Garburator (Garbage Disposal) Issues

Hi There, I'm having issues with my Garburator. When I turn it on, nothing happens. I've checked to see if the breaker/fuse has blown, and it seems to be fine. It is connected to my dishwasher, and the dishwasher still works & runs fine. Can you please give me any ideas on what this is? Why it isn't getting power at all? And what I would need to buy to fix it. I am hoping I don't have to replace the whole unit.

Thanks very much!

It may have a red button on the bottom that has tripped.
If so, press back in.

Those don't trip normally unless they are jammed.
If it's jammed, you will need to unstick it.

Many plumbers use something like a Badger five by ISE.
They only last 8 years, give or take.

Installing the Evolution in the Seattle area.

What's a Badger five by ISE?

I'm sorry, I'm a total amateur in this....but what is a Badger five? Is this a replacement red button? How would I install? And where would I purchase one?

And can you also provide more info on how I would unstick the stitch?

Thank you!

If you hear a humming sound, then it is just jammed and you need to use the hex wrench that came with the disposer to unjam it.

If you don't hear a humming sound, then you need to push in the reset button, located on the underside of the disposer (as Terry mentioned).

If you don't have a reset button, then the motor could have fried, the cord could have come unplugged, the internal wiring could have come apart, the switch that turns it on could be bad, or your breaker had tripped and you don't know how to reset it properly.

There's no humming sound, and I've pressed the reset button. But I'd like to know what Terry's referring to.....the Badger five. What is that? I've googled it, but come up with nothing.

Thanks

The Badger 5 is a garbage disposal unit made by Insinkerator. So do not worry about that.

In my experience, the wall switch often goes that operates the disposal. If it is not jammed (I use a broom handle to try to rotate mine with the power OFF if something is caught) and it has not tripped (the red button does not solve the problem) then I bet my bottom dollar is it a cheap wall switch that has given up the ghost. Or, like Terry was trying to say, if your disposal is old it may just have died and you may need a new one.

Time to hire an electrician and if that does not work a plumber.

SOmetimes it takes a fair amount of pressure to reset the switch. With the power off, take a broom handle and see if you can turn the motor through the drain.

I can turn the motor through the drain.....how does this relate to resetting it?

That has nothing to do with resetting it. If you felt the button getting pushed in, and it stays pushed in, then you've reset it properly. If you can get the blades to turn, either with a broom handle or the provided hex wrench, then your problem is electrical, which I've already outlined the possibilities.

Terry said:

Many plumbers use something like a Badger five by ISE.
They only last 8 years, give or take.

Click to expand...

What is the usual problem or problems that prompt replacement? Poor perfomance? I have 13+ years on what it probably a Badger 1. Ended up having to remove the P trap on Thanksgiving after too many potato peels slipped by without being "processed" properly by the disposal.

Homeowners who want to control maintenance costs must own a few tools, including a Multimeter, and learn how to use them. Digital multimeters are available for as little as $20 from Sears or Radio Shack; sometimes less when on sale.

You use it to measure voltage (is power present?) or resistance (is there a connection?).

If pushing the reset button very hard (maybe with a screwdriver handle to concentrate the force on the button) doesn't restore power to the motor, then you have a power source problem. Start checking by measuring the voltage at the nearest connection to the disposer, such as the terminals that are accessible if you remove the switch plate. If you have no voltage then you must fix a circuit problem. That could be anything from the circuit breaker through the wiring and switch to the connection at the disposer.

To give you an idea of the possible saving from learning how to do it yourself:

If you have to call a plumber to install a new disposer you are probably looking at a $300 bill.

If the plumber discovers that it is an electrical problem he may tell you to call an electrician. Count on about $125 for a service call and extra if fixing it requires more than resetting the breaker. For example, you could be charged $50 to replace a switch that you can buy at HD for $0.69.

What is the usual problem or problems that prompt replacement? Poor perfomance? I have 13+ years on what it probably a Badger 1. Ended up having to remove the P trap on Thanksgiving after too many potato peels slipped by without being "processed" properly by the disposal.

Click to expand...

The blades get dull after a while, and rust, and the electrical can go bad, and the bearings start to wear.


Old

New Badger 5 Insinkerator disposer

CarlH said:

What is the usual problem or problems that prompt replacement? Poor perfomance? I have 13+ years on what it probably a Badger 1. Ended up having to remove the P trap on Thanksgiving after too many potato peels slipped by without being "processed" properly by the disposal.

Click to expand...

Things like potato peelings and onion skins are notorious for blocking up pipes. You can have the same problem with a much newer disposer if you put too much of that down at once.

Verdeboy said:

Things like potato peelings and onion skins are notorious for blocking up pipes. You can have the same problem with a much newer disposer if you put too much of that down at once.

Click to expand...

I have the same problem and am wondering, though, if the new top-of-the line Insinkerator might actually be better about handling peelings? It claims to be able to handle just about everything you can put into its gaping maw, including bones.

I get tired of getting out the plunger every time I peel more than 2 potatoes (and never seem to remember to just put the peels in the trash).

If you put the peelings down the drain, at least run enough water to flow it down the pipe.
I think you are still better off putting them somewhere else though.

I do remember one Thanksgiving when my sisters did the same thing.
They put the peelings down without running water.
I don't own a snake that will do kitchen sink lines, so we were without a sink on Thanksgiving.
Not good timing.

The longer you have a disposer, the duller the blades get though.
If you have to start clearing it too many times, it may be time.

Always seems to happen when company's coming, doesn't it?

The Insinkerator site says its top-o-the line machine has a 3-stage grinder which essentially liquifies solid waste. I am tempted to give it a try.

I brought back to life a Badger 5 that was 14 years old, still running strong as an ox.

Had a sound in it like there was bearings going out. Ran a tray of ice cubes through it with the water running....sound disappeared.


Then the daughter came out, mentioned that she had lost an earring during dinner.

Whoops!!

garbage disposals were invented for drain cleaners. better off using the garbage or composting.

Regarding disposers:

A few years back, Insinkerator, in their infinite wisdom, decided that a plastic housing was better than the old aluminum housing for the Badger disposers. Soon after the change, I began getting calls for relatively new disposers with a hole in the side. A penny, or some other object could be thrown by the impellers, bursting through the side. This wasn't impossible to do with the older aluminum housings, but it was rare.

On the other hand, the aluminum would deteriorate over time and crack or dissolve, particularly at the seal, which was necessary to hold up the disposer, and the outlet, which was necessary to keep it from leaking. Plastic eliminated this disintegration, so perhaps it was a good trade-off.

But you can't go wrong with a stainless steel grinding chamber and parts. Buying a better disposer is a good investment and should provide a better feeling of security.

A note on how disposers work:

The whirling turntable with the impellers, which are moveable, does not cut anything - rather, it throws it up against the sides of the disposer, where the actual cutters are.

Damage can occur if something is dropped into the disposer that it can't handle. The motor shaft can be bent, making the unit worthless. The bearings are not invulnerable. For those who do canning - remember to not put boiling water into your plumbing system. Whenever you dump hot water from a pot or pan, run cold water with it to prevent ruining the rubber seals that protect the bearings. Otherwise, you can destroy a disposer quickly.

An end-outlet tubular waste, or disposer waste, has a tee and within it a baffle. Often, if you force things through the disposer too quickly, such as celery, it will clog at the baffle. The purpose of the baffle is to prevent water that is forced through the tube quickly from coming up in the other sink. It is necessary.

In addition to a quality stainless-steel chamber and grinding parts, it is good to have a little more horsepower. I never install the Badger 1, which is underpowered. The Badger V is a 1/2 horsepower, and I install a lot of them because they are inexpensive. I have a 3/4 HP Insinkerator and it definitely does a much better job.

In addition, most higher-end disposers have an auto-reverse feature, which means that every time the disposer starts, it runs in the opposite direction, possibly freeing items that have gotten stuck under the impellers. Hence, they are more maintenance-free.

The Insinkerator company manufactures the bulk of disposers in the U.S. Contenders are Waste King, Whirlaway, Eastman. Perhaps a few others. Eastmans will reputedly mount to an existing Insinkerator flange, but I'd replace the flange if I were doing the work.

I hope this information helps.

BTW - avoid pouring aquarium gravel into disposers. Really not a good idea.

Badger 5 installation

You have installed many Badger 5 disposals, so I hope you can help me. I bought one of these gems and decided to install it myself. The electrical wiring, which I feared would be difficult, was a snap.
The problem came when I tried to attach the disposal under the sink. The rubber splash guard is way too big to push down into the sink, and it is too thick to leave at the top of the disposal (you cannot get the things to lock).
If you take the splash guard off, there are two problems. First, the bottom mounting bracket can easily come off the unit, and, second, it STILL doesn't lock properly.
I must be doing something wrong. Meanwhile, I've got the electricity off and my kitchen is blocked.
Oh, and I am such a great handyman that before I realized the electricity's wires went into the disposal and I wasn't to try to "unplug" it, I moved the dishwasher out and a hose disconnected. I have no idea where it goes.
I am a total dunce, and now it is Dec. 24. Nobody's at the "Answer Center" for Badger to help me.
Anything you can tell me would be appreciated.