How to Fix a Garbage Disposal Flywheel

Sometimes the wrong item can slip down your drain and into the garbage disposal. The next time you try to turn on your disposal, you may find that it won't work at all because the item has jammed the flywheel. The flywheel is the part of the disposal that turns the impellers which grind up food. You'll have to free the flywheel in order to have your garbage disposal up and running again.

Hex wrench
Flashlight

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off the circuit breaker that powers your garbage disposal. This is very important in order to eliminate the risk of shocking yourself.
- 2
  Locate the hexagon-shaped hole on the underside of the garbage disposal. You may need a flashlight for this if the area under your sink is dark.
- 3
  Insert a hex wrench into the hole. Most disposals come with a wrench, but if you don't have the original you can purchase one from a hardware store.
- 4
  Rotate the wrench 360 degrees clockwise and then 360 degrees counter clockwise. Once you do this, the flywheel should turn easily. If not, continue to rotate the wheel a few more times.
- 5
  Flip the breaker switch to return power to the garbage disposal.
- 6
  Run water into the drain, and then turn on the disposal to make sure it is working properly.

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