Our garbage disposal first went quiet and didn't work. It appeared to be jammed, as it didn't turn freely with a hex wrench. Using a hex wrench and turning it on and off, it now appears to be unjammed, in that it turns freely.
However, now it is very noisy. I'd describe it as a constant grinding, rather than rattling or clunking. Both the impellers and freewheel move freely. I don't detect any obstructions, either by feel or by sight. I've tried cleaning it with ice.
The unit is a 9-year-old 3/4 HP KitchenAid.
I haven't seen any reports of this combination of behaviors, and I've run out of possible solutions. Any ideas?
Best Answer
There is likely a small bit of hard debris jammed between the rotating shredder plate and the wall of the disposer. By design this is the area where food particles get ground up. By your description it sounds as though a hard bit (bone, metal, etc.) initially jammed the disposer shredder plate. You have now managed to free it up but a small piece is still stuck in there. I would continue to use it as normal and chances are the debris will eventually get worn down and get dislodged.
Modern disposers are generally not economically user-serviceable, but you could take it apart if you feel ambitious. Alternatively you could replace the disposer, but you might as well wait till it dies.