Unclogging, fixing the tripped GFI electrical outlet, checking for the hard to dispose objects, and clearing the drain can help in fixing the issue of your garbage disposal humming. There may be several reasons for your garbage disposal humming issue and, it’s important to diagnose them to troubleshoot the issue.
A garbage disposal is a very useful outlet, and is a basic need in many homes. However, it may suffer due to some technical issues or due to users’ negligence. But fixing it is quite easy when you know the reason for its humming.
Based on the reason for garbage disposal humming, you can choose any of the suitable fixtures for it. So, let’s see what method will serve different conditions!
How to Fix Garbage Disposal Humming Issue? – A Step-by-Step Procedure
Fixing your garbage disposal humming issue is an easy and straightforward process when you know the proper procedure. But it’s only possible when you have proper equipment and tools along with a little know how. Follow these steps to get your disposal back to service;
Unplug Your Disposal
Safety is the foremost important thing whenever you start any electrical procedure. So, unplug your garbage disposal and let the motor rest for a while so that it may get cool.
Unclog the Impeller Blade
Locate the breaker socket on your disposal. You’ll find it on the bottom section of the disposer. Hold the breaker socket with a hex head Allen wrench and move the wrench back and forth. Keep moving it unless the flywheel gets free of clogged particles.
If You Don’t Have a Hex Head Allen Wrench: If your disposal doesn’t have a Hex hole or you have no access to a wrench, you can use a broom stick. Move it back and fort unless the particles stuck in impeller blade get disposed.
Check the Garbage Disposal
You have done it. So, plug in your garbage disposal and check it by giving it a disposal cycle. If there is no humming in your garbage disposal, it’s okay. Otherwise, check for other reasons for it!
Other Possible Fixes
The above fix is only possible if clogging is causing the humming issue in your garbage disposal. But if the drain and sink are clear, you can go for the following fixes to get the disposal back to service;
Resolve the GFI Disposer Issue
Based on the reason, you can go for some other possible fixes to set your garbage disposal humming. If it’s GFI disposer has tripped, reset it to fulfill the power needs. It will resolve the humming issue instantly.
Repair the Motor
A faulty motor is one of the major reasons for a humming garbage disposal. So, consider repairing the motor to avoid such trouble. Possibly, you may have to replace the motor if it keeps humming despite repairing.
Clear the Drain Pipe
If you noticed that the drain pipe is clogged due to some hard to dispose objects, clear it. It will also resolve the humming issue.
What are the Primary Causes of Humming Garbage Disposal?
Different reasons may cause the garbage disposal humming and recognizing them is important to find out an effective solution. Here are the most common causes for it;
Stuck Objects
A garbage disposal is sensitive to some objects due to its limitations. Moreover, it can’t dispose out hard objects like bones, eggshells, and celery. Possibly, your child may throw these hard objects in the disposal tank.
If this happens, the blade gets jammed and may cause a humming sound. Use a tong to clear the disposal way to restore the functionality of your garbage chewer.
A Tripped Garbage Disposal Disposer
Another electrical fault that can result in your garbage disposal humming is tripped GFI unit or disposer. In this situation, the motor will not get enough power supply to turn the disposer on. So, a humming sound may arise! Reset the disposer in such a condition.
Faulty Disposal Motor
A faulty motor may also be a culprit if your garbage disposal is producing an unpleasant humming sound. It may be due to an old motor or due to some technical fault in it. Moreover, improper installation will also cause the humming trouble.
Blocked Drain Pipe
The clogged drain doesn’t have enough room to dispose the garbage anymore. This will result in your garbage disposal humming if it’s drain has clogged due to any reason. So, ensure the drain is well maintained and clear all the times.
How to Maintain Your Garbage Disposal?
Maintaining your garbage disposal is quite easy and you can add the habits of looking after it to your daily routine. It will help prevent the garbage disposal humming and other issues. Here are some preventive tips to maintain your disposal machine properly;
Don’t Put Hard Objects in the Disposal
Garbage disposals have some limitations and can’t dispose hard objects. So, don’t put hard to dispose objects in it. Some of the worst enemies of your disposing machine are plastic, silverware, and hard food scraps. These will all lead to your garbage disposal humming.
Use Adequate Water
The amount of water you flush in your garbage disposal after each session determines how fine the disposal will work. So, ensure you use adequate water whenever flushing your disposed material. Less water may result in motor overheating that may result in some unexpected accident.
Clear the Drain Before Starting
The drain pipe should be empty before you start a new disposal session. So, clear all the debris from it before moving on!
Dump Food Wisely
Make a proper sequence for dumping the food in your disposal. Avoid dumping too much food once. Rather go for multiple cycles to avoid humming or clogging issues. Also, break up the larger objects before dumping them into the sink.
Clean the Disposal Regularly
Make a habit of regular cleaning of your garbage disposal. It will keep it in service longer without any major fault. You can use the mixture of vinegar and baking soda occasionally to clear the greasy and hard to flush food particles.
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What Should Not Go in Your Garbage Disposal?
You may know, a garbage disposal is sensitive to some objects. The list includes any items that are hard to dispose. If you dump such food particles or remains in disposal sink, the result will be a garbage disposal humming. Here are the most common objects that should not go in your disposal;
Peels of Banana or Potato
Banana and potato peels are hard to dispose and may result in greasy effects in your disposal’s sink, drain, or blades. So, avoid dumping such items to make the grinding and disposing cycles smooth and seamless.
Greasy Material
Avoid putting fatty food particles into your garbage disposal. These will eventually start blocking the drain pipes and will disturb the blade functioning. It will clog and create a garbage disposal humming sound.
Rice or Pasta Type Food Disposal
Rice and pasta particles make bonds and increase in size when they sit on water. This way their disposal may give you a tough time and may result in some unexpected fault in the machine. So, it’s good to avoid using your disposal machine for such food remains.
Bones and Eggshells
Bone and eggshells are hard to grind materials. So, they will cause trouble for the garbage disposal blade and drain as well. Eventually, it will result in blockage or dull blades. If the blade is stuck, you will hear garbage disposal humming. To avoid such issues, it’s good to handle such particles in some other ways.
Coffee Grinds
Like many other fellows, coffee grinds are also enemy of your garbage disposal blade and drain. Occasionally, these may cause blockage or any other fault. So, avoid putting them to your disposal.
Celery
Celery skin is hard to dispose like bananas and eggshells. When these will not grind properly, they will block the drain that will result in humming. So, add this to the list of food particles that should not go to your disposal sink. Otherwise, it may give you a tough time after you dumped and tried to dispose it off.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we discussed how to fix a humming garbage disposal. To fix garbage disposal humming, hold the breaker socket with an Allen wrench and give it oscillating pulls. Move it forward and backward until the clogged particles get cleared.
However, if you find that the disposal is not clogged but still giving off odd humming sounds, check for its electrical connections, motor, and drain pipe. These may also be culprits for a humming garbage disposal. Hopefully, this piece of information will assist you in fixing the disposal issues yourself!
For any repairs, installations, builds, or questions; We recommend you to hire a professional. Find A Pro Near You Here!
FAQs
How to fix my garbage disposal humming but not jammed?
If your garbage disposal is not jammed and still humming, check for its GFI outlet, motor, or electrical connections. All these may also be a culprit for such odd sounds. So, check for all these one by one and apply the fixture accordingly to restore the functionality of your disposing machine.
Why is my garbage disposal just humming?
Garbage disposal humming may be due to different reasons like clogging, dull blades, drain pipe issue, faulty motor, or inadequate voltage. You can fix all these issues yourself once you diagnosed the core reasons for them!
How do I stop my garbage disposal from humming?
To stop your garbage disposal from humming, clear it’s drain and remove all the stuck particles from it. If clogging is not an issue, check for its motor, GFI electrical outlet, and grinding blade’s sharpness. Choosing the fixture depends upon the reason for the humming.
