Hi David,
Are the blades actually turning or is just the motor running?
First, turn off the power to the disposal at the circuit breaker. Do not put your hand in until you do this.
If you hear the motor running, but not the blades, then the blades are jammed. On most disposers you can put an allen wrench in an opening under the unit and move the blades. If the blades move freely, then your drain line is probably plugged.
If the motor runs, but the blades don't and they will move freely by hand, then the disposal needs repair.
If the blades are jammed with food, you can clear the jam with your hand and the allen wrench trick from underneath.
Once the disposer is freed up, run cold water down the drain for a few minutes to harden any grease build up inside. Then running the disposer should get rid of the hardened grease.
By the way, most disposers have a reset button on the bottom of the motor should your disposer jam and turn off or trip your breaker.
Orange peels, etc. will not harm your disposer. A good way to keep it clear is to put egg shells down it periodically. The shell action will scrape junk off the inside of the disposer.
You can also keep the disposer clean of grease buildup by pouring some baking soda in the disposer followed by a mix of hot water and vinegar.
Hope this helps. If it does, I'd appreciate a 4 thumbs up. Thanks,
Handie Andie
Testimonial: "Thanks for getting back to me and for being very articulate and thoughtful in your suggestions... You did a great job, Handie Andie! David T."
One other thing you may find is that its actually the pipes that are blocked. I made a newbie mistake of putting potatoe peelings and onion skins into the insinkerator and then turning it on.This cause a build up of mulch that blocked the pipes. The only way I could clear it was by disconnecting all the pipes, flushing out the mulch and reconnecting it again. I make sure now a flow grind and continue the water after to ensure its gone clear of the pipes.
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Your dishwasher drains into the garbage disposal. It you tried to use a plunger to clear your clogged sink or run the disposal with to much junk in it you may have force debris into the dishwasher drain hose. With both the dishwasher and garbage disposal disconnect from power disconnect the dishwasher drain hose from the garbage disposal. This is usually about a one inch black hose. Clear out any debris in the hose and inlet nipple on the garbage disposal. If debris is compacted far down the hose it will need to be disconnected from the dishwasher end and remove to clear the blockage.
Good luck!
Steve
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