How To Repair A Noisy Garbage Disposal

If your food waste disposer is making an unusual noise it may be jammed with food debris or a foreign object may be in the grinding chamber. Disconnect the power and look into the sink drain opening. If there is a foreign object that is visible, try to remove it by rotating the grinding plate manually. On some models this can be done from the bottom of the unit with a special offset wrench that would be supplied with the unit. For other models you can try to rotate the grinding plate from the top opening using a wooden lever such as a broom handle. When the foreign object or food jam has been cleared you can reconnect the power and operate the unit while flushing with cold water. If the disposer is making a humming noise and the grinding plate turns easily, the problem may be with the motor or the motor start capacitor. These are usually not available as replacement parts and the disposer may need to be changed. If there does not appear to be anything in the chamber, the noise may be coming from the grinding plate, the grinding ring or the motor assembly. Most of these are not available as replacement parts and the disposer may need to be changed.