"Sometimes vibration loosens things up over time, causing odd noises even without debris stuck inside."
Good point about the mounting bolts—had a similar issue last month where everything seemed clear, but turns out the whole unit had shifted slightly. Quick adjustment and it was back to normal. Speaking of weird noises though, anyone ever run into worn-out impellers causing grinding sounds? Had one recently that looked fine at first glance but was actually pretty chewed up...
Speaking of weird noises though, anyone ever run into worn-out impellers causing grinding sounds?
Had a similar issue with the impeller once—looked okay initially, but when I ran my finger along the edges, they felt rough and chipped. Ended up replacing it, and the grinding noise disappeared. Did yours have visible damage or just subtle wear?
Had something similar happen a while back. Mine didn't look obviously damaged at first glance either, but when I took it out and compared it side-by-side with a new one, the difference was pretty clear. The edges were worn down just enough to cause that annoying grinding noise. Honestly, impellers can be sneaky like that—sometimes they look fine until you really inspect them closely or feel around the edges.
Funny thing is, I spent ages checking everything else first—thought maybe something got stuck down there or the motor was going bad. Felt kinda dumb when it turned out to be just a worn impeller all along. Swapped it out and boom, quiet as new again. Guess it's one of those things you learn the hard way...
"Honestly, impellers can be sneaky like that—sometimes they look fine until you really inspect them closely or feel around the edges."
Totally agree with this. Impellers are one of those sneaky little parts that seem fine until you really get your hands on them. Had a similar issue myself last year, and I wasted way too much time troubleshooting everything else first—checking pipes, motor bearings, even convinced myself it was an electrical issue at one point. Felt pretty silly when it turned out to be just a worn-down impeller blade causing all the racket.
But hey, don't beat yourself up over it. These things aren't exactly obvious unless you're specifically looking for them. Plus, swapping out a small part instead of replacing the whole disposal is way better environmentally (and wallet-wise). It's always satisfying when a simple fix brings something back to life instead of tossing it out and buying new... good job figuring it out!
Yeah, impellers can definitely fool you. Sometimes they'll look totally normal at first glance, but once you feel around carefully, you'll notice tiny chips or uneven wear that throws the whole thing off balance. Had a customer a couple months back whose disposal was making a grinding noise and barely chewing anything up. He swore he'd checked everything already, but when we took a closer look, one blade had a tiny crack—barely visible unless you knew exactly what to look for.
If anyone else runs into this, it's usually worth pulling the impeller out completely and inspecting it under good lighting. Even small imperfections can cause big issues. Replacement blades aren't expensive or hard to swap out either—usually just a quick fix with basic tools. Beats replacing the whole unit by a mile, especially if your motor's still good.
