Whirlpool garbage disposals are effective at getting rid of food waste quickly and conveniently without making a mess. The GC2000 garbage disposal features a continuous feed design with stainless steel swivel impellers which reduces food to fine particles and helps prevent the disposer from clogging or jamming. But, like any other machine or appliance, your Whirlpool GC2000 can experience problems.
The good news is that most of the issues with these units can easily be fixed by troubleshooting, and you won’t need to incur costly expenses on repairs and replacements. In the following how-to and troubleshooting guide, we address some of the commonly-reported Whirlpool GC2000 issues and their fixes.
How to Operate a Whirlpool GC2000 Garbage Disposal
All continuous-fee garbage disposals have a two-piece stopper that acts only as a seal. To seal water the stopper for holding water in the sink, insert the stopper into the disposer opening and rotate the center portion of the stopper until it drops into the seal position. Firmly press the stopper into the disposer opening. Additionally, when grinding food, the stopper can be placed over the disposer opening in the raised position, which will allow cold water to enter the disposal but keep food waste from being expelled. A wall switch is used to operate the disposer.
To operate the garbage disposal, follow these instructions:
- Remove the stopper from the sink opening and turn on a moderate-to-strong flow of coldwater. It is absolutely necessary that cold water flows into the disposer while it is in operation. Coldwater hardens greasy substances, which makes it easy to grind them into tiny particles. Cold water also keeps grease from sticking to the drain lines.
- Turn wall switch to the ON position.
- Scrape food waste into the disposer opening.
- Position the stopper over the disposer opening to minimize the possible ejection of materials while grinding. Allow both the disposer and cold water to run after grinding is complete to flush drain pipes. Ground waste and water flow at an approximate rate of 2 seconds/foot in a pitched horizontal drain pipe. The water flow time after grinding will depend on the quantity of ground food and the length of the horizontal drain pipe.
- Turn wall switch to the OFF position, and allow cold water to run for up to 15 seconds to flush the drain line.
How to Clean Whirlpool Garbage Disposal to Remove Odor
Overtime, food particles may accumulate in the grinding chamber and baffle. An odor from the disposer is usually a sign of grease and food buildup, caused by insufficient water flow during and after using the disposer.
There are 3 ways to clean a disposer to help remove odors;
Using affresh Disposer cleaner
- Turn on hot water to low flow.
- Place 1 affresh Tablet in the disposer.
- Turn on disposer for 15-30 seconds; foam may rise,
- Turn off disposer.
- Rinse any remaining foam down the drain.
Using baking soda
- Turn off the disposer and disconnect the power supply.
- Reach through the sink opening and clean underside of the splash baffle and inside upper lip of grind chamber with scouring pad.
- Place stopper in the sink opening and fill the sink halfway with warm water.
- Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with water. Turn the disposer on and remove the stopper from the sink at the same time to wash away loose particles.
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Using Citrus Peelings
- Grind your citrus peelings in your disposer on a regular basis for a fresh fruity scent.
- Always run cold water with your disposer and allow water to run for at least 15 seconds after grinding is complete.
How to Troubleshoot a Whirlpool GC2000 That Won’t Start
If your Whirlpool gc2000 garbage disposal won’t operate, try the following troubleshooting steps:
- Turn the wall switch to OFF position and manually use the Jam Breaker Wrench to turn the grind wheel, making sure it is free to rotate. If the grind wheel does not turn freely, the disposer is probably jammed and you troubleshoot following the procedures outlined in this guide on how to fix a jammed garbage disposal.
- Check to make sure the switch controlling the disposer is turned to the ON position.
- The circuit breaker could have tripped or fuse is blown. Reset circuit breaker if tripped or replace blown fuse.
- The reset button may have tripped. Check if the red reset button on the bottom of the disposer is pushed in.
Why is My Whirlpool GC2000 Garbage Disposal Just Humming and Not Working?
If your garbage disposal makes a humming sound but doesn’t work, the grinding plate could be jammed. This is caused by accidental entry of foreign objects.
To fix the problem:
- Turn the wall switch to OFF position.
- Insert an end of your Jam Breaker Wrench (provided with your disposer), into the center hole of the bottom of the disposer.
- Work the Wrench back and forth until it moves freely for at least one complete revolution. Remove the foreign object using long-handled tongs. Remove the Wrench before restarting the disposer.
- Wait 3-5 minutes to allow the disposer motor to cool and then lightly push the red Reset Button. Before pressing the red reset button, be sure the wall switch is in the “off” position.
- Re-start the disposer by turning on the water and power.
- If the motor remains inoperative, check the service panel for tripped breaker or fuses.
If the grinding wheel is not stuck, or the disposer motor still hums after you free the plate, this could indicate the motor is defective. You may need to replace the motor.
How Do You Reset a Whirlpool GC2000 Garbage Disposal?
The reset button on a Whirlpool GC 2000 garbage disposal is the red button located on the bottom of the disposal. To reset the garbage disposal, press the red reset button in. If the reset button does not stay in the disposal, turn off the water and wait 3-5 minutes for the disposal motor to cool and then push the red reset button.
Why Did My Whirlpool GC2000 Garbage Disposal Suddenly Stop Working?
There could be several possible reasons why your garbage disposal suddenly stopped working:
- Start with a power check. If you store cleaners or a wastebasket under your sink, the garbage disposal plug can easily get knocked loose or pushed out of the outlet. If this is the case, simply plug it back in.
- If the disposal cord is securely plugged in, try the reset button next. It is the red button located on the bottom of the disposal. Overloading the garbage disposal with food scraps can cause it to overheat and trip the reset button. If the reset button is retracted or tripped, press it in and release.
- If you heat a hum coming from the disposal, something could be jamming the grinding plate.
- Turn off the circuit breaker to the garbage disposal at the main circuit breaker panel,
- Flip the garbage disposal switch to the “ON” position to verify that power is shut off. The disposal should not turn on or make a humming sound.
- Lie down under the sink so that you are looking up at the bottom of the garbage disposal. Locate the hole in the center of the unit that looks like the head of a hex-head bolt.
- Insert an Allen wrench into the hole and turn the wrench back and forth. This turns the shaft, which turns the blades by hand. You may need to do this several times until the resistance decreases and you can turn it all the way in one direction.
- Remove the Allen wrench. Push the disposal reset button on the bottom of the unit. It is a red-colored button.
- Turn on the circuit breaker supplying power to the disposal’s switch. Flip the switch on to test the disposal. It should turn on without resistance. If it is still clogged, repeat the previous steps until it has cleared.
- Too many appliances might be drawing power from the electrical circuit. Running the garbage disposal while something else is operating could cause the breaker to trip when additional outlets are on the same circuit.
- If the garbage disposal still won’t work after exhausting all your options, you may need to consider a replacement.
How to Unclog a Whirlpool GC2000 Garbage Disposal
A clog in the garbage disposal can cause water to back up, as it slows or stops water from draining. To unclog your Whirlpool GC2000 garbage disposal:
- Start by unplugging the garbage disposal. Do not work on a drain where the garbage disposal has power.
- Use a natural cleaner made of 1/4 cup baking soda followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Let it fizz in the drain for a few minutes before washing it out using hot water from the faucet.
- Allow water to run for a few minutes to clear the clog.
- Repeat as necessary.
- If after the above procedure the clog still remains, you can use a plunger to try to loosen the clog. If you have a dishwasher, it is important to clamp the end of the dishwasher line where it enters the disposal to prevent the hose from popping off the disposal nozzle as you plunge the sink drain.
- Place the plunger directly over the sink drain, so the plunger covers the drain completely. Add water to the sink, so the lip of the plunger is covered in water. Then vigorously plunge the drain several times.
- Lift the plunger and check for water flow. If it is still clogged you can repeat the process a few times to see if the clog clears. If the clog clears, be sure to run hot water for a few minutes to wash away the clog and built up residue.
Why Won’t My Whirlpool GC200 Garbage Disposal Turn Off?
If your Whirlpool garbage disposal won’t turn off even with the switch turned to the off position, the start switch might be shorted out. Use a multimeter to test the start switch for continuity. If the start switch has continuity all the time, this indicates that the start switch is shorted out. If the start switch if shorted out, replace it.
How to Fix a Loud/Noisy Whirlpool gc2000 Garbage Disposal
If your garbage disposal is making a loud humming, grinding, or rattling noise, it could be the result of a jammed grinding chamber. Food or other foreign objects can become trapped on the chamber, leading to the unusual noise. To fix the problem, shut off power to the disposal and visually inspect the sink opening for a jam. You can access the grinding plate by inserting a Jam Breaker Wrench into the hole at the bottom of the unit to turn the grinding wheel manually and dislodge the jam.
If there is no visible jam, the issue may be the motor or motor start capacitor. The noise could also be the result of a defective grinding plate, grinding ring, or motor assembly. These parts are not usually available as replacements, and you may need to replace the garbage disposal.
Why is My Whirlpool GC2000 Garbage Disposal Backing Up?
The drain connecting the garbage disposal to the rest of the sink’s drain trap assembly can become clogged and cause water to back up into the sink where the disposer is installed. In a double-basin sink, when it is only the disposer basin that backs up with water, the likelihood is that the drain fitting on the disposer is clogged.
A garbage disposal clog often has to do with how ground food waste reacts to water (or lack of water) after the unit grinds it up and sends it on its way towards the drain line. When a garbage disposer clogs, most of the time you will the problem in the drain trap assembly located on the waste discharge side of the disposal.
Disposals can also back up over time because the waste line or trap gets coated and eventually obstructed with food waste.
Check this too: Moen Garbage Disposal How to & Troubleshooting Guide
The only way to fix this problem is to identify the location of the clog and clear it. Follow the procedure on how to unclog a garbage disposal previously outlined.
Garbage Disposal Allen Wrench Won’t Turn
Your Jam Breaker Wrench will free virtually every jam that may occur due to foreign objects entering the disposer. Occasionally, a piece of metal (thumb tack, paper clip, bobby pin, silverware, etc.) causes a jam too tight for your Wrench to handle. To free this type of jam, use a pry bar or tool. Do not hammer on the pry bar.