It happens right when you're cleaning up after a big dinner. You flip the switch, and instead of that satisfying roar, you get a pathetic hum. Or worse? Silence. Pure, mocking silence while your sink fills up with murky, grey pasta water. Dealing with a broken food waste disposer—or a "garburator" if you're up north—is a rite of passage for homeowners, but it doesn't have to be a $200 service call. Honestly, most of the time, the fix is literally right under your nose. Or at least under your sink.
The truth is that these machines are surprisingly simple. They’re basically just high-torque motors attached to a grind chamber. There are no actual "blades" in there, despite what horror movies tell you. Instead, there are impellers that fling food against a stationary grind ring. When that process stops, it’s usually because the motor is jammed, the power tripped, or a seal gave up the ghost.
Why Your Garburator Stopped Working (And How to Fix It)
First thing’s first: stay safe. Never, ever put your hand down the drain. Even if the power is off. Even if you think you’re being careful. Use tongs. Use a flashlight. Use common sense.
If you hear a humming sound, the motor is trying to turn but can't. This is a classic jam. Something hard—a cherry pit, a piece of bone, or maybe a stray soda tab—has wedged itself between the impeller and the grind ring. To fix this, you need to go "manual." Look at the very bottom of the unit under the sink. There should be a small, hexagonal hole in the center. This is for an Allen wrench (usually 1/4 inch).
Insert the wrench and crank it back and forth. You’re manually forcing the motor to spin. Once it moves freely, the jam is broken. You can then reach into the sink (with those tongs!) and pull out the culprit.
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The Reset Button You Didn't Know Existed
If there is no sound at all, the unit probably tripped its internal circuit breaker. This happens to prevent the motor from burning out when it gets overworked. Look for a tiny red button on the bottom or side of the unit.
- Turn the wall switch to "Off."
- Press that red button back in. If it clicks, you're in business.
- If it pops right back out, wait five minutes for the motor to cool down and try again.
If that doesn't work, check your home’s main electrical panel. Garburators draw a lot of juice, especially older models like the InSinkErator Badger series, and they can easily trip a 15-amp breaker if you're also running the dishwasher or a toaster at the same time.
Dealing With the Messy Stuff: Leaks and Clogs
Leaking is a different beast. If water is dripping from the very bottom of the unit, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the internal seals are likely shot. At that point, you're usually better off replacing the whole thing than trying to rebuild it. The cost of labor and parts for a seal replacement often rivals the price of a brand-new $150 unit from Home Depot.
However, if the leak is coming from the top, where the unit meets the sink, it’s just the plumber's putty. This happens over time as the vibration of the motor loosens the mounting assembly.
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- Disconnect the unit from the mounting ring.
- Clean off the old, crusty putty.
- Apply a fresh "snake" of plumber's putty around the sink flange.
- Re-tighten everything.
Clogs are the other nightmare. People treat garburators like trash cans. They aren't. If your sink is backing up, the clog is almost certainly in the "P-trap"—that U-shaped pipe under the sink. You'll need a bucket, some rags, and a bit of stomach for the smell. Loosen the slip nuts on the P-trap, pull the pipe away, and clear out the gunk. It’s usually a disgusting mixture of congealed grease and fibrous vegetables like celery or onion skins.
What Not to Put Down the Drain
Expert plumbers like those at Roto-Rooter will tell you the same thing: the garburator’s biggest enemies are starch and fiber.
Potato peels are the absolute worst. They create a thick, starchy paste that acts like literal cement in your pipes. Eggshells are another myth; people think they "sharpen the blades," but since there are no blades, all they do is create a gritty sand that settles in the P-trap and causes backups. Coffee grounds do the same thing. They don't disappear; they just pile up in the plumbing bends like a silt deposit in a river delta.
Keep fats, oils, and grease (FOG) far away from your sink. They might be liquid when they're hot in the pan, but as soon as they hit the cold pipes under your house, they solidify into "fatbergs."
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Maintenance Tips to Keep It Running
You want to keep the thing smelling fresh and spinning fast? Use ice. Seriously. Dropping a handful of ice cubes down there and running the unit helps knock off the "biofilm" (the fancy word for slime) that builds up on the impellers.
For the smell, skip the expensive "cleaning beads." Just throw in some lemon or orange peels and run plenty of cold water. Always use cold water, by the way. Cold water keeps any incidental fats solid so they can be ground up and flushed away, rather than melting them so they can coat your pipes further down the line.
Hardware Realities
If you’ve tried the Allen wrench, checked the red reset button, and verified the breaker is on, but the unit still won't budge? The motor might be seized. Over time, the bearings inside the unit can corrode, especially if the garburator sits unused for long periods. If you can't turn that Allen wrench even with significant force, it’s time for a trip to the hardware store.
Most modern units like the Moen or InSinkErator Evolution series use a standard "3-bolt mounting system." This is a lifesaver. It means you can usually swap out a dead unit for a new one without having to replace the mounting ring attached to the sink itself. You just twist the old one off and twist the new one on. It’s a 20-minute job even for a novice.
Actionable Steps for a Fixed Sink
If your garburator is currently acting up, follow this exact sequence to get it back online:
- Check for Power: Ensure the plug hasn't wiggled out of the outlet under the sink and that the circuit breaker is flipped "On."
- The Red Button: Reach under the unit and feel for the small circular reset button. Press it firmly.
- The Manual Crank: Insert your 1/4 inch hex key into the bottom center of the motor. Force it to rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise until the resistance vanishes.
- Clear the Chamber: Use a flashlight to look down the drain. Use tongs to remove any visible obstructions like silverware or hard seeds.
- Flush and Test: Run the cold water full blast. Flip the switch. If it runs, keep the water going for 30 seconds to clear out any loosened debris.
Taking these steps handles about 90% of all garburator "breakdowns." It saves you the wait time for a contractor and keeps your kitchen functional. Moving forward, treat the unit as a tool for scraps, not a substitute for the green bin, and you’ll likely get another decade of life out of it.