What if glass or a utensil falls in a garbage disposal?

Handle the power before anything else. This part is the same for every brand, and it takes under a minute.

1. 1Switch the disposal off. InSinkErator says to make certain the switch is in the off position. If the disposal has a stopper that turns it on, take the stopper out.
2. 2Disconnect the power. Moen says to unplug the disposal or turn off the power at the main electrical service panel. Waste King says the same, by unplugging the cord or turning the breaker off, depending on how yours is wired.
3. 3Turn the water off and let the sink drain. InSinkErator says that if the sink is full of water, wait for it to drain or bail it out with a bucket or pot.
4. 4Keep your hand out of the drain. InSinkErator says "Do not place your hand in the garbage disposal at any time." Moen's caution is just as blunt: "Never place your hand in the disposal", and it says to use tongs or needle nose pliers to remove an object.

Skipping the power step is the one mistake that turns a nuisance into an injury. Cutting the power at the outlet or the breaker leaves nothing to start the motor by accident.

You need two things, a light and a grabber. Have a flashlight and a pair of tongs or needle-nose pliers within reach before you start. Moen lists both, along with its own unjamming wrench, in the tools for this job.

### What is the safe way to see and grab it?

Look down the drain with the flashlight. InSinkErator says to pay special attention to the area around the outer edge of the shredding disk, where you see the little teeth, since that is where things lodge. If you see the object, take it out with tongs or pliers. If the object is small, like a bottle cap or a piece of a utensil, the grabber may not reach it. That is a reason to stop and call a plumber, not to improvise.

Never use a screwdriver or a knife to dig at a jammed object. A tool that slips off the object can hit the grinding parts or your hand, and the tongs are made for exactly this.

### What if the object is wedged and won't come out?

A wedged spoon or a piece of glass can lock the turntable in place. Moen names the usual suspects: an item lodged in the grind ring, "a chicken bone, a metal spoon, broken glass/ ceramic," or something fibrous wrapped around an impeller. When the turntable is locked, you have to free it before the object will move.

The method depends on the brand:

• InSinkErator. Every unit ships with a small crank-shaped wrench, about four inches long. If you can't find it, InSinkErator says a standard 1/4-inch Allen wrench works. Put it into the center hole on the bottom of the disposal, under the sink, and work it back and forth in both directions until it turns in full circles. InSinkErator says "it is OK to use some force," and adds that the wrench is designed to bend before it can damage the disposal. Then look inside again and pull out whatever you see.
• Moen and Waste King. These use the top of the unit. Moen says to set its unjamming wrench flat on the turntable so each end sits against a swivel impeller, then turn it until the turntable rotates at least two full turns in either direction. Waste King says a wooden spoon or an unjamming wrench works the same way, and that you should push against an impeller to move the turntable, since the impellers themselves are not what needs to move freely.
• InSinkErator Builder Series, Amana and ES units. InSinkErator says to turn the turntable in either direction with a wooden spoon.

After the wrench or spoon turns freely, check inside again with the flashlight. Anything the turntable released may now be sitting where you can grab it with tongs.

First, remove everything you can see. Then put the splash guard back, restore the power and run the disposal with a moderate flow of cold water, as InSinkErator recommends for normal use. Listen for the sound. You should hear a smooth grind and no clanking, rattling or high-pitched scraping.

Here's the part that surprises people: a disposal doesn't have blades. InSinkErator describes a "bladeless grind system." Moen's parts list shows swivel impellers, a turntable and a grind ring. Food is pushed against the ring and grated into fine particles. That design is why a small hard object usually jams the unit instead of being chopped into pieces. It is also why the jam is so often fixable by turning the plate by hand.

Stop and shut the unit off again if you hear metal on metal or if it shakes. An unusual noise after a spoon incident is worth taking seriously.

### What if the object went down and you can't find it?

If you looked with a flashlight and see nothing, the object may have passed through the disposal into the pipe below it. Waste King lists a spoon, a bottle cap and the dishwasher knockout plug among the usual causes of odd disposal noises. If the disposal is quiet and runs normally after you clear the chamber, the object has probably left. Check the trap under the sink if you want to be sure, since heavy objects tend to collect there. Our page on why a garbage disposal drains slowly covers how to open and clear a trap.

A jam can trip the overload protector, so the disposal may stay dead after you clear it. Moen says that continually trying to power on a jammed unit may trip the internal breaker. The fix is the red reset button. Where it sits depends on the brand, and our page on where the reset button is on a garbage disposal shows each one.

The order for a restart is short:

1. 1Clear the sink of tools and any leftover objects.
2. 2Make sure no one is near the drain opening.
3. 3Press the reset button firmly.
4. 4Restore the power.
5. 5Turn on cold water, then the disposal.

InSinkErator adds that if it jams again, you can use the wrench again and may need to repeat the process several times. If a humming sound remains, Moen says to disconnect the power and repeat the unjamming steps. Our page on what a humming disposal means covers that case.

Call a licensed plumber if:

• You can see the object but can't reach it with tongs.
• The turntable won't turn even with the wrench or spoon.
• The disposal trips its reset again and again.
• The unit leaks after the incident. See why a garbage disposal leaks.
• The disposal makes a metal-on-metal sound after you clear it.

A worn disposal that has taken a metal object can be cheaper to replace than to chase, and a plumber can tell you which it is. HQ is licensed and insured, gives free estimates and upfront pricing, and offers 24/7 emergency service.

### How do you keep it from happening again?

Most falls happen while people rinse dishes over the drain or scrape a plate into the sink. Take the utensils out of the sink before you scrape, and check the drain opening before you switch the unit on. InSinkErator's use rules are also worth following: turn on cold water first, turn on the disposal, and feed waste in gradually. It says not to preload the disposal. Those habits also cut down on jams from food waste, and our page on what not to put in a garbage disposal covers the list of foods to skip.

To prevent the next jam, see how to maintain a garbage disposal so it lasts.