Your garbage disposal is humming but not spinning
What the hum means
The motor is getting power and trying to turn, but the plate inside can't move. Something is wedged — a bottle cap, a piece of bone, a spoon. The unit isn't dead. Yet. Leave it humming long enough and it will be.
2 things to try first
Turn it off at the switch. Then look for a little red button on the bottom of the unit under the sink — that's the reset. Press it. If it hums again, the jam is still there.
Most disposals have a hex socket in the center of the bottom. An Allen key in there, worked back and forth, will usually free the plate. Then run water, flip the switch, and see if it spins.
When to stop and call
If the reset button trips again right away, if there's water coming from the bottom of the unit, or if it's more than about ten years old and this isn't the first time — stop. At that point a new unit installed is usually not much more than another repair, and it comes with a warranty. I'll tell you which one it is on the phone before I come out.
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