[chappers]

Our garbage disposer is jammed. I have explored it with my hands and had a look with a torch. There is a dime stuck between the blades and the sidewall. Only about 1/3 of the coin is protruding. Its tight against the sidewall so I can't get hold of it with a pair of pliers. I have tried turning the motor manually to try and shift it but it won't move (the coin, that is - the motor will move with lots of resistance). As a last resort, I tried pushing it through with the end of a screwdriver, hoping that if it got right through the blades, it would flush. No luck.

Any tips for how to deal with this? Am I going to have to remove and dismantle the unit?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[massplumber2008]

Take a broom stick and stick it inside the disposer against the blade... then use the leverage to move the blades... do this a few times until the blade releases the dime and then reach in and remove.

Let me know how you make out...

MARK

[chappers]

Hey, thanks for the quick answer. I can already move the blades by turning the shaft with an allen wrench, but the coin doesn't shift. I'll try the broomstick, but is it going to make a difference? And how do I make sure that the coin works it's way out rather than further in?

[massplumber2008]

Try the broomstick... I don't think the dime will go anywhere worse than it is now... let me know.. ok?

[speedball1]

Mark beat me to the punch again.
I carried a plumger on my truck but it wasn't for plunging out a clog. I used the handle to give me enough leverage to turn the disposal table backwards,( counter clockwise). Place the end of the against the cutter blade and see if you can lever the table backwards. If you can get it to turn it may spin the coin back to where you can fish it out with your fingers or a needle nosed pliers. Good luck, Tom

[massplumber2008]

Some things just don't change huh Tom... don't care what state or what code you use... plumbing repair is plumbing repair!
You're right on Mark, Some things never change. crap still flows down hill and coold water's still on the right hand side. The only change is the wages. I retired too damm soon. I can remember running copper water pipe for $4.50 a hour. Would you care to compare that with todays hourly wage?

[ballengerb1]

Chappers, if Mark and Tom's advice doesn't help, it should, thart disposal comes off the sink pretty darn easy. You will be about 3" closer to the coin and a much better view. Let us know if you need that help.

[afaroo]

Mark and Tom has a very good advices if it works, but some times that dam dime is stuck that it would not move with any thing, I had recently one in my friends house I did every thing to move it to blades side but no luck, Like Bob say it end up that I removed the disposal and retrieved the golden dime, good luck.

John

[chappers]

OK guys, thanks for all the tips. The broomstick didn't work - I couldn't get a pair of pliers onto the coin whatever position it was in. After turning the blades, only about 1/4 of the coin was showing above cutter table. I ended up solving the problem with brute force and ignorance - tip of screwdriver on lip of coin and a few gentle taps from a hammer. I drove the coin straight through and recovered it from the sink trap. Turned out that it was a penny stripped of its copper plating by the blades. Despite my interventions, the disposer now runs smoother and quieter than ever. Thanks!

[ballengerb1]

Chappers, you are a lucky fella, that fix usually finishes the disposal for most folks. Glad you are running smoothly, Bob

[Milo Dolezal]

To post #9: Maybe that's the solution to quiet and smooth running garbage disposers.. :-D

[Morels]

I drop a 5cents coin, but I did the mistake to turn on! So started to smell like burning & then didn't work anymore. Do I have to replace a new one? Is damage?
Thanks

[massplumber2008]

Hi Morels

It sounds like the power may have shut down to the unit... yes?

Do you hear a humming sound? If so, then there is still power to the disposal unit and we'll need to deal with that first.

Is the red reset button on the bottom of the disposal popped out? If so, then the overload switch has tripped and you will press this at a later time and it should restore power to the disposal (see video later).

For now, you need to shut the power off to the disposal. Here, shut off the disposal breaker at the electrical panel and then confirm that power is off at the disposal using a basic electrical tester at the disposal or the disposal switch. BE SURE TO TEST THE ELECTRICAL TESTER IN A WORKING OUTLET TO BE SURE IT WORKS PROPERLY PRIOR TO USING IT FOR THIS JOB. If there is more than 1 person in the house, put a sign on the electrical panel telling people to stay away from the panel... this sign saves lives!

Once you have confirmed that power is off to the disposal unit you'll need to look into the disposal and locate the coin... use a flashlight here and locate the coin to start.

Most likely, the coin is under the blades of the disposal. Here, you want to turn the disposal turn table using a 1/4" allen wrench that is usually somewhere nearby the disposal... insert into the bottom center of the disposal to dislodge the blades and free up the blades and the coin... see video below:



Remove the coin using a pair of long pliers or some putty on a stick (don't stick your hand in the disposal, if possible) and then go downstairs and turn the power back on at the breaker in the panel.

If the red reset button on the bottom of the disposal was set off you will push it at this time here... see video below:



If the reset button wasn't set off you should have power to the disposal at this time.

Turn the disposal switch/power on now and see if the disposal works... it should... ;)

Finally, if the coin is very difficult to remove and you feel a need to stick your hand in the disposal please don't! The disposal is pretty easy to drop out of place and I am glad to post a video showing you how to do that so you can remove the coin safely, OK?

Questions? Let me know...

Mark

[rodlglover]

This is what I just tried and it worked, thanks.