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Impellers are attached to a flywheel which is turned by the disposer motor. These rotating impellers hit and cut the food waste within the disposer and pulverize it into small particles that are flushed with water down the drain pipe and into the sewer system. If there is a built-in dishwasher near the sink, it attaches to the garbage disposer that catches the debris from the dishwasher. A flange, ring, and mounting bolts attach the garbage disposer to the bottom of the sink. The electrical source of power comes from a plug in a receptacle under the sink or it is wired directly into the house.

A garbage disposer can last a long time if you make sure that grease, large or hard items, and fibrous foods are not put into it.

Unplug the garbage disposer from underneath the sink before you begin repairs or maintenance. Turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse at the electrical panel if the disposer is wired directly into the house.

In order to service the flywheel, you must:

1. Look for a six-sided (hex) hole at the bottom of the disposer.
2. If you find one, you may also find a hex wrench in a pouch attached to the disposer or nearby. Use the hex wrench to rotate the motor shaft and flywheel. You do not have to access the inside of the garbage disposer to do this. If you can’t find a hex wrench, look in your toolbox or buy one. If you use a screwdriver, you may damage the hex hole.
3. Put the hex wrench in the hex hole, rotate it in a circle in both directions, and that should free the flywheel.

In order to stop leaks in hoses and seals, you must:

1. Move your hand around the outside of the garbage disposer to identify the source of the leak.
2. When you find the leak, tighten the fittings to fix the leak.
3. If you find a leak underneath the garbage disposer, the water is probably leaking through the flywheel seal into the disposer motor. Disconnect the garbage disposer from the drain system. Take the unit apart and replace the seal, or take the unit to a service professional.

To sharpen or replace worn impellers, you must:

1. Turn off the garbage disposer off by tripping the breaker at the electrical panel or unplugging it.
2. All the hose fittings attached to the disposer must be removed. You may be able to remove the garbage disposer by twisting it to free it from the support ring. If not, you must unscrew the disposer from the ring.
3. A garbage disposer is heavy, so remove it carefully from under the sink.
4. Take the garbage disposer apart and remove the flywheel lock nut and then the flywheel in order to service worn impellers.
5. Depending on the garbage disposer model, you can either remove the impellers or sharpen them in place. If you cannot sharpen the impellers, you will have to replace the entire flywheel assembly.