Showerthought: My garbage disposal was humming but not turning, so I had to choose between replacing the whole unit or just the jammed flywheel.

I went with the flywheel fix (a $25 part) after watching a video, and it took about an hour with a hex key and a hammer. Anyone have a trick for getting that lower mounting ring to snap back into place without a fight?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_ramirez2mo agoTop Commenter

Honestly, that's a ton of work for a part that might just fail again soon. Sometimes you're better off just swapping the whole unit and being done with it.

victor_carr252mo ago

Look at it from the repair guy's side too. If they keep fixing the same old unit with new parts, they're basically on call for every little thing that breaks next. @james_ramirez is right that a full swap ends the cycle, but it also gives the tech a clean start with a fresh warranty on everything. Who wants to keep getting yelled at over a band-aid fix that was never gonna last?

the_andrew2mo ago

Used to always try fixing the small part to save a few bucks. Then my AC compressor clutch went out. Replaced just the clutch, but the whole compressor was worn and died two months later. Had to do the whole job over, paying for labor twice. Now I see how a full swap can actually save you money and a huge headache down the road.