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My Garbage Disposal Makes a Humming Noise but Won’t Spin—What’s Wrong?

You flip the switch and wait for that familiar grinding sound, but instead… nothing. Just a low hum. The sink water starts creeping up, the blades stay frozen, and you’re standing there thinking, “Great, did my disposal just quit on me?”

Plenty of Everett homeowners run into this same problem. At 2 Sons Plumbing Everett, we see it every week. Most of the time, it’s something simple like a jammed flywheel or a reset button that popped. In other cases, the disposal needs a little repair—or, if the motor’s on its last leg, a full replacement.

Why a Garbage Disposal Hums but Doesn’t Work

That humming sound means the disposal is getting power, but the blades can’t turn. Here are the most common reasons we see:

Something’s Jammed Inside

Food scraps, bones, or even a small utensil can wedge themselves into the grinding chamber. When that happens, the motor hums but the flywheel can’t spin.

The Reset Button Popped

Every disposal has a reset button on the bottom. If the motor overheats or gets overloaded, it trips automatically. Pressing it often brings the unit back to life.

Motor Trouble

If the disposal hums every time and resetting doesn’t help, the motor may be overheating or wearing out. In older units, this usually means it’s time for a replacement.

DIY Steps to Try Before Calling for Help

If you’re comfortable trying a few safe fixes, here’s what we usually suggest:

Press the reset button. Check the bottom of the unit for a small button and push it.
Manually free the flywheel. Use a hex wrench in the socket underneath the disposal to turn the flywheel and clear a jam.
Remove debris carefully. If something’s stuck, use pliers or tongs to pull it out. Never reach in with your hands.

Sometimes these quick fixes do the trick. But if the disposal still just hums—or worse, starts to smell burnt—it’s time to call in a pro.

When to Call a Plumber in Everett

Not every humming disposal can be saved with a reset. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Everett if:

You notice smoke or a burning smell
The reset button trips again and again
Jams happen frequently
The unit is old and keeps failing

Our plumbers can clear stubborn jams, replace worn-out parts, or install a new disposal if the motor has reached the end of its life.

What It Costs in Everett

Freeing a jam: $200–$350
Installing a new disposal: $400–$750, depending on the unit

Get Your Kitchen Back on Track

A humming garbage disposal doesn’t mean you need to panic—it just means something’s keeping it from doing its job. At 2 Sons Plumbing Everett, we’ll figure out the problem quickly and get your kitchen sink running the way it should.

Call us today at (206) 487-1757 for garbage disposal repair in Everett. Whether it’s a simple jam or a full replacement, we’ll get it fixed so you can get back to your day.

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