Garbage Disposal Allen Wrench Won’t Turn

You can use a garbage disposal Allen wrench to fix a clogged or jammed garbage disposal. Better yet, an Allen wrench is relatively easy to use since you only need to insert it into the disposal wrench slot and turn it back and forth until the flywheel loosens. 

However, there are rare cases when the garbage disposal Allen wrench won’t turn, preventing you from unclogging or unjamming the unit. What should you do then? 

Well, this article has some incredible tips that will help you unjam or unclog your garbage disposal without an Allen wrench. First, let’s look at some of the factors that may be preventing your garbage disposal Allen wrench from turning.

2 Main Reasons Why your garbage disposal Allen wrench won’t turn 

• The jam is too strong/ big for the impellers to crush

If the object clogging or jamming your garbage disposal is too strong for the impeller blades to grind, the Allen wrench will not turn regardless of how hard you try. For instance, if the unit is jammed because of a stuck cutlery or a piece of jewelry, even the most handy wrench will not turn the flywheel. 

In this case, the best option is to use a flashlight to look at the drain and locate whatever foreign item is jamming your garbage disposal. Then use a pair of needle-nose pliers or tongs to grab and lift the item from the unit. Hopefully, the device will work fine again and the Allen wrench will not turn once you remove the blockage. However, before you do any repair, it’s important to turn off the power to the unit and unplug it from the electrical outlet. 

• Rusted Impellers 

The other factor that can prevent your garbage disposal Allen wrench from turning is when the impellers have rusted over time. Similar to any other kitchen appliance, garbage disposal requires proper maintenance and regular cleaning for it to work properly. However, if you don’t clean your garbage disposal regularly, its impeller will rust over time. As a result, this will clog the unit and prevent the Allen wrench from turning when you try to fix the clog. 

To be precise, the rust will prevent the impellers from moving freely from the screws, affecting the unit’s ability to grind up food waste accordingly. Interestingly, you can easily get rid of some of this rust with a simple homemade lemon juice solution. 

How to unjam your garbage disposal if the Allen wrench won’t turn 

The easiest way to unjam a garbage disposal with a hex hole is to use an ¼” Allen key. However, as I mentioned above, sometimes the clog may be too big for the Allen wrench to handle, preventing it from turning. 

If that’s the case, use the following steps to unjam your garbage disposal; 

• Turn off the garbage disposal and unplug it from the wall outlet
• Use a flashlight to look into the unit’s disposal and check for any objects jamming the impeller blades. Food and non-food items like steel utensils, hard bones, and fruit pits can jam the garbage disposal. If you see any of these items in the garbage disposal, use a pair of tongs or needle-nose pliers to remove them. 
• Next, insert the Allen wrench into the hex hole at the bottom of the garbage disposal and rotate the blades. Hopefully, the Allen wrench will now turn freely after removing the blockage. 
• However, if the Allen wrench does not turn, you have not completed the jam in the garbage disposal yet. So, use your flashlight again and look for any foreign objects blocking the unit’s impeller. 
• If you cannot find an object in the garbage disposal use a wooden broom handle to rotate the impeller blades from above. This will allow you to exert more force on the blades, thus unjamming any blocks. 
• Once the blade starts moving freely and the Allen wrench turns, switch on your garbage disposal. 

What if the Allen wrench gets stuck in the garbage disposal’s hex slot? 

Most new garbage disposals include a hex wrench that fits perfectly into the hex slot and rotates the flywheel with ease. More importantly, the standard size of a garbage disposal Allen wrench is ¼”. 

However, if you use a different size of Allen wrench to unclog your garbage disposal, it can get stuck in the hex slot. Even worse, it can become extremely difficult to unstuck this Allen wrench due to the play at the disposal mounting and the movement of the impeller blades. 

On the bright side, there are some solutions you can use to free an Allen wrench stuck in a garbage disposal’s hex slot. Some of these solutions include; 

• Tapping it out with a hammer 

Make sure you turn off the garbage disposal before you tap out the stuck Allen wrench with a hammer. Once you’ve done that, use a small hammer to gently tap the end of the hex key to remove it from the wrench slot. 

Tapping the wrench forcefully can break it, leaving part of the Allen wrench inside the hex slot. For that reason, it’s recommended that you apply multiple gentle taps instead of a few strong ones as they’re more effective. 

• Using a lubricant 

Alternatively, you can apply a lubricant right on the hex slot where the Allen key got stuck. The best lubricant for freeing a stuck Allen wrench are; WD40, oil, or penetrating fluid. Assuming you have your preferred lubricant at hand, squirt or spray it around the hex slot in an upward direction and let it sit for a few minutes. 

Once the Allen key loosens up a bit, gently tap its underside with an appropriate tool until its hex slot releases its hold. 

• Using a wooden rod 

Similar to other methods we’ve mentioned above, make sure you turn off your garbage disposal and unplug it from the outlet before you free a stuck Allen wrench. 

Next, insert a long wooden broom/ plunger handle into the disposal through the sinkhole.

Use the wooden stick to turn the blades in the opposite direction the wrench until it’s free. 

If this doesn’t work, use the wooden handle to prevent the blades from moving and have another person pull and push the wrench until it comes out of the hex hole.