I'm a renter and the disposer has never worked... my impression from the previous tennants (college girls) is that is has never worked.
So I get on Yahoo answers and lo and behold, the famouse wrench idea! Well, I've been turning and turning and my dad-gum hand is about to fall off, and I still just get the hum... how long before I try something else? What else can I do?
I figure this thing has been jammed up for the better part of 3 years. Can I spray a can of WD-40 in it?
Thanks!
Sounds like you need a new unit. They're not that expensive, and pretty easy to replace. Maybe a couple hours even for a beginner. Depending on how accessible it is, of course. If everything turns freely by hand (with wrench and broomstick) and it still hums, that means it's getting power but just not turning, and that's how i've seen quite a few of them die.
You should have told your landlord the day you moved in that it didn't work and get him/her to take care of it. There could be something wrong with the "motor" or a short in the wiring. If you don't know what you're doing, don't risk messing it up more
If the wrench did not work and you are just hearing a hum, it might be toast. WD-40 most likely will not work. Stick a broom handle in (not turned on) and see if you can free the blades. If not, call the landlord.
the hum means the reset button is fine. it sounds like the motor is burned out. brushes and/or armature fried. needs a new disposal. simple change out for diy'er. 30 minutes max.
if it spins freely with the allen wrench, the WD 40 won't help. Just to be sure, be sure the switch is off (no hum) and stick a broom handle in the opening in the sink and try to rotate the teeth of the disposal by "stirring" the handle around inside the hole. If you feel it spinning in there, then your problem is probably with the electric motor in the disposal itself. Have you pressed in the red reset button on the bottom of the unit? I think you have, because you wouldn't get a hum once that pops out and breaks the circuit.
Now, before you get too much farther with this, call the landlord and offer to install a new disposal if he drops one off at your place. They are not hard to install if there is one already in place, just remove the old one and put the new one in its place.
Good luck!
If you can freely turn the rotor with the allen wrench, the disposer is not jammed up. Most likely something got into the disposer and stuck the rotor so badly that the drive gear sheared off.
My advice is to call the owner of the place and request he replace the disposer. What are you waiting for?
