You can fix this
Likely cause: no power to the disposal
A silent disposal with its reset button already in is usually not getting power. Check the plug, the outlet, the breaker and the GFCI. Past that, it is a job for an electrician.
Why this happens
KitchenAid treats no sound at all as an electrical issue, not a jam. Bob Vila points out that the plug under the sink is easily knocked loose by things stored there, and that a breaker can trip when the disposal shares a circuit with other kitchen appliances. Moen's check is to test the outlet with another device. If the outlet works and the disposal still does nothing after a reset, Moen says the unit may need to be replaced.
How to fix it
- Turn the wall switch off, then look under the sink. If the outlet, the plug or the cord is wet, do not touch them. Start this troubleshooter again and choose the leaking answer. If everything is dry and the disposal has a cord, make sure the plug is pushed all the way into the outlet.
- With the wall switch off, press the red reset button on the disposal once more. Then, with hands and tools clear of the sink, try the switch, and turn it off again if nothing happens.
- Still nothing? Unplug the disposal and plug a lamp or a phone charger into the same outlet, then flip the wall switch on to see if it gets power. Testing the outlet with another device is Moen's check. Turn the wall switch off again before the disposal is plugged back in.
- If the outlet is dead, check your electrical panel for a tripped breaker. Open only the panel's hinged door, never the metal cover behind it, and keep your hands dry and your feet on a dry floor. Family Handyman says a tripped handle is not lined up with the rest: press it firmly to off, then push it firmly to on. Do this once.
- With dry hands, press the reset button on any GFCI outlets in the kitchen. Those are the outlets with test and reset buttons, and Family Handyman says to reset every one you find.
- Test the outlet again the same way. If it works now, turn the wall switch off first. InSinkErator and GE both say the switch must be off before you press the reset button. Then plug the disposal back in, press its reset button, keep hands and tools clear of the sink, and try the switch.
- If the outlet is still dead, or the disposal is wired in with no plug and no breaker was tripped, call a licensed electrician. Moen says a dead outlet may need an electrician to replace it.
- If the outlet works but the disposal stays silent after a reset, Moen says the unit may need to be replaced. Call a plumber to check it and replace it if needed.
When to stop. If the breaker trips again when you flip the disposal switch, leave it off. Lowe's says a breaker that keeps flipping may mean an electrical problem somewhere in the system. Call a licensed electrician.
If this does not fix it, tell the plumber
- The disposal makes no sound and its reset button is in.
- Whether the outlet under the sink powers a lamp.
- Whether a breaker or GFCI was tripped, and whether it tripped again.
- Whether the disposal plugs in or is wired directly.
Build the full list: what to tell the plumber.
Start this troubleshooter over
- Moen: Garbage disposal has no power
- KitchenAid: Clearing a jammed disposer
- Bob Vila: Garbage disposal not working?
- Family Handyman: Troubleshooting dead outlets
- Lowe's: Garbage disposal not working? Tips and tricks to fix it
- This Old House: How to repair a garbage disposal
- InSinkErator: Resetting a garbage disposal
- GE Appliances: Disposer reset button location
- ESFI: Flood electrical safety
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