JammedDisposal

It’s jammed. Don’t stick anything in from above.

It hummed, then stopped. The sink is holding water. Clear it from below. Do not fish from the drain with a knife, a spoon, or your hand.

Four steps

  1. Kill power. Wall switch off. If you go under the sink, kill the breaker too. Confirm the unit cannot start.
  2. Flashlight and tongs, not fingers. Look down the drain. Lift out bone, glass, or silverware with tongs. Never put your hand in the chamber.
  3. 1/4″ hex key in the bottom socket. Under the unit, find the hex socket in the center. Work the key back and forth until the plate turns freely both ways.
  4. Red reset, cold water, switch. Press the red reset on the bottom. Run a steady stream of cold water. Turn the wall switch on.

Burnt wiring or a melted cord: stop. That is not a jam. Do not hit reset. Leave the breaker off and get a plumber or an electrician.

If it is still stuck

Another twist of the key will not save it. Treat it as a repair-or-replace decision.

Still stuck — garbage disposal repair Third jam this month — look at a new unit I want a plumber under this sink

Tools that actually help