Loose screw *inside* Whirlaway garbage disposer?

Steven L.

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Sep 25, 2012, 5:30:18 PM9/25/12

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Hi all,

A couple of days ago, a handyman installed a new kitchen countertop in
my home. To do that, he removed the sink and faucets and Whirlaway
garbage disposer temporarily. He put everything back, and then left.

But when I tried to use the garbage disposer, it started giving off this
horrible strong rattling sound. I looked inside the disposer--and found
that a 1 1/4 inch long Phillips screw was jammed into the side of the
disposer between the turntable and the ring. Here are two photos:

http://i49.tinypic.com/idua9k.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2i7bvow.jpg

With a wooden stick, I can push the turntable around at least one
revolution in either direction, but that's about it.

What is this screw doing in there???

Is it an internal part of the disposer that came loose, or did it fall
in there from the handyman's carpentry work? IOW, should I try to screw
it back in--or try to remove it?

Any ideas?

--
Steven L.

Stormin Mormon

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Sep 25, 2012, 5:43:22 PM9/25/12

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Looks like a drywall screw. Take it out. Great pictures.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"Steven L." <sdli...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
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Steven L.

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Sep 25, 2012, 7:03:04 PM9/25/12

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On 9/25/2012 5:47 PM, recycl...@gmail.com wrote:
> Unless your garbage disposal is a cheap and very old that screw is not from your disposal. Call the moron back and have him take out the screw or tell him you’re going to go after his license. I’m assuming you checked to see if he has a state contactor’s license.
>

If you're right, it was a simple accident, nothing to get upset about.
I'll just take an angled screwdriver and remove it.

Even if it did come loose from somewhere inside the disposer, it sure
doesn't belong where it is, jammed in between the ring and turntable!

--
Steven L.

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Sep 25, 2012, 11:45:35 PM9/25/12

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It's definitely not part of the disposal, so remove nd throw it out.
For the next few days, I would keep an eye out for any leaks in the
vicinity of the disposal or around the boundary between the sink and
the countertop, just in case the carpenter didn't do a good job
restoring things.

Joe

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Sep 27, 2012, 2:03:17 PM9/27/12

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On Sep 25, 4:31 pm, "Steven L." <sdlit...@earthlink.net> wrote:

Save the photos for use in Small Claims Court as you try to recover
the repair costs of the negligence.

Joe

Steven L.

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Sep 28, 2012, 2:41:27 PM9/28/12

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That may be difficult.

I have been trying now for more than a week to get them to return my
phone calls. And the screw is jammed in there so tightly that I have
been unable to remove it myself.

I'm going to call my own contractor and pay for it out of pocket. I may
end up needing a new disposer too if the thing got damaged.

Right now, my main concern is getting the thing working again. I'll
worry about how to pay for it later.

--
Steven L.