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My Garbage Disposal Hums but the Blades Don’t Move—What Should I Do?

You flip the switch expecting the usual grinding sound, but instead you get a low hum. The blades don’t turn, the water doesn’t drain, and suddenly your kitchen sink is out of commission. At 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma, we hear this story all the time. The good news? A humming disposal doesn’t always mean you need a new one. In many cases, it’s just jammed or needs a quick reset.

Why Your Disposal Hums Instead of Grinding

That humming noise is the motor trying to work but the blades aren’t moving. A couple of common reasons include:

Something is stuck – Food scraps, bones, or even a stray utensil can wedge the impeller and lock it up.
The reset button popped – If the motor overheats or stalls, the red button underneath will trip until it’s pressed back in.

Both issues are very common, and with the right steps, you can often get things moving again.

Simple Fixes You Can Try

If you’re comfortable giving it a go, here are a few things to try before calling for help:

Hit the reset button – Look underneath the disposal for a small red button. Push it in to restart the motor.
Turn the impeller manually – Use a ¼-inch Allen wrench in the bottom socket and twist it back and forth to free a jam.
Clear out debris – Use pliers or tongs (never your hand) to remove any stuck food or objects.

These steps solve most of the “humming but not spinning” issues homeowners run into.

When a Plumber Should Step In

Not every disposal problem is a DIY fix. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma at (206) 487-1757 if:

You notice smoke or a burnt smell coming from the unit.
The disposal hums but jams up again right after you clear it.
The system is older and has started failing often.

At that point, it’s usually safer and more cost-effective to repair or replace the unit instead of fighting repeated breakdowns.

Typical Costs for Tacoma Homeowners

Here’s what most people can expect:

Jam clearing or minor repair: $200–$350
Replacement with a new disposal: $400–$750 depending on brand and size

We’ll always be upfront about the cost and whether repair or replacement makes more sense.

Trusted Garbage Disposal Service in Tacoma

A humming garbage disposal is frustrating, but it doesn’t have to throw off your whole day. At 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma, our plumbers deal with these problems every week. We can safely free the jam, get the blades spinning again, or install a new unit if yours has reached the end of the line.

Get Your Kitchen Back on Track

Don’t let a stuck disposal slow down your kitchen. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma at (206) 487-1757. We’ll send a plumber out to take a look. If it’s a quick jam, we’ll get it cleared. If the unit’s done for, we can swap it out and set up a new one.

One call and the humming stops. Your sink works again, and you can get back to using your kitchen without the hassle.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3330 reviews

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Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Our house decided to replace our own toilet, but we got stuck halfway through because we didn’t have the right tools and accidentally broke an anchor bolt. I called 2 Sons Plumbing, and they showed up within an hour to help us out. Derek, our plumber, was super friendly, explained everything clearly, and got the job done quickly and professionally. Excellent service all around—highly recommend!

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

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