Old Garbage Disposal Jammed

Fish tank rocks have jammed my old Sinkmaster 450. It does not have a lever underneath like described for modern disposals. How can I get it unjammed? I don't understand how to use a broom handle either and I'm trying to avoid calling a plumber.

You are trying to turn the disc inside the unit to free it up. If this is the fine fish tank gravel vs. rocks, I would suspect it probably has to be removed and dumped out.

You can try and it may work but that stuff can be a bear....I replaced a 3 month old 777 when a guys daughter did the same thing and turned it on...he just had me replace it rather than attempt to remove all the gravel...

Cass said:

You can try and it may work but that stuff can be a bear....I replaced a 3 month old 777 when a guys daughter did the same thing and turned it on...he just had me replace it rather than attempt to remove all the gravel...

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Is this model too old? Would I have to tear it apart to remove the rocks or should I just get rid of it and why? BTW.....I have no experience...I'm a woman. LOL

Redwood said:

You are trying to turn the disc inside the unit to free it up. If this is the fine fish tank gravel vs. rocks, I would suspect it probably has to be removed and dumped out.

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Is there a website I can turn to that will tell me how to tear it apart? I'm working with and old sink, disposal and older plumbing.

Have you got a wet / dry vac?

I can get one easily...

The things don't have a lever...there's a hex-socket in the bottom (it's the bottom of the motor shaft) that you need to place an allen-wrench in to try to work the thing back and forth to loosen things up. Make sure it is not turned on while you are doing this! All of them come with one, but it could easily get displaced.

The objective is to try to turn the grinding disk. Something long enough to give you some leverage can be inserted down the throat of the thing to try to make it rotate. If it won't go one way, try the other. You might have better luck if you remove it, find the proper sized wrench, turn it over and try moving the thing back and forth - let gravity dump anything you dislodge. If you can get it so that the shaft turns, if the motor isn't burned out, you should be good for awhile. While you're looking at the bottom, you'lll probably see a small button. This is the overload reset. It is supposed to protect the motor from burning out if it gets jammed. If it trips, it might take a good push to reset it.

This disposal is too old. The red reset switch is on the side and the bottom has no area to insert a tool of any kind to turn. If you'll read up a few blogs, you'll see that it is an old Sinkmaster 450. Any other ideas? Do you think I just need to pull it apart?

There may be a cap over it, but all of them I've ever seen have a place to put a wrench...it's probably about a 1/4" hex hole the wrench fits into. It will be right in the middle of the bottom.

I'm not sure that the Sinkmaster units have the key like the Insinkerators do... Not a popular brand around here. I would try to vac out as much of the stones as possible then try to get it to turn either with the key in the bottom if it has one or with a broom handle. Once you get it to turn there should be a circuit breaker on the unit to reset. probably on the bottom.

disposer

Only Insinkerator and their rebrands have the "patented" hex socket. With the others you have to use one or two sticks or long screwdrivers. You place them against the cutters on the rotating plate and try turning it counterclockwise first, and then clockwise. It may turn easy or it may take some effort, and even repeating the process several times, depending on how badly it is jammed. If you decide to remove the disposer, buy a new one, because few units will reattach without leaking because the seals have hardened and taken a set over time.

And that's why I carry new disposers in the truck like hj, Terry

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