Many units have a reset button, which shuts off the appliance to prevent it from overheating or from burning its motor out while struggling with a jam and then pop open. They are usually at the bottom of the unit and are bright red or black. Once you have given your unit time to cool off, press the reset button back down and then run the garbage disposal while cool water is flowing to test it.In many cases, this is all you need to do to get a garbage disposal that has stopped working to function normally again. But if it is jammed or otherwise compromised, it will require further efforts, so its important to be sure this is not the case before pressing the button.If the reset button engages often, though, then simply pressing it to restart your unit is not a complete solution. Youll need to check for clogs, start doing the dishes with cooler water, and potentially have the unit professionally serviced or replaced.Also, before you calland paythe electrician, check the breaker box for a tripped circuit breaker. (And make sure the disposal is plugged in and switched on.)How to clear garbage disposal jamsIf you garbage disposal is jammed, disconnect the unit from power, then have a look inside using a flashlight. If you can see something physically stuck in the disposal blades, you can try to dislodge it using needle nose pliers or a pair of tongsdont stick your bare hand in there, though!If you cant clear the jam from above or if you cant see an obvious cause, you can often manually rotate the impeller blades from below, potentially clearing the jammed object. You can check if your garbage disposal can be unjammed, says David Lewis, owner of Mission AC and Plumbing. Grab your Allen wrench or that tool that came with the unit. Stick it into the [small hole] at the units bottom, and then give that impeller a little spin. If you can move the blades around a few rotations, then you should be able to run the water then turn the disposal on as usual. Check again to see if there is a physical object that can be removed after manually rotating the blades and before running the unit.For units that do not have a place for a wrench on the bottom, you may be able to manually turn the blades with a thick wooden spoon, achieving the same result.Fixing garbage disposal clogsThe easiest way to clear a clogged kitchen sink is with a plunger. First, fill the sink partially with water to cover the plungers lip, says Kent Boll, founder of Service Today. Then pump the plunger up and down several times to create suction and pressure. After a few plunges, pull it off to see if the water drains. Dont use a toilet plunger because, first of all, you can transfer bacteria to your kitchen sink from a toilet, and secondly, toilet plungers have a different design, making them ineffective for unclogging garbage disposals.