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How Do I Remove A Coin From A Garbage Disposal?

  
  
  

jammed disposalA garbage disposal can easily get jammed if a coin drops into it. Most of the time we see this with children throwing coins into the sink. I don’t know what the fascination is with kids and garbage disposals…maybe it is that they are loud and make things disappear (yes, both kids and disposals).

Removing a coin usually means removing the disposal from the sink. Plenty of people though, will choose to just stick their hand down there and feel for it. Please, if you feel the need to do this, unplug the disposal and make sure it can’t start.

Removing the disposal means removing the discharge pipe on the side and probably removing the air gap hose just above the discharge pipe. Loosen the collar that holds the disposal to the underside of the sink and the disposal should drop right into your hands. Pull off the rubber splash guard and look into the disposal. A flashlight helps to find the coin but it usually gets wedged in between the wall and the bottom plate of the disposal. You may be able to reach in and grab it, or you can use an allen wrench in the bottom of the disposal and try to work it loose. Jiggle the allen wrench back and forth while you have the disposal turned upside down. When you hear the coin fall, you are done.

You can also try a large standard screwdriver. Turn the disposal on its side and wedge the screwdriver at the side wall to give enough clearance for the coin to drop out.

Comments

I finally removed a penny that had been clicking around in the disposal for days, until it finally locked the disposal. I have big hands and was not able to grasp the coin by hand. After trying many other methods (with disposal OFF,of course!) I finally used salad tongs, which were able to reach far enough down to grab the coin. I then hit the reset button, and also had to use the Allen wrench to turn the motor from the bottom. It now works fine. 
 
The penny, which is the new copper-coated zinc type, was scarred but unbent. The disposer would never have been able to chew up that penny by itself as I had originally hoped.
Posted @ Saturday, July 14, 2012 3:16 PM by Steve K
Need to reinstall my knockout plug due to it came loose during a cycle or redo the plumbing Can I reinstall a knockout plug and where do i purchase a new one
Posted @ Sunday, November 04, 2012 7:34 PM by Dwayne Templet
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