Why Is My InSinkErator Garbage Disposal Humming?

Your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal will make a humming noise if the garbage disposal gets jammed or due to overheating. It occurs when something gets lodged in the grinding chamber, preventing the impellers from rotating freely. 

In This Article:

• What Are The Common Causes of InSinkErator Garbage Disposal Humming?
  • Jammed Impellers
  • Clogged Garbage Disposal
  • Overheating 
  • Faulty Motor
  • Electrical Issues
• Preventive Maintenance Tips To Stop Humming In The Future
• FAQs
• Conclusion 

What Are The Common Causes of InSinkErator Garbage Disposal Humming?

Jammed impellers, clog in the garbage disposal, and overheating are responsible for garbage disposal humming. 

Jammed Impellers

A jam in the grinding chamber is the main culprit that causes your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal to hum. 

Your garbage disposal doesn’t have sharp blades like your hubby’s shaving razors. If you put items like forks or spoons, they get stuck between impellers and restrict the impellers. 

When you turn on your garbage disposal, an electric supply flows through the motor and tries to turn the impellers. 

However, due to restrictions, the impellers or disposal blades fail to rotate, producing a humming noise.

How To Unjam InSinkErator Garbage Disposal:

To unjam your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal, follow these step-by-step instructions:

• Disconnect the garbage disposal from the electric connection at the circuit breaker.
• Use a flashlight to determine the obstruction in the grinding chamber.
• Insert the garbage disposal wrench into the center hole at the bottom of the disposal. If you don’t have a garbage disposal wrench, you can use an Allen wrench.
• Rock the wrench back and forth until the restriction breaks free. Once the blockage gets dislodged completely, you can rotate the wrench freely.
• Reach the grinding chamber from the top using long-handled pliers and remove the restriction. Once you release the blockage, press the reset button.
• Reconnect your garbage disposal to the electric connection.
• Run cold water and turn on your garbage disposal. The disposal should come on.

Note: If the garbage disposal is still humming but nothing is stuck after releasing the restriction, I bet something tiny, like screws get stuck in the grinding chamber.

In this case, you need to dismount the garbage disposal. Once you disassemble the disposer, remove the splash guard and inspect the grinding chamber thoroughly.

I recommend you check out the following tutorial if your garbage disposal is humming, but nothing is stuck:  

Clogged Garbage Disposal

Putting food waste that your garbage disposal fails to handle, like coffee grounds, egg shells, or fibrous foods, can create a clog that prevents the impellers from moving. 

In such a scenario, the garbage disposal still receives power when you turn on the unit. But due to blockage, the impellers won’t spin and create a humming sound. 

How To Unclog InSinkErator Garbage Disposal:

Go along with the following steps to unclog your garbage disposal:

• Unplug your garbage disposal from the electric outlet.
• Slide the Allen wrench into the hex hole at the bottom of your garbage disposal and turn the wrench back & forth to dislodge the food accumulation. Turn on the cold water supply to lubricate the grinding chamber, making it easier to break the clog.
• Light the flashlight to inspect inside the grinding chamber and verify that the blockage has been removed.
• Restore the power to the disposal unit.
• Run cold water and activate the garbage disposal to ensure smooth operation without humming.

Overheating

An overheated garbage disposal is another culprit responsible for a humming sound.

Like every garbage disposal, InSinkErator Garbage Disposal has a reset button at the bottom of the unit.

The reset button is a safety feature. It cuts the electric supply off to the unit when the disposer gets overheated and shuts off the disposal to prevent motor burnout.

Generally, you will experience overheating issues with your garbage disposal due to one of the following reasons:

• Blockage in the grinding chamber
• Impellers are too dull to grind the food waste
• You may put food waste that your disposal fails to grind
• You may use the disposal unit for an extended period

How To Fix: 

First, resolve all the issues that are responsible for motor overheating. For example, if something is stuck in the grinding chamber, please remove the obstruction.

Then, reset your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal by following these steps:

• Turn off the electric supply at the circuit breaker.
• Locate the reset button at the bottom of the unit. The reset button is red and square.
• Press the reset button gently.
• Restore power to the garbage disposal
• Run cold water and turn on your garbage disposal. It should now come on.

To learn more about resetting the garbage disposal, read this article: InSinkErator Garbage Disposal Reset Button. 

Faulty Motor

A defective motor is another reason behind a garbage disposal humming noise. 

Generally, garbage disposal lasts around 10 to 15 years. If your disposal unit is reaching its end life cycle, a defective motor is a sign that indicates it’s time to replace your garbage disposal. 

Worn-out motor bearings and faulty wiring can be responsible for a non-functioning disposal motor. 

Unfortunately, the disposal motor is not serviceable. In other words, replacing the garbage disposal is a must if the motor is at fault. 

Electrical Issues

Electrical issues like tripped circuit breakers or faulty GFCI outlets are responsible for humming garbage disposal. 

In this situation, the garbage disposal makes a humming noise, but the blades do not spin.

The circuit breaker for the garbage disposal gets tripped because of a short-circuiting connection. On the other hand, your GFCI outlets get popped out due to overheating. 

How To Fix: 

First, check the wiring of the garbage disposal. If you wire the garbage disposal correctly, check the circuit breaker for the disposal. Flip it to the On position if the breaker gets tripped. 

Second, restore the power to your garbage disposal. Then, run a stream of cold water and turn on the disposal unit to verify that the humming issue has been resolved. 

If the problem persists, don’t hesitate to call a certified plumber to have the unit inspected professionally. 

Preventive Maintenance Tips To Stop Humming In The Future

To stop your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal from humming in the future, follow these garbage disposal maintenance tips:

• Use your garbage disposal regularly, even if there is nothing to grind.
• Run cold water before, during, and after grinding food waste with garbage disposal.
• Cut a large chunk of food waste into pieces before feeding it into the garbage disposal.
• Clean the garbage disposal every week.
• Grind ice cubes to sharpen the edges of the impellers.
• Don’t overload your garbage disposal with food particles.
• Don’t put fibrous food (pasta, rice), starchy items (celery, corn husks), coffee grounds, and non-food items in the garbage disposal.
• Don’t run hot water while grinding food waste with the disposal. 

FAQs

What should I do if my garbage disposal hums but doesn't grind?

If your garbage disposal only hums but doesn’t grind, I bet the disposal gets jammed. To unjam your garbage disposal, turn off the unit and ensure you unplug the disposal. Insert a hex key into the center hole at the bottom of the unit. Next, rock the hex key back and forth to dislodge food debris. Finally, remove the blockage using long-handled pliers. 

Is it safe to use chemical drain cleaners to fix a humming garbage disposal?

No, it’s not safe to use chemical drain cleaners to fix a humming garbage disposal, as they can damage the internal components of the unit. Instead, try the manual process I mentioned earlier to unjam a garbage disposal. 

Why does my InSinkErator garbage disposal stop humming after a few seconds?

The humming noise from your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal may stop after a few seconds if the reset button gets tripped due to a jam or overheating. After unjamming the garbage disposal, press the reset button to bring the unit back into working status.

What is the reset button on my InSinkErator garbage disposal for?

The reset button on InSinkErator Garbage Disposal is a safety device. It acts like a circuit breaker. When you overload the system or the unit gets overheated, it trips the reset button to cut off the electric supply to prevent motor burnout. 

When should I call a professional for a humming garbage disposal?

You should call a professional for a humming garbage disposal if unjamming the disposal doesn’t fix the noise issue. Additionally, it’s an indication if you see that the disposal still hums after resetting the garbage disposal. 

Read Also: InSinkErator Garbage Disposal Troubleshooting

Conclusion

A humming noise from your InSinkErator Garbage Disposal indicates a food buildup in the grinding chamber.

To unjam your garbage disposal, begin by turning off and unplugging the garbage disposal. Next, insert a hex key into the center hole at the bottom of the unit and rotate the wrench back and forth to dislodge the restriction. Finally, use long-handled pliers to remove the blockage.

Follow routine maintenance tips to prevent humming noise from occurring in the future.

PS: If you can fix the humming garbage disposal issue by following this guideline, support my effort by offering me a coffee and encourage me to produce more quality stuff like this.