Do it Yourself Garbage Disposal Repair?

Answer 1

One of the most common problems encountered with a garbage disposal occurs when you try to turn the disposal on, but nothing happens. If you are experiencing this issue, there are several things you can try to fix the garbage disposal yourself before you go through the trouble of calling a professional repairman or replacing the disposal completely. Before you try anything, however, always remember that you should never put your hand down the drain and into the disposal as this is extremely dangerous.

If your garbage disposal makes absolutely no noise when it is turned on, this signals that the problem is electrical in nature. The first thing you should do is verify that the garbage disposal is connected to the power source. Obviously, if the disposal isn't plugged in, it will not run. If you find that the disposal is properly connected to power, try pressing the Reset button typically located on the bottom of the disposal unit. In the event that pressing Reset doesn't work, the next thing you can do is check the circuit breaker to see if it has been turned off or tripped. If it has been tripped, simply turn it back on.

If you have checked the power, reset the unit, and checked the circuit breaker and your disposal still refuses to make a sound, there is either something wrong with the switch or the disposal may need to be replaced. To check the switch, you must first locate it. It may be on the wall near the disposal or under the sink. Once you have located the switch, you can replace it to see if that solves the problem. Before you replace the switch, however, you must disable the circuit breaker that powers the garbage disposal. After you have replaced the switch, you should turn the circuit breaker back on and check to see if your garbage disposal is working. If the switch was faulty, the garbage disposal should run normally.

In the event that none of the suggestions detailed above are successful, it is likely that your garbage disposal cannot be repaired and you will need to replace it. You can either do this yourself or call a professional to install the new disposal.