It’s possible that you have a blockage in the drain line if the trash disposal is making a buzzing sound but isn’t really whirling.
The humming sound is an indication that the motor of the trash disposal has been activated and is trying to move the blade.
However, it is unable to do so because there is a clog in the drain line, which stops water from freely flowing through it.
Moen Garbage Disposal Humming but Not Spinnings
If your trash disposal is making a humming sound, follow these steps to analyze the problem and get it running properly as soon as possible.
If your trash disposal produces an odd grinding noise or even if it doesn’t make any noise at all, you should still follow this advice instead.
- Check Out These Possible Causes
If the disposal is humming but not spinning, this is usually caused by one of these five things:
- An object is stuck in the disposal;
- The wrong type of food waste was put in the disposal;
- A heavy load of water or ice has frozen and jammed the blade inside;
- Too much food waste has clogged the impeller blades inside
- There’s been a power outage.
These causes are typically easy to diagnose, so you can take some steps to remedy the problem yourself.
To get started, turn off your garbage disposal at the breaker box or flip its switch and call a professional if you’re still experiencing problems.
- Do A Visual Inspection
It is essential to take notice that if your trash disposal makes a buzzing sound but does not really spin, the problem might be caused by a clog in the drainpipe.
The first thing you need to do is examine the drainpipe with a flashlight while gazing inside of it to see if there is any debris stuck within.
If you don’t see anything, you might attempt clearing any obstructions with a plunger or a plumber’s snake even if you don’t see anything.
Try using a dishwasher drain cleaner of the auger kind. These cleaners have adequate force to break up the majority of food waste jams without causing any damage to the pipes.
In order to complete the procedure, first connect one end of the cable to the point of the auger, then insert the wire head into the opening of the trash disposal..
Lastly, pull on a rope that is connected to the other end of the cable.
When using an auger-type dishwasher drain cleaner, a built-in safety system guarantees that there is no undue pressure put on sensitive surfaces such as pipes.
- Stuck Foreign Object
The most common reason for a garbage disposal to hum but not spin is an object that is stuck in the disposal.
If this sounds like the problem you are experiencing, there are a few steps you can take to remove the object from the disposal before calling a plumber.
First, turn off the water and power to your garbage disposal at the breaker or fuse box. Next, try plunging the object out using a plunger.
For more stubborn objects, insert one end of a coat hanger into the drain opening of the sink while holding on to the other end with tongs or channel lock pliers.
Make sure that it is as far down into the drain as possible.
Then, use either tongs or channel lock pliers to pull out any blockage that may be down there by pulling back on the hanger with strong force.
Once you have removed all of the blockage, restore power to your garbage disposal and turn on the water.
Finally, run cold water for about five minutes to make sure that all food has been washed away.
- Test Your Garbage Disposal
If the humming noise is coming from your garbage disposal and it’s not working, you may have a clog.
Start by running cold water in the sink to release pressure. Use a plunger on the drain or hold a bucket under the drain to catch any water that may escape while you dislodge the clog.
Once you’ve cleared the obstruction, try turning on the machine again to see if it works.
If this doesn’t work, make sure your circuit breaker isn’t off and try resetting the power button located near your disposal unit.
If this still doesn’t work, check for loose wires around both sides of the motor where they enter into it.
You can either remove these wires and secure them with wire nuts or replace them with new ones as needed.
- Reset the Circuit Breaker
If resetting the circuit breaker doesn’t help, you may have a problem with your garbage disposal’s electrical supply.
If the garbage disposal isn’t getting power, it won’t work. You may need to replace a blown fuse or replace a faulty switch.
It could be that the circuit breaker is tripped and needs to be reset.
Finally, if the device is hard-wired, like most disposers on this list, it might just need new wires connected.
- Turn Off the Water Supply
Turn off the water supply to the sink. To do so, turn the knob on the faucet clockwise until it is in the Off position.
This will stop water from flowing into your disposal and make it easier to work on.
Once you’ve turned off the water, use a rag or towel to wipe any excess wetness around the drain of your sink and garbage disposal.
Next, look under your sink for any obvious leaks that may be dripping down.
If you don’t find anything there, go ahead and lift up the unit by gripping both sides of it with one hand each.
You’ll notice that there’s an access panel on one side where most people forget about.
Lift this up with one hand as well and look inside to see if there are any obvious leaks coming out.