How do you 'unstick' a seized Garbage Disposal Unit?

Have an Insinkerator(sp?) garbage disposal unit in the kitchen.

Badger 1-83A with a power cord.

The kitchen sink was not used very often, and the disposal not run for a while, suspect rusted 'solid'

Called 800 558 5700 and was told the wrench should enable to unstick [it did not] and don't recommend using any chemicals. Probably have to replace. Ok, so if I have to replace what do I lose by simply trying chemicals?

Does anybody know some way to unstick this thing?

maybe muriatic acid to eat rust, or Whink, HF acid, or ?? I tried lengthening the short 1/4 inch allen wrench to about a foot, but still solid.

Any ideas? I even tried the 800 ft-lb 'hammer wrench' feature of Rockewell's 3Rill drill to no avail. May have started to strip the allen wrench hole, though.

Reply to
RobertMacy
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With the power off, see if there is anything stuck that could be pulled out with a pliers. If not, since you cannot turn it with the Allen wrench...time for a new one. Sounds like the motor is ceased.

Reply to
philo 

Get a stainless steel unit. no rust. last much longer

Reply to
Todd

Most disposals can be released with a bit of leverage. I agree...it's a ceased motor.

Reply to
Meanie

the old fashion way of using a broom stick handle from the top of the disposer. Wedge it in there and see if you can get it to turn

Reply to
ChairMan

All Insinkerators I have worked on or owned could be removed by a 1/4 turn...after removing the side discharge pipe.

Reply to
bob_villa

formatting link

Reply to
Gordon Shumway

The motor would cease operation if it was seized.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Especially if it's deceased.

Reply to
micky

You spelled it right.

90% of the volume of other brands are made by them too.

If you have to replace it, a small to medium (or big?) floor jack is a great way to lift it up while you're turning it like a glass jar turning into its lid.

Reply to
micky

I assume you tried moving it in both directions? If it's not just rusted, but had something stuck in it, then it might only go in the reverse direction. If that much force won't loosen it up, I'd say it's shot. Unlikely even if you get it to move that it will free up enough to work right or last much longer. If I were going to try something, I guess some light oil poured in and allowed to sit for a couple days might do something, but I tend to doubt you'll resurect it. Also, how old is it? If it's 10+, that's more than you can expect. I see new basic ones going in just 895 years.

Reply to
trader_4

trader_4 wrote in news:40bb285f-3a2e-4acd-a0f6-6a24be4d1502 @googlegroups.com:

I guess that's the "Methuselah" model, right? Having a hard time imagining what you intended to type, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't it.

Reply to
Doug Miller

DOH!

Reply to
Meanie

5 years. The cat was on my desk.
Reply to
trader_4

My whirlpool washing machine motor ceased a couple times, and was able to free it up and oil it. But, that's a dry environment. In this case, I'd be think to replace the whole disposal, especially one with a ceased motor.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

How much cease would a ceased motor cease, if it ceased to seize?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

If it smells bad, is it an Ins(T)inkerator(sp?) garbage disposal unit? Ha, ha, Instinkerator.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

uh, you must have missed my VERY long diatribe regarding the phrase 'stainless steel' in OUR kitchen. Our kitchen is all SS appliances. We have a sheen of brown forming over the fridge surface every few days which must be wiped off. The SS sink has little spots etc. Only the GE [yecch!] appliances are not so bad, just streak etc.

In another home, I actually had a pinhole rust right through a 'high end' SS sink!

But maybe SS insides might be a bit better, but it was my undeerstanding that ALL blades [and insides] were pretty much standard iron products and open to rusting.

Reply to
RobertMacy

arrrg! what did I do to deserve such 'pun'ishment?

Reply to
RobertMacy

Didn't know they were so heavy/awkward.

Reply to
RobertMacy

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