Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

My Disposal Hums but Doesn’t Grind—What’s Happening?

You flip the switch, the garbage disposal hums, but nothing happens. No grinding, no water moving, just that low buzzing sound. If this is happening in your Auburn kitchen, don’t worry—you’re not the only one. At 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn, we get calls about this all the time, and most of the time it comes down to a simple jam or a tripped reset button.

Why Your Garbage Disposal Only Hums

A humming disposal usually means the motor is alive, but something inside isn’t turning the way it should. Here are the common culprits we see in Auburn homes:

The Flywheel Is Stuck

Food scraps, bones, or even a stray utensil can jam the flywheel. When that happens, the motor still hums, but the blades can’t spin.

The Reset Button Has Popped

Every disposal has a reset button underneath. If the unit overheats or gets jammed too hard, it shuts itself off for safety. Pressing that button can sometimes bring it right back to life.

The Motor’s Burnt Out

If you smell something burnt, or the disposal trips every time you try to use it, the motor could be done for. At that point, replacement is usually the smarter move.

Quick Fixes You Can Try

If you’re handy and want to troubleshoot, here are some safe steps to try before calling us:
Press the reset. Look under the disposal for a small button (usually red). Press it firmly, then test the switch again.
Turn it manually. Use a hex key in the bottom slot to work the flywheel back and forth until it loosens up.
Clear debris safely. Never stick your hand inside. Use pliers or tongs to pull out anything obvious that’s stuck.

Pro tip: If it still just hums after these steps—or keeps tripping—the safest thing is to stop and call a plumber. Forcing it can fry the motor.

When It’s Time to Call a Plumber

Not every disposal can be fixed with a reset button. It’s time to call 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn if:

The unit smells like it’s burning
It trips over and over after resetting
The blades never spin at all
You notice leaks or cracks in the housing

Our plumbers handle these calls every week. Sometimes we can clear the jam on the spot. Other times, we recommend a new unit if the old one is beyond repair.

Typical Costs in Auburn

Clearing a jam: $200–$350

New disposal installation: $400–$750, depending on the model

Don’t Let a Humming Disposal Slow You Down

A disposal that just hums can stop your whole kitchen routine. The good news? With the right fix, it doesn’t have to stay that way. At 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn, we’ve helped countless homeowners get their disposals back in action—whether it’s freeing up a stuck flywheel or installing a brand-new unit.

Call us today at (206) 487-1757. We’ll take a look, explain what’s going on in plain English, and get your kitchen running smoothly again.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3327 reviews

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Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Dave and David came and cleared out a huge clog in my kitchen sink (both sides) that has been plaguing us for a while as well a ton of glass shards that got into the drain when our glass fridge shelf broke. Dave walked us through each step of the process and explained everything which was excellent. He also gave us advice about galvanized piping replacement. They even gave us a few free parts for the sink drain that had eroded away and didn’t charge extra for it!! All around 5 star service!!!

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Fantastic service and communication. Local company. Solved my clogged basement laundry utility sink. Dave and David were courteous, informative, professional and easy to engage with. Scheduling was easy (they came the next day) and they arrived within the expected time window. Transparent pricing and i could also apply a coupon. I will use them again.

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Great service and Dave their plumber is the best. We have an odd house with even odder plumbing. The pipes are a mess of grandfathered-in open air nonsense, when our pump started making some noises (and a little leaking) after some DIY heat tape adventures (getting ready for colder weather), we were worried that we would need a massive repair but Dave came and looked at it and immediately realized we had unplugged the float plug from the pump plug which was 90% of the problem and the leak just need a little tightening of a flex joint. The company was quick and didn't charge for an estimate or in this case a quick "thats not plugged in right". The experience and the overall professionalism has convinced me that when I do finally need that big repair job, I'll call these guys.

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

Booking an appointment was extremely easy, and we were able to get one just the next day. Communication was excellent with timely reminders and a call before our appointment. Kerry did a fantastic job both advising us and effectively resolving our issue.

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

I have all good things to say about 2 Sons Plumbing. My first experience was a few years ago and the whole process went very smoothly. Making the appointment was easy and quick, the repair was done with no problem and I thought the price was fair. Recently, Dave from 2 Sons came out to look at several plumbing problems I was having and, within a matter of minutes, all of the problems were diagnosed. Dave gave me options and estimates all before he left my house. I haven’t had the work done yet but appreciate the information and the prices seemed fair to me. Dave was on time, professional and very knowledgeable. 2 Sons are my go to Plumbers.

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Bob at 2 Sons Plumbing was amazing! We had a horribly backed up kitchen sink drain and he was able to fix it, and save us some money in the process! He heard what we had to say about our issue and double checked everything. Super friendly and very helpful. Thank you for the amazing work Bob!

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

I had great experience with Chase, Riley, Seth, Manu, Nolan with a recent fix. They showed up promptly, transparent about the price upfront, set the expectations right, very professional, got things done perfectly, great communication and very honest and patient to answer all my questions, I will definitely use 2 sons again and will recommend it to my friends and neighbors.

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

Stellar job by Carey and his team at 2sons today. I had a complex job -- installing a yard hydrant/faucet for a garden across the (private) street. They had to go into the floor of the garage, run piping under the floor, out of the house, across the road. Had to cut into the asphalt, trench down a couple feet, then patch it all up again, including fixing the garage concrete floor. Super job. Looks really clean. Got it all done in a day.

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

A wonderful experience every time with 2 Sons plumbing. Jake and Angelo helped us with our plumbing issue. They showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate for the repair. We ended up replacing a couple of toilets and a part of a sink drain. They came back the next day to complete the work due to our schedule. Excellent communication, prompt, and hard working! Thank you so much Jake and Angelo!! We are very happy with 2 Sons and have used them multiple times.

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25

Brandon and Ethan were awesome. I had a basic plumbing issue that I was too scared to address myself. They were very non judgmental and provided excellent customer service. I totally recommend 2 Sons Plumbing.

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25