Garbage Disposal Not Working? Here Are 8 Reasons Why—And Solutions

You’re cleaning up from a delicious homemade dinner, but when you flip on the garbage disposal to clear away all those food scraps, you get a whole lot of nothing. “Why is my garbage disposal not working?” you may ask yourself in frustration. Below, we’ve got eight of the most common reasons your garbage disposal might be throwing a fit—and some easy tips on how to fix it.

1. Power Supply Problems

It may sound overly simplistic, but whenever an appliance won’t turn on, the first step is to check the power supply. If your garbage disposal plugs into a wall outlet, ensure that the connection is still nice and tight—it can easily become loose or disconnected entirely in the chaos that is the under-sink storage area.

If your garbage disposal is hard-wired rather than plugged in, you should also check to see if the breaker’s been tripped. If it is, turn the switch back over.

Once you’ve performed this most basic troubleshooting step, if you’re still having issues, move on to the next items on the list—and be sure your garbage disposal is fully turned off and disconnected from power before proceeding. 

2. The Disposal Is Clogged

Obviously, the whole purpose of a garbage disposal is to process and dispose of discarded food products. But sometimes, if a food item is too big or too hard—or if a non-food item has made its way down the drain—the disposal could simply be clogged. Even grease build-up could do it. A clog might be the case if your garbage disposal is not turning on at all, or if the garbage disposal is humming but not working.

It bears repeating: Before you stick your hand into your garbage disposal for any reason, ensure it can’t start up accidentally. Unplug your unit, or trip the circuit breaker if it’s hard-wired into your home’s electrical system. 

Rather than using your bare hand, arm yourself with a hex wrench or a pair of pliers to see if you can rotate the arms inside, which may help break up the clog. You can also try to peer into the garbage disposal using a flashlight and use a pair of tongs to remove any visible obstructions. 

You could also attempt to use a toilet plunger to dislodge the clog. Adding water to your sink and ensuring you have a full seal over the drain will help.

3. It Needs a Flush

If the above steps don’t work to break up a large, solid clog, the problem may be that your garbage disposal has a grease build-up or a solid clog that might respond better to a liquid solution. 

Start with the simplest solution there is: Boiling water. Get a pot bubbling and slowly, carefully pour the boiling water down the drain and through your garbage disposal. 

You could also perform a similar procedure with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which will fizz up and potentially foam out the clog.

4. A Reset Is in Order

After the above steps, go ahead and press the reset button on your garbage disposal, if it has one. Usually, figuring out how to reset a garbage disposal is no big deal, and the button is bright red and easy to spot.

Resetting your unit can help if it’s been overheating or if the unit has had an electrical issue, as well as helping the appliance break through a clog.

5. The Impeller Plate Needs Rotating

The arms inside your unit are connected to an impeller plate or flywheel on the bottom. If your garbage disposal is humming but not working, chances are the impeller plate is no longer turning. 

With your unit turned off and disconnected from power, see if you can access the impeller plate at the bottom. (You’ll find it under your sink.) You may be able to insert a hex wrench into the plate to turn it manually. Turn the wrench in a clockwise direction.

6. The Unit Is Leaking

A leak is never a good sign, no matter what appliance it’s coming from. If you notice your garbage disposal unit is leaking, this may be because the mounting flange is becoming loosened over time due to the vibrations caused by the food grinding process. It could also indicate that the seal has failed or there’s a crack in the shell of the unit itself.

Start by getting under your sink to visually assess your unit using a flashlight. If you notice cracks or fractures in the casing of the unit, a replacement is likely in order. If, however, the unit looks to be intact, you may be able to manually tighten the mounting bolts or reseal the flange with plumber’s putty. (A qualified repair technician who fixes garbage disposals could also help you with these steps.)

7. The Hammers Are Dull

If you notice that you’re putting the same foods in the same amounts down your garbage disposal, but the disposal process is taking longer, the problem could be that the inside components are dulling. After all, your unit does a lot of work—it’s only natural for the components to age over time.

Eggshells and ice cubes are both thought to sharpen and strengthen garbage disposal hammers, though these solutions may not measure up for severely dulled components. If your disposal is basically well kept but isn’t keeping up with your needs, it may be time to call your local appliance repair pro.

8. The Motor Is Kaput

If you’ve been using your garbage disposal for years and none of the above troubleshooting steps are working, it may simply be time to replace the unit. Fortunately, with an average garbage disposal replacement cost of about $550, it doesn’t have to break the bank.