Helpless woman in a fix!

[cathleeninnh]

I screwed up and it is after 4:30. I can't call maintenance for a not serious emergency. A spoon down the garbage disposal and it is good and stuck. I think there is something about using a plunger stick to rutch it backwards? Does that work? Which way is backwards?

Cathleen

[toowm]

There should be a key attached to the disposal or somewhere else under the sink. It goes in a slot at the bottom of the disposal. I think the one we had, you turned counter-clockwise, but jiggling it should help the disposal loosen. If you don't have a key, an allen wrench may work.

We don't have a disposal in NH, cause they mess with septic tanks.

[Lloyd Danforth]

The key is a large allen wrench( hex shaped) with funny ends.  It goes in a hole in the center of the bottom of the disposal and acts like a hendle to free the machine.

[cathleeninnh]

I dont see a key, but I see the hole in the center of the bottom. Now I head to Don's tool box.

Cathleen

[Dreepa]

and..... come on we need an update.

[Rocketman]

My money is on Cathleen winning a hard-fought victory over the spoon.

[KBCraig]

My money is on Cathleen winning a hard-fought victory over the spoon.

<scot>"She's wiry!"</scot>

[Pat K]

My money is on Cathleen winning a hard-fought victory over the spoon.

<scot>"She's wiry!"</scot>

"Hey that guys smoking on the field".

[cathleeninnh]

Still stuck. No tool that fits. Maintenance has been called. Here I sit. Grumble, grumble.

Cathleen

[Michael Fisher]

Still stuck. No tool that fits. Maintenance has been called. Here I sit. Grumble, grumble.

Cathleen

Thanks for helping me with ideas about my car problem a few months ago.

Here's what I've found on this:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/repair/msg1022302219053.html?1

What you are calling the blades are not really blades, they are slingers.
The slingers are mounted on a pin so they can rotate freely. During normal operation centrifical force holds the bladea outward and as material is dropped into the disposal they sling the material to the outer wall of the disposal where is passes down between the outer edge of the rotating wheel and the inner wall of the disposal houseing. The grinder teeth are actually on the outer edge of that rotating wheel.

Step one is to locate the power cord on the bottom of the disposal and locate the plug where it is plugged it, then pull the plug to make sure it cannot try to operate while your working on it.

You can then reach down in the disposal with a pair of needle nose pliers and grip the spoon and try to pry it back and forth until it comes loose.

If that won't work examine the slinger closely and you will see the rotation pin on one end. (It would be the inner end when the slinger is pointing straight outward. Use a samll hammer or other solid object to tap the free end of the slinger so it will rotate and release the spoon.

Once you get the spoon released, lift it out, plug the disposal in and test run it.

If it doesn't turn when you switch it on look on the underside of the disposal motor and you will see a small reset button. Push the button upwards and you will feel a click then the disposal should be set to go again.

-------

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=45873

Sears disposals are made by ISE (Insinkerator). They are not too hard to remove from their mounting collars. Tape switch to off, or turn off breaker. Disconect the drain fron the pipe that comes out of the disposal. At the pipe, not at the diaposal. Insert the little self-service wrench that came with it, into one of the "ring tabs" on the ring at the top of the disposal. In a pinch a screwdriver, or 1/4" Allen wrench will do. Turn it about 1/3 CCW and it will drop down. You will then be able to see into the grind chamber. The electric will still be connected, so you can't go very far with it but there should be enough "slack" to get your job done. Reinstall in reverse order.

-------

(dead link cached from Google)

It's not a "nickel" though. I can see a metal flip-top of a soda-can wedged in the side of my disposal when I shine my flashlight down the drain. I can grab onto it with a pair of needlenose pliers and pull but it won't budge. I'm a pretty strong guy and am pulling hard. I don't want to break anything and it seems to have gotten hooked on something below! Do I need to take the disposal apart? When I use the allen wrench to turn the disposal, it turns freely until it gets to a certain point in each revolution where it binds and I can feel something scraping. When I turn the wall switch on, the disposal binds, hums, etc. If I need to drop the disposal from the sink, can someone give me the basic steps in sequence order (how to dismantle the thing) so I don't screw this up.

Disregard the above post... I disconnected the disposal from the drain so I could get a better look inside where the soda can top was stuck and was then able to muscle it out with needlenose pliers piece by piece. I put it all back together a it works like a champ.

[cathleeninnh]

Wow, thanks for the info. I add stuff like this to a pile of "I might need to know someday" stuff.

Maintenance guy came with all the tools mentioned above. I did not stick my nose into what he did. (This may be why I never know where to start. I tend to "respect" professional repairmen more than they might deserve.) A couple of minutes and out the spoon came. Disposal works fine.

End of ordeal. Thanks again everyone.

Cathleen

[Rocketman]

Three cheers for the division of labor. 

Hip-Hip-Hooray!
Hip-Hip-Hooray!
Hip-Hip-Hooray!

[KurtDaBear]

Just for future reference, the wooden handle method works fine and usually quite rapidly.  (I use a broom handle because you can get more leverage than with a plunger.)
As noted earlier, make sure the disposal is OFF, then wedge the handle against one of the grinder teeth (all around the edges of the base inside the disposal) and rotate counter clockwise.  This should "back-out" and release the tension on anything stuck in there, so you can remove it and get back to the daily grind.

[cathleeninnh]

Now ya tell me. I would have tried that myself.

Cathleen

[KurtDaBear]

Sorry, I wasn't there when it happened (That's what they all say, isn't it?).  But now you know for next time--and there's always a next time.