Garbage disposal is unusually quiet and appears to spin but does not grind food

Safety first: Turn OFF power at the breaker before inspecting the unit.

• Step 1 – Observe operation: With water running, briefly turn on the disposal and listen. If you hear the motor but no grinding noise and food is not being processed, suspect a disconnected drive.
• Step 2 – Check impeller movement: With power off, use a wooden stick to rotate the turntable. If it spins freely with little resistance and does not feel connected to the motor, the coupling may be broken.
• Step 3 – Attempt bottom rotation: Insert an Allen wrench into the bottom hex socket and rotate. If the bottom shaft turns but the turntable above does not move, the internal drive is failed.
• Step 4 – Do not attempt internal repair: The coupling and drive hub are not user-serviceable on Whirlaway units.
• Step 5 – Replace disposal: Remove and replace the entire disposal assembly.