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How to Fix a Garbage Disposal that Won’t Turn On and Won’t Make Noise

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Fixing the Garbage Disposal

When you've lived long enough in a kitchen that has a garbage disposal, it's easy to get used to the idea that you can simply let the old grime and muck off of your dishes wash down your sink drain. It's only when the garbage disposal fails to work that we realize how much easier it made our lives around the home. So what do you do when your garbage disposal won't turn on?

In this article, we'll address this question in a specific case: what do you do if your garbage disposal won't turn on and won't make any noise?

First, a note of safety: it's crucial that you don't put your hand down the garbage disposal "hopper" - where the food goes. If your garbage disposal suddenly starts up, you'll find yourself wishing you hadn't put your hand down there, so be smart and don't do it at all! That's a basic rule of safety when working with a garbage disposal.

If your garbage disposal fails to turn on and won't make any noise, the first thing to do is to check the power itself. This may seem like an obvious solution, but it's the first place you'll want to look, as lack of power can mean other "fixes" don't do the job.

Next, if the power is fine, you'll want to check the re-set button on the bottom of the disposal (it's usually red and easy to find). Give the disposal a try after this.

If this still fails to get the disposal running, you'll actually want to check the circuit breaker. This is usually a good point to ask a professional or ask your landlord to help you out with your garbage disposal, as it may put you in unfamiliar electrical territory. It's best to leave it to the experts if you're not sure as to how to proceed.

Once someone is able to take a look at your garbage disposal, make sure you ask them about how they fixed it in case you need to know for future reference. If it helps, even make sure to write it down so that you can look back at your notes if your garbage disposal fails in the future. A good professional should be willing to give you advice.

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