# How to Free a Stuck Garbage Disposal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828 "2014-04-10T23:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/1 "2014-04-10T23:09:31Z")
I have a garbage disposal that just hums when activated. I turned the blades with an allen wrench (from the bottom), but it doesn’t make a difference. How can I fix this? (Seems to me this has happened before, and maybe pouring a bucket of soapy water down the drain has helped free whatever is jammed?) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/2 "2014-04-10T23:11:02Z")
If you moved the blades it’s not jammed. Were the blades difficult to turn? ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/3 "2014-04-10T23:18:02Z")
If you moved the blades with the allen wrench, and they turn easily, then you probably need to reset the circuit breaker… not the one in your breaker box…the one on the bottom of the disposal. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/4 "2014-04-10T23:31:55Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > If you moved the blades with the allen wrench, and they turn easily, then you probably need to reset the circuit breaker… not the one in your breaker box…the one on the bottom of the disposal. If it hums, it is energized. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/5 "2014-04-10T23:35:19Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > If it hums, it is energized. Yeah, could be a bad start capacitor (if it has one) or possibly bad brushes. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/6 "2014-04-10T23:36:33Z")
Yes, it turns easily. Do you think there is damage to the motor? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/7 "2014-04-10T23:44:00Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Yes, it turns easily. Do you think there is damage to the motor? Generally when an electric motor is bad it _won’t_ turn easily. Not sure if that’s the case with a garbage disposal…my experience lies with more industrialized applications, like three phase motors. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/8 "2014-04-11T00:10:51Z")
For others who occasionally have stuck disposal: I don’t use mine, with the potential result that it could seize up just from accumulation of mineral deposits over time. To prevent this, I run it for a few seconds once a week. Except when I don’t. I’ve occasionally forgotten for long enough, to have it freeze like this. To solve this, I run hot water over it for a while (with the power off), then turn the switch on. This has always worked for me. Note, this clearly seems NOT to be the OP’s situation though. I mention it here for the benefit of anyone else who might find it helpful. ---
**Author:** ![FasterThanMeerkats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@FasterThanMeerkats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FasterThanMeerkats)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-free-a-stuck-garbage-disposal/685828/9 "2014-04-11T00:20:17Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > If you moved the blades with the allen wrench, and they turn easily, then you probably need to reset the circuit breaker… not the one in your breaker box…the one on the bottom of the disposal. Ditto to this. I had one that was on the fritz a lot and had to hit the reset button occassionally (it would hum but not spin). It’s a 2 second operation once you know where the button is, so it doesn’t really cost you anything to try.