Fri Mar 27, 2020, 10:17 AM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
Help! First disposal quit working, but no problem with dishwasher.
Then last night (not using either), water flooded out all over my kitchen floor.
![]() Suggestions, hints? Reassurance?
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14 replies, 2752 views
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Author | Time | Post |
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Tipperary | Mar 2020 | OP |
stopbush | Mar 2020 | #1 | |
Tipperary | Mar 2020 | #10 | |
stopbush | Mar 2020 | #11 | |
Tipperary | Mar 2020 | #14 | |
DonaldsRump | Mar 2020 | #2 | |
Hoyt | Mar 2020 | #3 | |
Tipperary | Mar 2020 | #7 | |
Mersky | Mar 2020 | #4 | |
Tipperary | Mar 2020 | #5 | |
Mersky | Mar 2020 | #8 | |
Phoenix61 | Mar 2020 | #6 | |
Tipperary | Mar 2020 | #9 | |
stopbush | Mar 2020 | #12 | |
Tipperary | Mar 2020 | #13 |
Response to Tipperary (Original post)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 10:24 AM
stopbush (24,128 posts)
1. Call your local utility to see if they're doing work in the area.
They often force air down pipes which can cause the plumbing in your home to back up.
That said, it sounds like the problem could just be the disposal. Your disposal should have come with a small wrench that you can insert in the bottom to turn the blades inside. If the disposal is getting power but not moving the problem is probably there. |
Response to stopbush (Reply #1)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 11:32 AM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
10. Yeah, it is getting power, I can hear the hum.
Response to Tipperary (Reply #10)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 12:16 PM
stopbush (24,128 posts)
11. Then it's probably stuck. You need to get it to rotate, which you can do using that tool.
Did a glass get broken and fall in? That often caused problems.
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Response to stopbush (Reply #11)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 07:33 PM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
14. I don't think so.
Got the sink working again, and for the time being will ignore the disposal.
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Response to Tipperary (Original post)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 10:26 AM
DonaldsRump (7,658 posts)
2. do you have an air gap?
if so, that might be clogged
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Response to Tipperary (Original post)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 10:28 AM
Hoyt (54,770 posts)
3. No suggestions, but replacing a disposal is relatively cheap and not too difficult assuming
the pipes aren't clogged or leaking.
I bought a new one for about $70 and replaced it. I'm a hack at such stuff, so it took a couple of hours. A good handyman/woman can probably do it relatively inexpensively. In a previous house, my disposal would turn on, but it wouldn't clear anything. I unhooked the pipes and cleared out a gross clog with a coat hanger. Worked perfectly until the next clog. Good luck. |
Response to Hoyt (Reply #3)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 11:02 AM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
7. Thanks!
I rarely use the damn thing, but I’ve had a friend over recently.
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Response to Tipperary (Original post)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 10:50 AM
Mersky (4,927 posts)
4. There's a way to manually crank the disposal
To clear it, and it may need to be reset. I know if I haven’t run the disposal, the draining of my dishwasher can cause the water to back up into the sink (doesn’t get to the point of overflowing onto the floor, tho).
Here’s a YouTube showing the crank and reset, and clearing clogs: Good luck! |
Response to Mersky (Reply #4)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 11:00 AM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
5. Thanks!
Appreciate it!
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Response to Tipperary (Reply #5)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 11:22 AM
Mersky (4,927 posts)
8. Yw
If none of that helps, then I suspect there’s a problem further down the line, or maybe the vent stack thing? I hope that it doesn’t come to that.
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Response to Tipperary (Original post)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 11:01 AM
Phoenix61 (14,820 posts)
6. I hate garbage disposals.
They jam, clog, and take up valuable space under the kitchen sink. Personally, I’d disconnect it and call it a day.
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Response to Phoenix61 (Reply #6)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 11:30 AM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
9. I have have never been a fan of them either.
That sounds like a good idea, not sure my skills could cope however.
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Response to Tipperary (Reply #9)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 12:20 PM
stopbush (24,128 posts)
12. I have a handy man who fixed mine for $20. It had glass jammed in it.
He took the disposal out and cleaned it out.
BTW - replacing a disposal isn’t so easy. First, you need to make sure the replacement you get matches the configuration under the sink. Best if you can replace with the existing model. |
Response to stopbush (Reply #12)
Fri Mar 27, 2020, 03:23 PM
Tipperary (6,930 posts)
13. Thanks again!
A friend and I seem to have it sorted, for the time being at least.
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