That low, angry hum coming from under your sink is one of the most recognizable sounds in home plumbing. Your garbage disposal is running, but nothing is spinning. Something is stuck, and if you do not act quickly, you risk burning out the motor entirely. The good news is that a jammed disposal is one of the more DIY-friendly plumbing problems out there. Follow these steps in order and you may have it spinning again in under ten minutes.

Step 1: Cut the Power First

Before you do anything else, turn the disposal off at the wall switch. If the unit is still humming, do not reach inside under any circumstances. Once the switch is off, unplug the unit from the outlet beneath the sink for an added layer of safety. This step is non-negotiable.

Step 2: Hit the Reset Button

When a disposal jams and the motor overloads, a built-in thermal protector trips to prevent damage. You will find the garbage disposal reset button on the bottom of the unit, usually a small red or black button. If it has popped out, press it firmly until you feel it click back into place. Once reset, restore power and test the unit. If it hums again immediately, the jam is still there and you need to move to the next step.

Step 3: Use the Allen Wrench (Hex Key)

Most garbage disposals ship with a small hex key, also called an Allen wrench, designed specifically for this fix. Look at the very bottom center of the unit and you will find a small socket, typically 1/4 inch. Insert the hex key and work it back and forth in both directions. You are manually rotating the grinding plate to break the jam loose. Once it moves freely, remove the wrench, restore power, and test again. Run cold water while you do this.

If you have lost the original wrench, a standard 1/4 inch Allen wrench from any hardware store works just as well.

Step 4: The Broom Handle Trick

If the hex key method does not fully clear the jam, try working from the top down. Unplug the unit again first. Take a wooden broom handle or a similarly sturdy wooden dowel and insert it down into the drain opening. Press it against one of the impeller blades and use it as a lever to push the plate in both directions. This old-school approach gives you extra leverage against stubborn food debris or a foreign object wedged in the chamber. Once the plate spins freely, remove the obstruction by hand if visible, flush with cold water, restore power, and test.

The Point of No Return

These steps resolve most jams. But there are situations where no amount of troubleshooting will fix the problem. If the motor hums, trips the reset repeatedly, and will not turn even after working the hex key, the motor may be burned out. If you notice visible cracks in the casing, persistent leaks at the base of the unit, or the disposal is more than ten years old, it is time to replace garbage disposal rather than repair it.

A failing disposal can also back up into your sink and create drainage issues throughout the kitchen plumbing line.

Still Stuck? Wimpy’s Can Help

If you have worked through every step and your disposal still is not cooperating, it is time to call in a professional. The team at Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air handles garbage disposal repair and replacement throughout Sarasota, and we can usually get your kitchen back to normal the same day. Contact us to schedule service and skip the frustration.

How Often Do You Need Drain Cleaning?

It can be hard to say how often one should have drain cleaning done in Sarasota. Some people go a long time without drain problems while others have older plumbing and deal with issues more often. There are times when you need a pro to work on your drains, and it depends on the severity of the issue. If you have been having problems for a while, call your local plumbers now!

Call us as soon as you notice the following problems to schedule your professional drain cleaning in Sarasota soon!

Your Water Won’t Drain

There’s a big difference between a slow drain and one that won’t drain at all. If you notice standing water anywhere in your home and it doesn’t move over a period of several hours, it’s time to call in the professional Sarasota plumbers from Wimpy’s. We’ll find out where your drain is blocked and remove the blockage so your water and waste can flow freely once again!

Your Toilets Overflow

Everyone experiences an overflowing toilet now and then but you shouldn’t be facing these problems regularly. If your toilets are overflowing often (once a week or more), give us a call. Our plumbers will get to the bottom of the problem and make sure there’s not a larger drain issue going on somewhere.

Unusual Smells

Your drains should not smell. Every once in awhile, you may get some rotting hair or food waste that causes problems. However, really raunchy smells usually mean there’s a significant clog somewhere. If it smells like sewage, that’s an even bigger sign that you need a professional drain or sewer cleaning in Sarasota fast!

Frequent Clogs

Clogs happen, but they shouldn’t happen that often. If you have one every day, or even one every week, call in a plumber to get to the bottom of the problem. If you have several drains clogging at once, especially across your home, call ASAP. This can indicate a sewer clog that needs to be removed via hydro jetting before you get sewage backing up into your home.

Water Where You Don’t Expect It

Spills happen but backups shouldn’t. If you end up with standing water in your home or in your yard, call your Sarasota plumbers at Wimpy’s right away. You also shouldn’t have unusual water patterns, like a shower that gets water in it whenever your washing machine drains. If this is happening, you need professional drain cleaning now!

Call our Sarasota plumbing company at the first sign of a problem and we’ll fix your drains fast. It’s our specialty here at Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air so we have the expertise you need!

Sewer Blockages & Sewer Cleaning in Sarasota

Did you wake up to a beautiful fall morning and find your shower full of black, ugly looking water? Did you flush your toilet only to see it didn’t flush? If your toilet is stopped up and your shower is backing up also, you have a clog that needs professional sewer cleaning in Sarasota.

Somewhere in your main line there is something causing a sewer blockage. Plumbers in Sarasota, Florida, call it a stoppage.

If you have a home built before the 1980’s, in Sarasota or Bradenton, your plumber can be sure that you have a cast iron drainage system under the floors of your home. Cast iron piping causes a lot of drain lines to stop up. The reason, is that over time, cast iron pipe deteriorates, by rusting out (learn more about cast iron corrosion in this great blog from your Sarasota plumbing company!). This leaves behind rust, scale, sediment and ledging in the pipe that will catch paper causing the sewer line to stop up. As the cast iron pipe gets choked off by all this rusting and ledging, it slowly reduces the inside diameter of the sewer line. So instead of being 4″ in diameter as most residential waste lines are, it sometimes gets closed off completely. This causes your clogged drain that now requires sewer cleaning in Sarasota.

Cast iron piping will generally last 40-50 years before causing clogged drains. Professional and reputable plumbers in Sarasota, such as Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air have sewer cameras on all of their plumbing trucks to aid in locating and finding the cause of your clogged drain. With sewer pipe inspection in Sarasota they can see with their sewer camera exactly what is causing the problem and where it is. This enables them to give you the best option to fix your drain problem so you can flush with peace of mind.

When your cast iron drain lines start stopping up on you and causing your toilets to back up, there are several ways to get a permanent solution. Just cabling out, or as some plumbers in Sarasota call it, rodding out your drain, will only last a short time.

Wimpy’s has all of the proper tools and equipment, such as hydrojetters, Picote High Speed Milling Machines and Permaliner cured in place piping, also known as CIPP.

If you have original Terrazzo floors or freshly laid, wood or marble floors that you don’t want to disturb, we can rehabilitate your pipes without disturbing your floors.

Learn more about saving Terrazzo floors with trenchless sewer services here!

With that being said, there is no substitute for all new pipe. However, all new pipe involves more time and cutting up your floors. Plus the cost to repour concrete, lay new flooring and possibly installing new cabinets.

Rest assured, the plumbers at Wimpy’s can offer you the best solution, based on your needs and budget. Our highly skilled Sarasota plumbers will always treat your home with great respect.