Insink erator froze up!

[Norm]

Insink erator has frozen and cannot be budged. Is there any ways of getting it unfrozen that people have experienced? I need help. thanks Norm

[Doug Kanter]

They come with an allen wrench shaped sort of like a crank. These tools usually get tossed in the kitchen junk drawer and years later, nobody can identify what the thing is for. You put the wrench into a socket on the bottom of the disposal and crank in whatever direction helps to free the thing. Have you tried this? And, if you reach into the disposal, are all the pivoting hammers free to move, or is there something wedged in there?

[Ken]

Did you get too much food stuck in it? Put an allen wrench in the bottom of the shaft and use that to get it turning again.

Ken

[Bishoop]

Maybe you've tried this already.

All the disposals I've had come with a allen wrench. You can access the rotor from inside the sink cabinet and try with the appropriate size allen wrench to break it loose. It has worked for me on more than one occasion.

[Norm]

[Dan Espen]

Stick your hand in, feel around the outside edge for something wedged into the gap.

Still no good? Check your warantee.

Expired? Time for new one.

[Don S]

Besides allen wrenches, did you check for a reset switch? I know that sounds too simple, but mine "froze" once & all it took was a push on the button. I was delighted. I hate replacing plumbing fixtures.

Don S

[Doug Kanter]

Does the inside assembly spin at all if you help it by hand?

[kck]

All the advice above is in line with my experience. Mine has frozen up a couple of times over the years and the wrench did the job. With mine I had to work the wrench back and forth a bit, then hit the reset button. If there is a reset button and you don't use it, of course the wrench by itself will not get it running again. Do try these things in various order (really trial and error) as that is what it took for me. I also got in there with my hand and carefull removed everything I could find. One time some broken glass was the culprit.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

What you mean is nothing VISIBLE is wedged. Could be a piece of something that got down the side and has it so jammed, but it is not seen from the top. BTDT.

What I can tell you is that brute force will not fix it. You may get lucky with a gentle rocking of the wrench back and forth. If it moves at all, they you may find the culprit down on the side of the base plate.

[3rd eye]

There were a bunch of these made with bad seals. Water got under the seal to the motor eventually locking them up tight. I think the model was a 333 or 444.

As I recall they came with a 5 year warrantee. I couldn't find the receipt. I called their 800# & they sent someone out & replaced it, no questions asked. Also extended the warrantee for another 5 years.

I wonder if this could be your problem.

[George E. Cawthon]

It will free up when they crush it at the recycle place. Time to buy a new one. Even if you freed it, the motor and bearings are probably a mess.