home repair rob on 09 Nov 2008 11:14 am
Fixing a Broken Badger 5 Plus Insinkerator Garbage Disposal
My Badger 5 Plus garbage disposal seized up a few weeks ago after some mango peels made their way down into the drain. The disposal simply made this humming noise when it was on. It sounded like the motor was going but the blades were not turning.At first, I was ambivalent. “Maybe it will fix itself” I thought. But it didn’t. And then the sink stopped draining. So, I did the horror-movie thing and reached down into the bog of coffee grounds, lettuce and bloated cereal flakes to check if the blades were moving.
Apparently, you’re supposed to use a broom handle to do this, but that doesn’t get the same adrenaline rush of wondering if a freak accident will cause the fingers on your right hand to be appropriately diced up.
The blades did move freely down there, so I sort of just shifted the food particles around and the water drained a little less slowly, but no less disgustingly from my sink. And then mid-terms hit so I didn’t do anything about it for a few weeks. I tried it again at one point and noticed that even the hum of the motor had gone away. The problem with the disposal had progressed to the death of the machine.
This morning I emptied out some old rice milk, (who knew rice milk could congeal?) and headed to the grocery. On my return, I found the rice milk peices still floating in my sink and decided enough was enough, it was time for action.
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I put my serious game face on and googled until I found people with my same problem. This guy Ryan at the Daily Ping had a post with a ton of responses that were similar to my situation. I distilled a lot of posts down to the following steps to troubleshoot and fix the Badger 5 Garbage Disposal when it stops working for you:
- When you flip the switch, does it hum?
- If it doesn’t hum:
- Check is it plugged in?
- If it is plugged in, feel around on the bottom of the disposal for the reset button. More info on that button here.
- Hit the button and test it again. Humming now?
- If it hums:
- Are the blades moving freely?
- If not, use a broom handle or a long wooden spoon to try and spin the blades.
- You can also try sticking your hand down there, but you are risking your career as a hand model. (Turn off your circuit breaker for safety!)
- If they are spinning freely when you touch them, but they won’t engage when you turn the disposal on::
- Go to your local hardware store and buy a 1/4 inch sized Allen wrench also called a Hex key or Hex tool. It is an L-shaped, six sided tool. These usually come in a small set for about $4.
- Look under the disposal for a mysterious hole at the center. Place the short end of the hex tool into this hole and rotate it around a few times, back and forth. If you have a small bog of eternal stench in your sink like I did, and you’re lucky, you should see/hear the water immediatly drain.
- Try the switch again. With luck, your disposal will be back to hacking up your food bits.
- Are the blades moving freely?
- If it doesn’t hum:
I hope that these steps help a few people fix their sink. If you have any other questions, or these instructions helped you you’re welcome to post about your victory here.
on 10 Nov 2008 at 9:00 am 1.rrb said …
You could have also called Joe the Plumber. I hear he has lots of free time now…
on 10 Nov 2008 at 2:35 pm 2.Mary said …
But Joe the Plumber is woefully unlicensed, so using him would be as risky as sticking your hand into the garbage disposal.
on 11 Nov 2008 at 12:35 pm 3.Israeli said …
We don’t have garbage disposals in Israel! Lucky you!
on 23 Nov 2008 at 12:05 pm 4.Des said …
Rob,
Great troubleshooting tips! My disposal just broke in the middle of the football game. After cursing for a while, I read your blog. Your blog both gave me some laughs as well as helping me fix the problem. Didn’t help my team win but thanks a lot for the tips!
on 27 Nov 2008 at 8:59 pm 5.Young said …
Thank you so much!!!!!!
I made it. Wow.
on 20 Dec 2008 at 1:36 pm 6.NotSoHandyGirl said …
Thank you! You saved me from having to call my landlord. I never thought I would be so happy to hear the growl of my grinder.
on 02 Jan 2009 at 8:27 am 7.Deely said …
Thanks for the tips. I was debating buying a new one or calling for service. You just saved me ~$100 by being able to free it up with the hex wrench.
on 03 Jan 2009 at 10:18 am 8.Connecticut said …
Thank yom, thank you. I went to a local store, bought a 1/4″ Allen wrench and hey presto it worked. Two small pieces of bone had lodged in the disposal unit. I sucked them out with a wet/dry vac.
on 06 Jan 2009 at 6:23 pm 9.Tim said …
Thank you–worked perfectly!
on 13 Jan 2009 at 5:14 pm 10.Andy said …
Awsome Thanks
on 21 Jan 2009 at 5:52 pm 11.Anita said …
Yes!! Just when I was ready to throw in the towel and call for help for our 3 year old disposal, I googled and found your post. The sweet sound of rotating, grinding blades fills my kitchen again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
on 26 Jan 2009 at 6:48 pm 12.Josh said …
OMG!! Was ready to call Landlord and Joe the Plumber to be without a garbage disposal for a few days. Worked like a charm!!
Rob, thank you so much for this!
J
on 11 Feb 2009 at 6:54 pm 13.Lauren said …
Thank you Rob! You are the best for saving me from being in the dog house with my husband because I somehow got our dish rag got caught in there.
Your instructions worked great! Thanks again.
on 16 Feb 2009 at 10:40 am 14.Chad said …
Rob, your the best. I thought I was going to have to install a new unit. After reading your post I got it fixed. Thanks…
on 20 Feb 2009 at 6:49 pm 15.Anna said …
Thanks for the info on the Badger 5 unit. I also thought I was going to have to replace mine, but after reading your post, I was able to fix it. It saved me the time and effort to replace it and the money as well. Keep up the good work!!!
on 24 Feb 2009 at 10:18 am 16.Steve said …
Wow,
Thanks really thought my wife did it this time.. Busted vase or something was in there. Reset button has worked in the past, but I never knew about the allen wrench deal. Had one in the garage and it solved it (after vacuuming out a bunch of glass) Thank You! I thought I was about to buy a new one and was deciding between calling a plumber or do it myself!
on 27 Feb 2009 at 4:48 pm 17.sharon said …
You are my hero!!! Thank you so much. A metal clip had wedged down in there and I could not get it out. That manuver worked and I was able to pull it out. I could not afford a new one and pay the plumber to install it. It is a beautiful sound, the ole garbage disposal.
on 27 Feb 2009 at 7:46 pm 18.Steve said …
I have had this machine apart in the past, and I still did not realize there was a reset switch on it! Thanks!
on 06 Mar 2009 at 9:18 am 19.Laura said …
Thank you!!!!!!!
on 08 Mar 2009 at 12:14 pm 20.Otto said …
So I am following your instructions. What if after 1-3: Hit the button and test it again. Humming now? It still is not humming. Because part 2 goes into: Its humming but blades are not turning.
So I turn it on, I checked to make sure it is plugged in, I hit the reset button, it still is not humming, but one of the blades feels stuck. Should it still be humming?
on 08 Mar 2009 at 1:26 pm 21.rob said …
I’m glad this seems to have helped so many people, thank you for the replies!
otto: It looks like you uncovered a hole in my guide. I can only assume that the humming sound is the motor trying to spin engage the disposal blades. If you can’t hear the motor trying to work at all, I would guess the stuck blade isn’t what’s preventing that. Though, I’m not sure.
Please post what you end up having to do.
on 11 Mar 2009 at 1:11 pm 22.fixit girl said …
Ok, I have tried the reset button, flipped switch on, it’s hummming, used the hex wrench that came with the disposal (about ten times in both directions), unplugged and checked for obstructions, and it still won’t work.
What now?
on 11 Mar 2009 at 1:48 pm 23.rob said …
I’m not sure, fixit. Please post what happens!
on 19 Mar 2009 at 1:04 pm 24.Cliff said …
The allen wrench did the trick. Sure saved me a lot of hassle. THANX!
on 20 Mar 2009 at 4:05 pm 25.Jim said …
Humming, loose grinders, not draining. Have done the hex but it still won’t drain, just bubbles. Can’t find a reset button…felt all around and cut my thumb. Can someone tell me where it is?
on 21 Mar 2009 at 9:05 pm 26.Justin said …
Great article! I too was sticking my hand into the abyss just picturing the blades somehow turning themselves on taking my fingers off. Thankfully that didn’t happen, but the blades never did start moving. I did a Google search and came upon this article.
I had a bunch of small pieces of gravel fall into the disposal and it caused the blades to stop, water to stop draining, and terrible smell to develop.
I tried your tips but my Badger 5 doesn’t seem to have a place for the allen key where you say to put it. Right in the center of the disposal where you say to put the allen key is only like a big nut with no place for an allen key. I’d it’s say just over 1/2″. I tried using my socket wrench to loosen it, but couldn’t get enough leverage because the disposal is a bit too far down from the sink.
Anyway, I did see a couple pieces of gravel in the crevices of the base the blades sit on so I used a fork to force them all the down as they wouldn’t come up. Now my blades move, but I think something else should be occurring. It sounds much softer than I remember when it worked fully. Am I correct or just mistaken?
If the blades move but there should be another piece moving as well, any further tips based on the above description?
Thanks so much!
on 24 Mar 2009 at 11:19 am 27.kate said …
Thank you! I followed your steps and presto, all good. And you are entertaining too, which is a nice plus.
on 07 Apr 2009 at 5:35 am 28.ab said …
Hey thanks a lot i had a guy come out a few years ago and do this and after reading your article i did the same thing without the $50 surcharge and 4 hour wait. Much appreciated!!
on 07 Apr 2009 at 6:13 pm 29.Dubya said …
Rob you Rock! Thanks this was way easier than my plan of action, which was to take it apart and test/replace etc. Thanks for you Blog!
Jim – The reset button is on the bottom of the disposal and is red, it isn’t very conspicous, but it’s there. If you hear no noise then it is probably tripped. I reset mine and it worked fine. When tripped it actually sticks out just a little bit, when reset it is flush with the bottom of the diposal.
Justin – I tried the same as you initially guessing that the 1/4 hex key slot was inside the disposal, but it is actually underneath it, smack dab in the center. Mine turned easily back and forth, the water drained, and disposal worked.
Beautiful!
on 12 Apr 2009 at 6:12 pm 30.David said …
David – I just used this on my Badger 5. The allen wrench underneath the disposal did the trick. Works great…..all good. Thankyou so much:-).
on 12 Apr 2009 at 8:57 pm 31.Sean said …
Thank you! Your information helped us greatly. Our disposal is working again, like a charm!
on 15 Apr 2009 at 3:11 pm 32.Leslie Sr said …
Great tips, broom handle and reset button worked perfectly. The wife is happy again.
Thanks
on 16 Apr 2009 at 5:52 pm 33.mutch said …
LOL! hilarious writing, and fantastic tips. my sister panicked before googling. ive cleared a clogged insinkerator before and when hers stopped working, i was on your blog to perform the checks on the badger 5 when it spat out the veggies and started working again
on 02 May 2009 at 4:03 pm 34.Victoria said …
Brilliant! Thanks bunches!
on 02 May 2009 at 8:38 pm 35.gareth said …
Wish I’d read this *before* doing the dinner party dishes tonight without a disposal.
Rob, thanks!! I’m about to be underemployed and thought I’d be dropping much needed bucks for repairs or replacement. More ice cream to celebrate!
on 04 May 2009 at 9:12 pm 36.Jojm said …
Blades move freely and we get the buzzing noise but the motor does not move the blades only humm. Any ideas ? I have detached and cleaned out this Stinky thing re installed and still only buzzing yet no engaging of the blades, eventhough they are not stuck…
Appreciate any tips…
on 06 May 2009 at 5:00 pm 37.Mary said …
Thanks. I just fixed my garbage disposal. It broke once before and we called a repairman. He took about ten second to fix it and charged us 125 bucks. We just couldn’t remember what he did. Thanks a million.
on 16 May 2009 at 7:16 am 38.Nelson said …
Rob, Thanks for the info. Grinder had the buzzing sound, blades would not turn. Tried the reset button a couple of times to no avail. Read your article, got the wrench and loosen the blades. Works great. Thanks…
on 18 May 2009 at 11:18 am 39.j said …
Okay, easy fix but obviously an optimal piece of equipment if so many of us have trouble, or do we all just have that many kids?
on 19 May 2009 at 5:21 pm 40.Dawn said …
I was this close to calling a plumber. The allen wrench under the disposal worked perfectly. I had washed some sanded grout down the drain…
on 21 May 2009 at 4:11 pm 41.Annie said …
Thanks you so much for the tip! Got the Allen Wrench and it did the thing. I used a vacuum to suck out whatever was lodged in there and got loosened. It’s working like normal now! I only spent $8 on the wrench, and you probably saved me a lot more than that.
on 22 May 2009 at 10:33 am 42.Deana said …
The sweet sound of success. Thank you Thank you Thank you. It worked like a charm and now I feel like Super Woman Thanks again!
on 23 May 2009 at 1:00 pm 43.brett said …
Dude- the allen wrench trick worked like a charm! Actually, I don’t have a 1/4″ allen wrench, so I just used a flat head screwdriver. Thanks for the help!
on 24 May 2009 at 2:59 pm 44.Betsy said …
Hi, Rob,
Did the reset thing, turned the blades with the wrench, even turned the reset switch on the electrical control panel as well as the reset switch on the bottom of the In sink erator which happens to be a Badger from Home Depot, 1/2 horsepower. Still no motor sound. What will happen if I turn the dishwasher on? If it floods, then I will really need a plumber, or sign up for an appliance policy. Hope I am not the last to write.
Think I may just use the drain cup, and make believe I don’t have a disposal unit. ( :
Betsy
on 24 May 2009 at 3:02 pm 45.Betsy said …
Which company has the better home appliance policy? Total? Service America? Sears? Other?
on 25 May 2009 at 8:55 am 46.KC said …
You’re my HERO! I was headed to the local home repair store to buy a new disposal and thought it couldn’t hurt to Google first. I would have spent much, MUCH more than the paltry amount my already idle Allen wrench would have cost me. If I had been offering a reward, it would have gone to you! Thanks much!!!
on 25 May 2009 at 7:26 pm 47.Ed said …
my badger 5 is pissing water through the power cord on the bottom is it fairly simple to get a seal and replace it or should i just dispose of it and buy a new one
on 27 May 2009 at 12:05 pm 48.Philip said …
I too have used all the advice given but my Badger B1-79 disposal will only hum when I turn on the power switch. The cutting blades move freely, the allen wrench moves it freely and the reset button button doesn’t help it. The reset button will not go into a set/stationery position. It moves freely when I push or move it side-to-side.Could this be the problem? HELP!
on 28 May 2009 at 2:38 pm 49.Saundra said …
Thank you. Its been broken for two months. Called in a Handyman. He said I needed to buy a new unit. I went on line to check warranty and prices and found your blog. Voila, I fixed it!!!!!! all by my lonesome.
on 31 May 2009 at 9:08 am 50.Anthony said …
Thanks for the tips – worked awesome. Popped breaker and it was jammed. The hex broke it loose and now my wife is free to clog it once more!
on 31 May 2009 at 10:40 am 51.Kaye said …
Awesome, concise answer, thanks!
on 01 Jun 2009 at 9:18 pm 52.Rohan said …
Thanks for the suggestions! I didn’t realize neither that there is (1) reset switch on the underside nor (2) that the hexagonal driver that came with the unit can be used to manually propel the motor to remove the obstacle preventing it from rotating freely. Surely saved me a call to the plumber. Thanks again!
on 06 Jun 2009 at 6:01 pm 53.Martha said …
Still having problems after I use the hex tool. The blades are moving freely, not much garbage in the disposal. Still hearing the humming, just can’t figure out what the problem is. Can you help me.
Thanks
Martha
on 08 Jun 2009 at 4:29 pm 54.Cory said …
You are the man. I did exactly what you told me and it fixed it. I thought I was going to have to call a plumber. Thank you so much
on 09 Jun 2009 at 3:37 pm 55.Bobby said …
Thank you! I thought I was going to have to call for support, but your trick worked like a charm. I thought I remembered reading about something like this in the manual, but Iwouldn’t find it anywhere.
on 15 Jun 2009 at 4:59 pm 56.Robert-s said …
Hi folks,
This might be helpful for those of you who have the hum, free blades, but no start condition on the Badger series GD. I had the same problem and found replacing the start switch in the bottom of the unit solved the problem. The switch is a white plastic assembly with a brass finger. You have to remove the bottom plate of the disposer (by removing the four long screws on the top of the unit) and carefully pry off the bottom plate. Check the motor windings, they should be copper color, if not the motor may have burned out. Next check the centrifugal governor (on the motor shaft) to see of it moves down freely. If that’s OK take a look at the switch. There is a white lever that makes contact with the governor plate, gently lift it up and verify the brass switch finger makes contact and there is no corrosion. If not it’s possible to bend it a bit but replacement is the permanent fix. You can find the part here:
http://www.repairclinic.com/SSPartDetail.aspx?s=a2b99c276i868785&PartID=868785
on 17 Jun 2009 at 5:56 am 57.Angela said …
Thanks!!!! I used the hex key and then pushed the little red button on the bottom and it now works!! This was very important because we have a party this weekend and the garbage disposal is very important. Thank you so much!
on 21 Jun 2009 at 6:57 pm 58.Spook said …
Whooohoooo…Roommate shoved a shot glass down there that shattered. This fixed it!!! You da’ man!!!
on 23 Jun 2009 at 4:21 pm 59.kryssy said …
MANNNNNNNNNNNN…i appreciate this post soooo much. I was about to call the plumber…just had something jammed in the blades. never thought to actually get a flashlight and take a look…i just was putting my hands in and moving things around…i really appreciate your posts…I LOVE THE INTERNET…what would we do without it…
on 23 Jun 2009 at 5:28 pm 60.Bill said …
WOW, I like many others on here was to the point of calling the landlord and I stumbled on to your site. THANK YOU !!!!! I kinda feel stupid though, you had great instructions. It was so simple….
Thanks again!!
on 25 Jun 2009 at 7:03 pm 61.Annie said …
You are awesome. Asked my boyfriend if he could fix it, said needs to be replaced. Googled and found you post, did exactly what you said and she’s grinding again! Thank you so much!
on 28 Jun 2009 at 5:29 pm 62.cb said …
yea-sss! that allen wrench was hard to turn but i didn’t give up. i wasn’t letting the machine or the plumber win this time. thanks for your post!
on 06 Jul 2009 at 1:29 pm 63.Marie said …
Thanks very much. I pressed the reset button (I didn’t even know there was one), and I did hear a whirring noise. When I did what you said and used a wooden spoon handle to try and move the blades I saw it was very clogged. I cut up some debris and removed it with some tongs. Then I saw a huge chunk of watermelon laying right on top of the blades. I cut it in half and removed it with the tongs. When I ran the H20 and pressed the start switch, the disposal started to GO! I felt like I was a plumber! Thanks to your blog.
on 06 Jul 2009 at 7:37 pm 64.Mike said …
Amazing! I was about to call a service tech. Worked like a charm!
on 07 Jul 2009 at 12:53 pm 65.Eric Reyna said …
You are the man! I used a paintstick handle moved the blades around until the water started to drain and tried again ..started to worked noisily until I removed a tiny metal spoon that was all bent up…..You just saved me $250 ….!!!!
on 09 Jul 2009 at 4:23 pm 66.Alicia said …
Thank you so much! Had a problem tonight and decided to use google. Your page was first. Thanks for the help!
on 13 Jul 2009 at 7:08 am 67.Orna said …
Youv’e just fixed mine! Brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew coming to stay tomorrow, so I needed it to work. Thanks for sharing.
on 14 Jul 2009 at 4:17 pm 68.Andrew said …
The allen key goes in the bottom of the disposal on the underside (for those looking for it). A slight turn and bingo!
Thanks a million….
on 14 Jul 2009 at 10:38 pm 69.chb said …
Thought it was going to be a long road to fix it. Googled and found your post, did exactly what you said with the broom handled and it worked. Thank you so much. Loved your humor as well.
on 18 Jul 2009 at 5:02 pm 70.wescac said …
You’re funny, I’ll give you that. But absolutely no help to me. Thanks anyway.
on 21 Jul 2009 at 6:10 am 71.Now look like a hero said …
Rob,
I mirror everyone else sentiments here. First a humming, then no worky. Started gearing up for the image of me, standing there in front of garbage disposals in HD. Thought “Let me google this before I leave…” and BLAM! Here you are. Saved the day man, thanks again.
on 22 Jul 2009 at 3:46 pm 72.ed savage said …
Disposal quit working – reset the reset button but as soon as the disposal turns on the reset button goes off. What now?
on 22 Jul 2009 at 5:04 pm 73.Anjanika Walker said …
Thank you so much for posting this information. I am lousy at stuff like this, but have a really good neighbor, who came over and read this post. He went and got his Alan key and voila – its running again. Saved a heap of money, I would have had to pay a handyman to come and breathe under the sink.
on 01 Aug 2009 at 9:02 am 74.Gary said …
Thanks for the tips , blades are moving again. Have a great day!
on 01 Aug 2009 at 7:09 pm 75.mtc said …
Thanks for the amazingly accurate and concise “how to”….
Obviously, it worked for me as well.
Just a clarification, b4 I fixed it, I too was not sure about the allen wrench instruction part of it.
My situation was:
1. blades turning
2. Motor humming
But disposal would not “turn on”…
So the allen wrench part is applied to the bottom of the disposal and the allen wrench actually enables you to forcefully “lodge free” whatever is preventing the base that holds the blade from turning.
So forcefully turning the allen wrench allows you to forcefully turn the disposal base to dislodge whatever is stuck in between.
Great instructions and thanks again!
on 02 Aug 2009 at 10:24 am 76.Ryan said …
Summary: if it hums but doesn’t move, you might try a drill’s power to move the hex portion rather than your hand’s strength on the wrench.
This blog was very helpful but after many tries, I was completely stumped. The reset button was fine. The engine hummed. The blades turned fine or so I thought. After feeling around for a while, I wondered why there was a weird cylindrical object as part of the disposal. Well, it turns out it was the cap to a martini shaker and it was STUCK. I tried pliers, wrenches, etc. to no avail. I couldn’t get the hex wrench thing on the bottom of the disposal to budge and was getting ready to start taking the disposal apart when I had one last thought. A drill. So, I attached the hex attachment where a screwdriver part would go in my drill, and it popped the shaker lid out of the stuck part of the disposal. I had to use it on the most intense setting, though. I’d say use this approach with caution so that you don’t cause a bigger problem than you started with, but if a hex wrench and broom handle don’t do the trick, a drive with a hex attachment might be the ticket.
Again, the only substitution I made was to use the drill’s power instead of that of my hand.
Thanks for the helpful blog!
on 03 Aug 2009 at 8:27 am 77.Jean said …
This information was great!! We used the hex tool in the slot under the unit and it released and works fine again. No repair bill or new disposal needed at this time. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
on 04 Aug 2009 at 5:03 pm 78.Ray Said said …
Hey, I had the “hummmm” in the disposal… went on line and read what to do….it was tough so we did this…took an electrician pliers handel end down in the hole. Used a plummers pliers to turn the electrician pliers and gaboom..it ran and not hummed… the blades moved and the electrican and plummer went home. Sorry, my husband told me what to write, I have not a clue what he was talking about. Thanks, Rays wife.
on 06 Aug 2009 at 7:59 pm 79.Kelly said …
Thank you so much. My disposer has not been working for months now, but we have been getting by until the sink recently started getting backed up when using the dishwasher. I couldn’t stand the full sink of dirty water anymore so I looked up repair tips and found your info. Pushed the reset button and heard the humming. Used the broom handle to spin the blades then tried to turn it on, but only humming. Then tried the hex tool trick and afterwards the blades were spinning freely. No repair costs and no new disposer. Thank you so much for your help!
on 06 Aug 2009 at 10:02 pm 80.Marcus said …
After several days of just letting the problem go, and then a couple days of half hearted attempts at actually fixing the problem (based on an initial read of this blog), I finally buckled down and read the blog from top to bottom. And then went to the original source entry and read that too.
So, after trying the broom (in my case a wooden spatula handle) and the hex tool with no avail, I finally went Indiana Jones on it and explored every inch of that disposal with my hands…looking for the secret lever, switch, or pulley.
None of those things were found, but what I did find was something securely lodged (we’re talking fort knox secure) into the outer edge of the blade base, and after a good 20 minutes (not counting the 40 before that, and the days before that) of slashing at it back and forth with a screwdriver I was finally able to dislodge, what ended up being the pebble of doom, from the inner workings of the disposal. And presto, back in action!
on 14 Aug 2009 at 6:06 pm 81.DaEx said …
Hey ladies and gents!
I’ve read this thread before, and it worked like a charm when a little rock slipped from the fish bowl and the Allen wrench helped release it.
But now I come back with a new problem. There’s a poodle where the bottom of the sink is, and I’m positive that the wheels are spinning (the allen wrench moves the socket freely, and the poodle flows when the disposer is on). I even dipped my hand in that hole and manually spun the blades. Yes, I had to wash my hand before typing this. But the point is, the blades are not stuck.
Nevertheless, the water level does not move. It’s been 45 minutes. Anybody with some info on this will earn my good graces.
Please hurry. Saturday mornings are not as enjoyable with a bad smell in the kitchen.
on 17 Aug 2009 at 7:50 am 82.Jackie said …
Great info for grandmother who can do it herself with the right information. Thanks! Disposal working fine.
on 18 Aug 2009 at 12:25 pm 83.rogers said …
worked perfectly, thanks for the write up. had 4 beer caps in there and some broken glass…drain stopper goes in now when we have parties!
on 19 Aug 2009 at 1:42 pm 84.Joe said …
Tried everything – Allen wrench, wooden spoon handle, ice – but the disposal still hums defiantly. It did start once spinning the wooden spoon, but didn’t sound right. Turned it off, waited a few minutes, turned it back on. HMMMMMMM. Won’t restart without spinning the spoon handle.
I’m stumped. Can anyone suggest an answer?
on 20 Aug 2009 at 1:01 pm 85.Hallie said …
Hysterical story and VERY helpful! Your info (esp the Allen wrench size) got my Badger running again!
on 22 Aug 2009 at 10:06 am 86.Al Gu said …
Thanks Rob. My erator became dead about two months ago. First we were thinking that we didn’t need it. Then the bad odor changed my mind. I had to install a new one.
When I was checking the prices online, I saw your blog.
I tried the link you posted. Press the reset button, heard a short hum then quiet again. Rotated the blades. Reset again and it turned!
Thanks!
on 24 Aug 2009 at 6:48 am 87.Rod Said said …
great save this disposal started to stink and was just in the way under the sink. Now its back on the job.
on 26 Aug 2009 at 6:01 pm 88.Todd Godfrey said …
Success for the ignorant masses. I was a hero tonight.
on 29 Aug 2009 at 9:16 am 89.Bob P said …
I’m another satisfied customer.
I knew how how to find the reset button to turn my non-humming Badger into a humming, but non functioning Badger … but other than risking my fingers by clearing it from inside the drain … I couldn’t for the life of me find a way to get it to turn. A simple allen wrench turn later and voila.
THANKS!
on 29 Aug 2009 at 3:05 pm 90.Ben said …
THANK YOU! You have saved my marriage and the future of handymankind! OK thats a stretch but I _AM_ looking at a happy wife, an empty sink, and a closed yellow pages that had been open to P for plumber.
on 31 Aug 2009 at 8:39 pm 91.Dharmesh said …
Thank a bunch Rob, your steps were really helpful in fixing my garbage disposer problem
on 17 Sep 2009 at 11:43 pm 92.Brent said …
Thanks…worked like a charm. Now I have to figure out what is the hard stuff that is not getting ground up. I think I’ll use the wet/dry vac idea posted by another satisfied customer.
on 26 Sep 2009 at 5:27 pm 93.craig said …
thanks a lot. quick and easy fix
on 10 Oct 2009 at 1:07 pm 94.greatlion said …
help!!! i have pressed the reset button forcefully. however, it disappeared from my eyesight and sucked into the erator. oh, jesus, what should i do? who can help me
on 24 Oct 2009 at 8:26 am 95.Lin said …
I can’t believe it but I did it. Thank you for posting the simple directions.
on 25 Oct 2009 at 2:58 pm 96.Seth Russell said …
Your instructions worked like a charm. First with the reset button to get it humming, then again with the Allen Wrench to get it spinning freely. Many thanks for taking the time to post this.
on 16 Nov 2009 at 3:50 pm 97.Elizabeth said …
Your directions were a godsend. Thanks!
on 25 Nov 2009 at 3:49 pm 98.Joe said …
You saved me a lot of time. Thank you very much!
on 29 Dec 2009 at 2:00 pm 99.Big Al said …
Thanks for the walk-through Rob! Like others who have posted, I spent the better part of an hour cranking an Allen Key around and around (to the point that I thought the whole machine was going to explode) only to have it cough up a small handful of artichoke fibres. Note: garborators do not like artichoke leaves. However, while extracting the fibres I noticed that my wrist made a plunger-like seal with the rubber flaps that protect the drain, so i simply pumped up and down until I was blue in the face and presto! The water drained! Now I do not recommend people just start sticking their hands down their garborators, use a plunger if you have one, but if not, before you start wagering your digits make sure you first FLIP YOUR GARBORATOR’S BREAKER TO OFF then go to town! I Hope this helps.
on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:12 am 100.Patty59 said …
Thank You! New Year’s Eve and the disposal decided to take a break. The hex tool did the trick:)
on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:19 am 101.rob said …
Big al, you have a very good point. I’ve added a note for people to turn off their circuit breaker first!
on 02 Jan 2010 at 9:00 am 102.LaNette Diaz said …
Thanks! I was about ready to go buy a new one! It worked, go figure a small “just a pinch” measuring spoon was caught in the blades. Now it works great. Mine is also much more quite than normal, but it’s working.
on 05 Jan 2010 at 11:36 am 103.Evelyn said …
My disposal quit working yesterday after I put some eggshells down it. Now I know eggshells are was too fragile to jam the disposal. I took the rubber drain off the sink and was able to see a broken plastic measuring spoon jammed in the blades. I couldn’t get it to dislodge so I took a screwdrive and a hammer and broke it up. Wala…disposal now working like a charm. Thanks for all the tips. Probably would have been an pricy plumber’s visit!
on 06 Jan 2010 at 11:50 am 104.Teddy Novak said …
Reset works like a champ, I will never know what caused the disposal to trip. At least you saved me some monies. Thanks!
on 08 Jan 2010 at 3:08 pm 105.Larry said …
Worked perfectly! Thank you very much. As a handy guy, I knew nothing about disposals…until now. I was all set to buy a new one until I did exactly as you recommended. Thanks again!
on 09 Jan 2010 at 10:31 am 106.Jonesey said …
Wow. All hail the power of the good internet neighbor. Thanks a million, Rob. Your little guide got us up and running again in no time. The thought of reinstalling (let alone buying) a new disposal unit was making me sick, but the allen wrench did the trick.
on 09 Jan 2010 at 11:01 am 107.Scott said …
I couldn’t find my user’s manual (the disposal was installed when we bought the house). After 45 minutes of trying to find it and hitting reset multiple times, I finally google’d, found this site, when out to shed for my alan wrenches and 30 seconds later I was back in business – thanks for the tip!!!!
on 04 Feb 2010 at 5:00 pm 108.Ryan said …
Wow, great tip, thanks a million for posting this tip. I also learned how to fix my furnace and my dryer from google, gotta love it.
on 07 Feb 2010 at 8:00 pm 109.Josh said …
A couple of olive pits jammed my Badger 5 up, I thought it was dead. You saved me $100 and a whole lot of frustration. THANK YOU!
on 10 Feb 2010 at 8:43 am 110.Ron said …
thank you Rob- Allen wrench worked but needed a little more leverage,used bottom of cresent wrench hole over allen wrench freed it up and is back working.again thank you for the tips.
on 11 Feb 2010 at 4:13 pm 111.Trista said …
It worked! Thanks for saving me lots of $$$$!!
on 13 Feb 2010 at 6:02 am 112.Chris said …
Another success: reset button and wooden spoon. Thanks!
on 14 Feb 2010 at 8:10 am 113.Steve said …
Thanks for the info!
Jiggling the Allen wrench on the bottom did the trick.
on 14 Feb 2010 at 1:50 pm 114.Lisa said …
Let me add my thanks to the 100s already posted. I read several sites, but none were as clear to this female as the detailed instructions you posted! Most other sites just referenced a hex tool and I had no idea that that was simply an allen wrench, which I already had in my tool box.
Armed with this information, it took all of 5 minutes to resolve my months-old problem.
on 15 Feb 2010 at 9:28 am 115.Kyle said …
Thanks for the straightforward tips — worked like a charm!
on 03 Mar 2010 at 5:42 pm 116.Bubba said …
All I have to say is “you the man!!!!!”
on 03 Apr 2010 at 11:27 pm 117.Kenny said …
I knew about making sure the blades moved freely. I knew about the reset button. Didn’t know about the hex hole under the bottom. Cranked it around a few times, reset the the button and works like a charm now. Thanks for taking the time to post the distructions. You just saved me a hundred bucks and a Sunday afternoon.
on 05 Apr 2010 at 9:53 pm 118.Leslie said …
Thank you a million times over! We just tried this minutes ago and it worked instantly and completely. Wonderful!
on 11 Apr 2010 at 7:15 am 119.Ronnie said …
Ya this little trick fixed the problem, Thanks Rob
on 12 Apr 2010 at 7:54 pm 120.danny said …
the allen wrench works like a charm!! I wasted 30 mins
trying clean up the disposer, but its the allen wrench
to the rescue.
on 13 Apr 2010 at 11:47 am 121.Chris said …
Thank you for your blog. I went from thinking the dishwasher was broken, to it being the garbage disposal and this fixed everything. Thanks again for sharing.
on 13 Apr 2010 at 7:05 pm 122.Spiderman said …
Thank you so much for your instructions. It worked!(:
on 14 Apr 2010 at 8:49 pm 123.Dave said …
Thanks that worked perfectly. Saved me from buying a brand new one. I thought for sure mine was toast.
I also had the same line of thinking. I was hoping it would fix it self, but I got the floating bits of food tonight. That was enough for me, nasty.
on 24 Apr 2010 at 5:23 pm 124.Michael said …
It worked!!!!!
Praise the Lord!!!!!
on 29 Apr 2010 at 7:12 pm 125.kang said …
Thank you so much, worked just fine!
on 30 Apr 2010 at 6:39 pm 126.Anna Moody said …
what if when you push the reset button up it goes up inside the unit….?
on 01 May 2010 at 5:52 am 127.Don said …
Rob,
My badger 5 works but is dripping from the bottom. Any suggestions?
Don
on 05 May 2010 at 5:57 pm 128.Feedback in East Cobb said …
Yes! It didn’t work at first. Had to read some more comments. Then I went back and wiggled my hex wrench back and forth close to 10 times. Somewhere in all of that it started turning really easy. I was scared that the socket had popped out and a hole in the bottom of the unit had materialized. Nope. That was the feeling of cleared blades spinning freely. Now the unit works again! Happy Cinco de Mayo everybody – especially you Rob!!!
on 16 May 2010 at 9:17 am 129.SD said …
I figured I’d be buying a replacement disposal this week, until google showed me your hex wrench remedy. Thank you!
on 26 May 2010 at 2:23 pm 130.Sean said …
THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!!!
on 30 May 2010 at 3:58 pm 131.Dee said …
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I had found other troubleshooting on the web but you nail it step by step and save me a lot of money. The Hex tool did the trick for me. Unfortunately one of my 2 boys drop a shot glass in the disposal and it broke inside. But thanks to you and your post that is all behind us now except the punishment for not telling me the glass was in the disposal. Your fix took 2 to 3 minutes. Thanks again
on 03 Jun 2010 at 12:47 pm 132.Dan Garcia said …
You probably already know this, but it’s worth saying again. You’re pretty awesome! Thanks for the advice!
on 04 Jun 2010 at 8:02 am 133.Brandon said …
I was looking online to see how much a new one would cost when I found your post. Who knew these things had a reset button?! Thanks man, you saved me a lot of money!
on 05 Jun 2010 at 12:34 pm 134.Jim said …
You’re the best – worked like a charm.
I had tried everything but the allen wrench.
It was magic and saved a $100.
on 08 Jun 2010 at 4:40 pm 135.Ramiro said …
Thanks for the tip…worked like a charm..and runs smoothly
on 15 Jun 2010 at 10:16 am 136.Tianry said …
Thank you for saving me the cost of a new food waste disposer. Thank you again
on 15 Jun 2010 at 8:49 pm 137.JP said …
Had the exact same problem and this fixed it completely in less than 60 seconds. Thanks!
on 16 Jun 2010 at 3:32 pm 138.Michelle said …
This was the first site I came to when my husband gave up and was ready to call a plumber. It worked like a charm and we actually already had the hex wrench (it must’ve came with the disposal system) that was left here when we bought the house! I’m so excited! No more nasty fish smell!!
on 18 Jun 2010 at 8:08 am 139.Lynda said …
Thank you very much! Do you write other helpful hints? You are a lifesaver.
on 22 Jun 2010 at 4:42 pm 140.Joe (not the Plumber) said …
Worked like a charm…you just saved me at least $100 from having it replaced!! Appreciate the help!
on 22 Jun 2010 at 11:08 pm 141.Rick from olympia wa said …
Thank you, you is da man. saved my ass alot of guess work and money! Worked perfectly. Great instructions. YOU DA MAN!!!!!!!!
on 23 Jun 2010 at 3:04 pm 142.Phil said …
Thanks man!! I was able to fix it easily and get on with life. And washing dishes.
on 24 Jun 2010 at 8:46 am 143.david said …
Well I am in need of some help.
My wife jammed up the disposal last night with some salad material including chard.
The badger 5 hums and as far as I can tell the blades are moving freely but it still will not drain.
What should I do?
on 24 Jun 2010 at 9:07 am 144.david said …
Got it fixed.
It needed a good plunger.
on 27 Jun 2010 at 8:28 am 145.Rich said …
Thanks, this was really helpful!
on 28 Jun 2010 at 9:28 pm 146.Karen said …
THANK YOU!
You enabled a 62 year old woman who lives alone to accomplish this repair on her own!
on 29 Jun 2010 at 5:53 pm 147.Sissy said …
Thank you!! Saved me $$ from calling the plumber…thought for sure my Badger was dead!!
on 29 Jun 2010 at 6:30 pm 148.BW said …
I wasted my time unplugging, reseting, cleaning. I read the blog, 2 minutes later it was fixed. 1/4 inch allen wrench is my new favorite tool!
on 30 Jun 2010 at 6:31 pm 149.Cat said …
Seriously. The same thing happened to us! Procrastination and all. Today was the 3rd morning in a row that i had to scrub out the sink with a pot scrubber because it was so nasty and took like all night to drain. We found your instructions and 5 minutes later…. BOOM. DONE. YOU ROCK.
on 01 Jul 2010 at 9:18 am 150.Dionna said …
Worked!!! thanks!!!
on 05 Jul 2010 at 3:57 pm 151.Peter said …
This advice was spot on. A couple more tips.
1) once you have the 1/4 inch hex wrench, be sure to turn it clockwise for about 3 rotations and counter-clockwise for 3 rotations
2) I also think it helps if you run hot water while doing the hex wrench turns
Finally, I used the hex wrench, then let the disposal sit for about 2 hours, and tried again. The 2nd time was the charm.
on 08 Jul 2010 at 10:23 pm 152.ELias said …
I was going to call the plumber tomorrow am, and hope they could get here before I go to Santa Cruz for my swim meet, however, I used the 1/4 hex allen wrench as described in the mysterious center hole moved it back and forth as instructed and VOILA it works as well as ever, thank you thank you thank you ad nauseum!!!
on 10 Jul 2010 at 9:23 am 153.Adam said …
Thanks, you just saved me $100. Fish rocks in the insinkerator are bad.
on 15 Jul 2010 at 3:53 am 154.jimmy said …
Very helpful site i just fixed my Badger7 with these instructions thanks.
on 16 Jul 2010 at 10:47 am 155.New Homeowner said …
You are my hero! Saved me so much time and money. Now the 50 bucks will go towards a manicure. And to all the men out there who commented about their women clogging up the drain, this woman fixed the disposal which someone else (ahem!) had clogged.
on 18 Jul 2010 at 6:35 am 156.WorkingWolf said …
Thank you, Rob. Your advice fixed the humming problem. This is a you-don’t-have-to-be-a-man-to-fix-it solution.
on 23 Jul 2010 at 10:14 am 157.Pim said …
Thanks so much for this! It worked so well. A great tip!