming at any time. Maintaining the garbage disposal by keeping it clear of certain food items always helps. Let’s take a look below at why your garbage disposal might hum.
- Clog in the motor – Unplugging the garbage disposal so that you can safely remove any food item clogging the motor is key. You will want to use a wrench and rotate the flywheel so the blades can rotate. This should loosen any debris caught between the blades and cause them not to rotate.
- Check the GFCI – It is possible that the GFCI has tripped. If no electricity makes it to the motor of the garbage disposal the motor will hum. Reset the GFCI outlet button and see if power is restored and the garbage disposal works.
- Faulty motor – If your garbage disposal is humming and the blades aren’t turning, it is possible that the motor has gone bad. Consequently, when this occurs, you need to replace the garbage disposal.
How Can I Fix It?
When the garbage disposal starts to make humming noises, you will want to try to fix this. If you have the tools and the time, you can save money. Let’s take a look below at how we can fix this issue.
- Unplug the garbage disposal so that it is no longer connected to an electrical circuit. This keeps the motor from burning out.
- Get under the sink and take your hex-head Allen wrench to the breaker socket at the bottom of the garbage disposal.
- Turn the wrench back and forth so that the flywheel turns and loosens the debris that is jamming the impeller blades.
- When there is no hex hole for the Allen wrench take a broomstick and place it into the garbage disposal. Just gently move the broom back and forth.
- Reconnect the power by plugging the garbage disposal back into the outlet to see if the humming has been fixed.
- If this doesn’t fix the issue, call on your local master plumber to assist.
Other Recommended Maintenance
Now that you have an idea of how to fix the humming in your garbage disposal, you can read up on what you can and cannot put down your garbage disposal. Having this info will save you from long-term garbage disposal issues.
Next, read up on how many amps your garbage disposal needs. Knowing this info allows you to ensure the humming issue is not related to the amps and electricity input to the disposal.
Lastly, if you are working with your garbage disposal, you are likely going to have a dishwasher issue. In many cases, they share the same plumbing line. If the dishwasher gets clogged, it could affect the garbage disposal from working properly. Read up on how to unclog your dishwasher.
When Do I Call A Professional?
As soon as you have appliance issues, especially with your garbage disposal, you will want to call a master plumber. Letting the issues go too long without repairs can cause long-term issues with your home. Consequently, if your garbage disposal leaks you can end up with mold and mildew issues. Also, structural damage and health issues could also result from a damaged garbage disposal. Call on your local home inspection team to ensure that all of your plumbing systems are safe and properly working.
Conclusion
Knowing how to make repairs to your appliances can be invaluable. However, most homeowners don’t have the tools or the time to make this happen. Calling on a master plumber is usually your best bet. Before reaching out to a local master plumber, call on your local home inspection team. They can inspect your entire plumbing system and assist with your appliance recommendations. Reach out to Avalon Home Inspectors to check your plumbing when inspecting your home in Atlanta, GA., and surrounding areas.
