Broken disposal or clogged drain or what? Need idea's on issue and help on fixing it.?

Question

ABR: Moved into new home 6 years ago, old trailer with newish appliances and cupboards.
Plumbing is weird.
Kitchen faucet has no hot water. Instead has a separate faucet for it. Hot water faucet never worked.
Til a month after we moved in sink disposal ran fine. Never used it and ran it every so often to make sure it wouldn't mold or clog. Shortly after that it stopped working.
Not as in makes noise but won't grind. As in it full on quit moving, no noise, nothing. Thought it was clogged. Drained just fine and not blocked up. It just stopped working.
Shortly after, the sink quit draining. Now THAT was an issue. Couldn't do dishes in the sink anymore. Put a wash basin in the sink. Haul buckets from tub. Done dishes for years like that.
Disposal has molded, reeks, and still won't drain. Slow trickle over several hours. I'll stick a long plastic spoon into it and swirl the grinders. Drains a bit faster but it's short lived.
Also a dishwasher we never use. Always has standing water. Molded up some old platters we stored in it. Friend said to run it every couple weeks to keep it from being nasty. Emptied and ran it.
Nasty mold water drained directly into the disposal side of the sink! Had to scoop it out quick or it would've overflowed! Got that under control and put platters back. Nasty water drained back into machine and molded everything again!

Can't afford a plumber. Disposal not worked for 6 years, washer drains into disposal and back. Sink and washer don't drain fully.

? · Accepted Answer

I'm getting tensed-up even reading about your plight. You are between the proverbial rock & hard place. First off, I spent ten years in trailers, mobile homes (and band buses, etc.) before the thirty since in a proper house, so, believe me, I'm not going superior on ya, I'm just old. You are living in a third-world tin box, with hosed-up systems that need lotsa work.

Learn a bunch, both from somebody that's as tough as you are but just gets stuff done, and some basic books, like the Black & Decker series on basic home maintenance. On a hard budget, check the biggest local library you can find.

If I was your old-guy neighbor, we would concentrate on getting a decent hot & cold water supply at the sink, and give it up on both the disposal and the dishwasher for the time being. 'Clean 'em up, stop using them, or even take them out. Assessing the situation, sometimes you noodle out how to make the jury-rigged stuff work, then sometimes you take it out and do it the right way. Damn, this is frustrating. Hang in there.

KMA · Answer

First, I like Danny's answer. I can relate to the "I'm just old" comment! 
As you say you can still turn the disposal it hasn't rusted solid. But at no point did you say you had pressed the Re-set button (located off center on the bottom). If it has one, press it and see what happens. Might be all it takes, or not. If it is shot I would recommend replacing it only because it is "easier" than removing it and re-working the down pipe. (You might find a good used one at a Thrift store or "Habitat for Humanity" location.)
The dish washer is filling with water that is back flowing from the clogged disposal. If you remove the disposal you will need to install a "T" fitting for the dish washer or plug the drain line and disconnect the dish washer.
Have you tried asking anyone you know for a little help with these issues? 
(I had 2 neighbors years back that occasionally need a little help. As a single guy I was more than happy to accept a home cooked meal (or fresh baked pie) as payment.)

Broken disposal or clogged drain or what? Need idea's on issue and help on fixing it.?

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