Is Your Garbage Disposal Making Weird Noises? Here’s What It’s Trying to Tell You

A garbage disposal is a lifesaver in the kitchen—until it starts making weird noises like humming, grinding, rattling, or squealing. These noises are not just annoying, but they also indicate an issue that needs to be addressed before things become worse. Here at Neighborhood Plumbing, we’ve seen it all when it comes to garbage disposal issues. Our plumbers in Pittsburgh, PA are here to help you understand why your garbage disposal might be making weird noises. The next time you need garbage disposal repair, consult with the specialists at Neighborhood Plumbing.

The Impellers Are Not Moving

Does your garbage disposal make a humming or whirring sound, but it’s not grinding food waste? It’s most likely that a foreign object is lodged between the unit’s shredder ring and the impellers. Some of the common culprits behind jammed impellers include silverware, bones, and fibrous foods like corn husks, potato peels, and celery strands. A humming or whirring sound coming from your garbage disposal indicates that the unit is being powered but the impellers are not moving.

It's never advisable to run your garbage disposal with jammed impellers because it could lead to overheating or motor burnout. Our plumbers recommend you turn off power to the appliance and unplug the disposal. Take an Allen wrench that came with the disposal and insert it into the hole at the bottom of the appliance. Move the wrench back and forth until it feels loose. If this doesn’t remedy the problem, seek help from a nearby plumbing repair service specializing in garbage disposal repair.

There’s A Foreign Object in the Disposal

One of the most important things you should know about your garbage disposal is this: The appliance is designed to grind appropriate food items such as soft foods, citrus peels, small bones, meat scraps, and ice cubes. Inappropriate items like large bones, fruit pits, jewelry, or glass pieces can get wedged between the blades, resulting in a grinding sound. If you treat your garbage disposal like a trash can,

The solution to this problem is to use a pair of tongs or a wooden spoon to remove the foreign object stuck in the appliance. Be sure to turn off the appliance before you pull out the items for your safety. If you’re unable to address the problem yourself, call a local plumbing repair service for help.

Worn Bearings or Motor Issues

If your garbage disposal is making a loud screeching or metal-on-metal noise, the problem could be within the motor itself. Over time, the bearings that help the motor spin smoothly can wear down, causing friction and noise. Unfortunately, this is not an issue you can fix with a quick DIY trick. In most cases, it means the motor is nearing the end of its lifespan. Depending on the age of your disposal, a replacement may be more cost-effective than repair. Our plumbers can inspect your unit and recommend whether it’s time for a new garbage disposal installation.

Loose Mounting or Internal Components

A rattling sound that seems to shake your sink might not be from something stuck in the blades. It could be the disposal itself coming loose from its mounting assembly. Continuous vibrations over time can cause screws or mounting rings to loosen, creating noise every time the disposal runs. In other cases, internal components like the flywheel may have come off balance. A professional plumber can tighten or remount the unit and ensure it’s securely aligned with your sink drain for quiet and efficient performance.

Reach Out to Neighborhood Plumbing for Garbage Disposal Repair

At Neighborhood Plumbing, we have a team of knowledgeable and experienced plumbers who know exactly how to tackle your garbage disposal needs. If your garbage disposal makes strange noises, call us for fast and reliable garbage disposal repair.