All garbage disposals, irrespective of their brand, come with a reset button. Its purpose is to reset an overloaded garbage disposal.
The reset button is usually located around the garbage disposal’s housing, but sometimes it may be found where it’s not apparent. For instance, you can find a reset button on some garbage disposals on the bottom side.
So in this article, I am listing the popular garbage disposal brands and the locations of reset buttons on them;
Table of Contents
Where is the reset button on a garbage disposal?
As mentioned earlier, all garbage disposals come with reset buttons, but their location may vary depending on the manufacturer. Here is where to find the reset buttons of popular disposal brands;
| Garbage Disposal Brand Name | Reset Button Location |
|---|---|
| Waste King | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
| InSinkErator | At the bottom-facing side |
| Moen | At the bottom of the front-facing side (Read more about Moen reset button) |
| GE | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
| Whirlpool | At their bottom-facing side |
| KitchenAid | At the bottom side |
| Waste Maid | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
| Bonecrusher | At the bottom part of their front-facing side |
| Criterion | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
| Evergrind | At their bottom facing side |
| Everbilt | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
| Frigidaire | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
| Whirlaway | At the bottom part of the front-facing side |
As you can see from the above table, the reset button of the majority of garbage disposals is located at the bottom part of their housing’s front-facing side. Reset buttons are either red or black.
There are many garbage disposal models under one brand name. But the location of the rest buttons is the same across all the models under the same brand. For example, the reset buttons of InSinkErator Badger 5 and InSinkErator Evolution Excel disposals are located on their bottom side. For any garbage disposal model by Waste King, the reset button is located on their front-facing side.
What is a reset button for
A reset button is used to reset a garbage disposal’s motor if it has become jammed. The button is typically a recessed button on the bottom or side of the unit, and pressing this will reset the motor so you can flush food through your disposer again.
Working of reset button
When overloaded or when there is a power surge, the circuit associated with the reset button disconnects the garbage disposal from the mains, thus protecting it from damage. Once the problem is solved, the reset button is used to reset the tripped circuit, thus restoring the garbage disposal.
It’s also good to know how to reset the garbage disposal, since it may jam any time, and you’ll want to restart it.
Here is how to reset a garbage disposal;
- Turn off the garbage disposal
- Remove whatever is jamming the disposal
- Press the reset button
- Turn on the disposal
I also have a detailed guide to resetting the garbage disposal for your reference. Also, feel free to check this article: reset button not working.
Do all garbage disposals have a reset button?
All garbage disposals have a reset button. Without a reset button, a garbage disposal risks the chance of electrical hazards. Overloading the garbage disposal can lead to a burnt-out motor, and in very rare cases, fire.
To prevent the garbage disposal and the house from possible hazards, it is made mandatory to have a reset button on all garbage disposals.
