How to free a jammed garbage disposal

Updated October 1, 2026. By the OakTend team.

When a disposal hums but does not turn, or goes silent, something is wedged between the plate and the grind ring. You can almost always free it from underneath with the small hex wrench that came with it.

How often: Only when it jams. Keeping grease, fats and oils out of the sink every day is what keeps it, and the pipes after it, flowing.
What you need: The disposal's hex wrench, or a standard 1/4 inch Allen wrench, Flashlight, Tongs or pliers

Why it matters

Grease is what OC San, the sewer agency for much of Orange County, asks people to keep out of the drain entirely: it builds up in pipes and leads to clogs and sewer overflows. OC San says one busy household can pour more than a gallon a month down the drain without noticing. Let it cool in a container and put it in the trash.

Steps

Turn the disposal switch off. If you can reach the plug under the sink, unplug it too.
Shine a flashlight into the drain and pull out anything you can see with tongs or pliers, never your hand.
Under the sink, find the hole in the center of the bottom of the unit and fit the hex wrench into it.
Work the wrench back and forth in both directions until it turns a full circle freely.
Let the motor cool. InSinkErator says to allow up to 20 minutes.
Press the small red reset button on the bottom of the unit. If it had tripped, it sits slightly lower than the housing.
Turn on cold water, then the disposal, and check that it spins.

When to call a pro

Call a plumber if it jams again and again, leaks from the bottom, or the reset button keeps tripping. If several drains back up at once, the problem is past the disposal; our sewer line guide explains what to check.

Safety

InSinkErator's rule is simple: never put your hand in the disposal, even with the switch off.

Go deeper

Sewer line problems in Orange County

General information, not professional advice. Your equipment's manual comes first when it says something different.

Sources

InSinkErator: fixing a jammed garbage disposal
Switch off first; the hex wrench or a 1/4 inch Allen wrench in the hole at the bottom; work it back and forth; the red reset button sits lower when tripped; cool for up to 20 minutes; never put your hand in the disposal.
Orange County Sanitation District: the slippery truth about fats, oils and grease
Grease builds up in pipes and leads to clogs and overflows; a busy household can pour over a gallon a month into the drain; collect it in a container and put it in the trash once cool.