yes, both directions. motor hums when switch is activated [very short period of time]
it was made May 2008 and intalled in new home that we moved into circa
2011, so wasn't really used much. Then, we ran from time to time, once in a while, but since we are on septic [expensive double tank septic!] we don't like to put much down it and rely upon our trash service instead. Then, went through a spate of not really using the sink, or exercising the GD, so thus it seized up [I'm thinking]
895 years?! not bad.
I've had some luck with a spray rust penetrant (one of the new variations of WD-40) and using a broom handle through the drain hole at an angle to try rotating the blades. The handle gives a lot of leverage. I'd let the penetrant soak as long as I could if you think it's "rust welded." Reversing rotation direction with the broom handle might give you an idea if there's something wedged into the blade assembly. It might move slightly in one direction if there's a blockage. Use a broom or broom handle that's expendable. They can snap in half if you've got good arm strength.
Since you're likely buying a new one, here's my 2 cents. I have an Insinkerator that's about 6 years old now, still working fine. I recently installed a WasteKing. They are made in USA, a lot cheaper. I paid around $95, the similar Insink would have cost twice that. WK has a lifetime warranty, in home, I believe. How good they are honoring it, IDK. I have to say the Insink is a lot quieter, both when running, but especially when it starts up. The WK has a loud, nasty bang when the blades move out, I guess. After that, it's still noisier, but my main beef is that initial bang. Overall, I'm OK with it for the price difference.
Only other tips I have are that some models used to have and maybe some still have the ability to remove the rubber guard ring. That's good for when you want to clean it or drop something in to give your hand more room. Old Insink had that, new one the rubber guard is not removable. On WK, I'm not sure, I think it doesn't come out either. I also noticed a difference in the quality of the finish on the stainless ring that you see in the bottom of the sink. Some models, the ring had a nicer, shinier finish, if that's a concern.
It might be that I'm a weakling, seriously. Although I don't think so, I don't have any comparisons. Or that it's just hard to be outside the cabinet reaching one's arms forward to lift. Or that I needed three hands, Or that I was having a strangely hard time getting it in place to twist it**, but the longer I was holding it up, the harder it got. So I took a break for 10 minutes and told myself, Up and Twist, no wasting time. But that didn't work either. So, the front half of the jack went under the sink and I don't remember what I did with the rear half. It rested on something or the middle of the jack rested on the edge of the cabinet, and I balanced the disposal with one hand and raised the jack with the other, and it was all very easy.
I may have done it one more time somewhere the same way, and again, easy.
**even though I noitced which way the label pointed. Heck, maybe that was my mistake, Maybe they had changed the position of the label, though I don' tthink so.
IDK why WasteKing doesn't do something to fix it. It sounds like it's the blades flying out, maybe more slop in them than Insinkerator, etc. It doesn't seem like it would be a hard thing to do. But there is definitely a lot more noise, at least some of the time, when it starts up. I think if there is some decent amount of stuff already in it, then it's notieceably less. But if it's empty, there is definitely enough of a bang when it starts that you take notice. If that's unacceptable, then Insink is the way to go, at the additional cost. Unless WK has gotten quieter in the last couple of years....
Most of my GD failures have been either the aluminum casing rotting out or water getting to the motor bearings and seizing them up. I've never had the cutters go bad before something else did in MY personal house but I have had renters that let crap fall in and destroy the grinding mechanism parts.
Sounds like it's very nicely rust-welded. Or jammed. There should be slight wiggle in at least one direction if jammed but none if fused by rust. I have managed to move the stuck cutter head with a broomstick when the little wrench did nothing - just not enough leverage.
I was afraid to even mention it since the mere appearance of those five characters causes at least *someone* to go into a titter. (-"
I seem to recall you said you had a "delicate" septic system. I would be sure to disconnect the GD if the penetrating spray fails before running any water through it to keep the goop out of the septic tank. If the spray manages to free it, you could disconnect it from the waste pipe and flush it into a bucket but I suspect that's not going to be a problem. Based on what you've tried, it sounds stuck tight.
When these suckers freeze, they usually stay frozen. Even worse I've had one apart, oiled and cleaned everything and two weeks later it seized again. We live without one now and hardly miss it. There's enough crap that goes into the public waste water - they don't need ours, too. It was nasty enough work that I would just replace one that was more than a few years old if we still used one.
Not as bad as the weekend I spent disassembling a GF's washing machine to uncoil some pantyhose that had been sucked into the impeller and stretched to about 30' wrapped around the impeller shaft. Got it working and when I came by later in the week, it was gone and she had bought and installed a new machine. I guess she had no confidence in the machine anymore since some stray grease got unto one of her white blouses after the very nasty repair. (-:
The last time I was confronted with this situation I went to remove the GD (because there was actual waste backing up in it so it was easier to put a big storage tote underneath it and drop it) and when I got it out I found t hat it had rusted through to the motor and actually was leaking water into the cord connection compartment :/ A new GD was the fix...
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