Garbage Disposal Not Turning On | Causes and Solutions

Examining the household machine is not so challenging, primarily when available with an instruction manual. What do you do when the Garbage Disposal Not Turning On? Do you call an electrician, or are you interested in self-inspection like me? 

There are many reasons your disposal is not turning on. Sometimes you find a burnt motor, loss of power supply, or tripped circuit breaker at fault. However, the reset button below the unit may help you fix the problem firsthand. Otherwise, contacting an expert becomes crucial. 

The article covers my examination on solving the issue of disposal not turning on. If you find the same symptoms with your machine, trying the tricks may help you without consulting anyone.

Garbage Disposal Not Turning On At All | Causes

My logic for inspection is to analyze the machine thoroughly and then opt for an expert. It is you who use the machine and know its background history. Also, how you use the disposal unit is a matter of concern when finding the causes for not turning on. So, let’s walk into the maze and find the prominent causes that won’t let your garbage disposal turn on.

Faulty Motor

Suppose you plug the disposal into the power supply by flipping the switch and notice the disposal won’t turn on. Pondering over the minute cause may open your eyes to a burnt or defective motor. 

Installing garbage disposal and leaving it unattended may cost you a faulty or burnt motor. The matter of discussion is that you continue to dump in the disposal without considering the essential safety tips. 

Moreover, allowing the motor to run without bothering about what ingredient clogged or jammed the drain may make your motor run out of health. Hence, the faulty motor is the primary reason your garbage disposal does not turn on.

Garbage Disposal’s Built-in Circuit Breaker

You must know that your garbage disposal contains a reset button. It is like an emergency button to restore the unit’s each fault and allow it to fall into its place. You must consider what role the reset button plays in not turning on. 

The reset button has a built-in circuit breaker and is prone to trip for any reason, like power loss, clogging, or jamming. In addition, when you use the motor beyond the recommended hours, it is likely to overheat and stop on its own.

Pro Tip: The tripped circuit breaker will pop the button outward to notice.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

You may have the initial knowledge of the circuitry system of your home. Any ups and downs in the voltages cause the breaker to trip. The same goes for the kitchen garbage disposal unit that works on the correct figure of voltages of 120 V.

The circuit breaker trips when the machine does not feed with the required volts. Ultimately, the breaker cuts the power supply of the disposal and restricts it from turning.

Power Loss

Sometimes it is not the garbage disposal that is the culprit, but instead, electrical issues due to which you cannot turn it on. The power loss may be the return gift of the loose wiring that connects the unit to the power supply or a faulty garbage wall switch.

Garbage Disposal Not Turning On | Solutions

There are many solutions to look after when the garbage disposal is not turned on. Read them and keep them in mind to save your money and time.

Plug the Unit

Who else falls victim to continue using the machine without turning the power supply button on? The first and foremost solution is to rightly fulfill all the requirements of the garbage disposal unit to make it run. 
Plug in the cord and turn on the button while the machine is not in its tummy that is not crushable. You can also favor the help of pressing the garbage disposal reset button located below the unit.

Keep the Connections Intact

Installing a garbage disposal unit may remind you of the wiring going from the main power panel to the disposal unit. Similarly, if you find your disposal unit is not turned on, start by checking the switch plate. 

You can also remove the plate and check for a loose connection. At the same time, ensure the wiring that attaches the system unit to the power supply demands tightening due to the machine’s vibration.

Refrain from Overusing

Overusing or overheating sounds similar. While one factor successfully leads to the other. When you do not turn off the garbage disposal after several hours of motor running, you probably invite it on the threshold of overheating. You must use it wisely if you do not want to keep your garbage disposal from giving up its life this easily.

Safety Tips

You must know what happens when the garbage disposal does not turn. On the contrary, there are possibilities that the system is not devoid of power supply but not turning. The components become jammed due to stuffing unwanted kitchen debris. So, I suggest you glance at the items to avoid dumping them in the disposal. Here are worst foods for garbage disposal.

• Banana peels
• Eggshells
• Grease
• Coffee beans/ grinds
• Bones
• Rice
• Starchy potato peels

Do Garbage Disposals Need Maintenance?

Every household appliance demands maintenance to increase its longevity. You can maintain your garbage disposal by sharpening the blades or cleaning the unit with a good quality cleaner. However, a standard method to do it yourself is flushing the disposal with ice cubes.

Is it OK to Leave Garbage Disposal Running?

No, you cannot leave your garbage disposal running beyond for hours. If you do so, the motor overheats, which can damage internal components. Also, you may have increased energy bills to pay.

Bottom Line

Kitchen garbage disposal serves you in many ways. It is your responsibility to take good care of it. Turn it off on time or avoid dumping the unwanted things that form clogs. In this article, I have mentioned the prominent reasons why your disposal does not turn on and handed you the most straightforward solutions to the problems.