Stop Garbage Disposal Problems Before They Start with These Tips

Your garbage disposal is one of the most useful appliances in your home, but the longer you own it, the more problems can occur. Contrary to its name, your garbage disposal is not designed for grinding all forms of garbage – it’s not even designed for grinding every type of food. If you’re looking to install a garbage disposal, and you want to prevent problems in the future, keep these tips from Central Plumbing in mind.

Know What to Grind and What to Toss

The first thing you should do is keep a mental note of what objects you should avoid putting down your disposal. This will prevent your disposal from becoming clogged or jammed, and it will save you money on maintenance.

We’ve included a handy list of what NOT to grind:

• Grease or Fat: accumulates on the blades and can irreparably damage your drain
• Bones: can break your disposal’s blades
• Eggs: occasionally okay, but repeated grinding can cause damage
• Celery: fibers get caught and cause jams
• Rice or Noodles in Excess: clogs your drain
• Non-Food Items

Keep Food Scraps Small

You can prevent several common garbage disposal problems by helping your disposal out a bit. If you break up large pieces of food before you shove them down the drain, your disposal is less likely to get jammed. Running water for at least 15 seconds after you grind large scraps is also a good idea. Running water dislodges waste from the disposal, which decreases the chance of your disposal jamming.

Run Your Disposal with Cold Water

Speaking of running water, always make sure you run your garbage disposal with cold water. Cold water gets rid of grease and oil from the inside of your disposal. If substances like these solidify in your garbage disposal, they will dull the blades and clog the mechanism, putting your disposal out of commission and costing you money in repairs.

Grinding food scraps with water is the best way to prevent waste from sitting stagnant in your disposal and giving off a smell. If your disposal does have a smell, you can put a small amount of dish soap in while you run your disposal.

Grind Ice Cubes  

Grind a few ice cubes in your garbage disposal once a month to sharpen the blades and clear away waste stuck inside. You can put a good amount of ice down the drain when you do so– about a handful. The ice is hard enough to sharpen the blades and won’t jam the disposal since any remainders will melt.

Call Central Plumbing in Baton Rouge for Garbage Disposal Problems

After 30 years in the business, Central Plumbing knows garbage disposals. We’ve performed just about every type of repair possible. Remember these tips to prevent garbage disposal problems, and save yourself the time and money that comes with a broken disposal.

If you need a garbage disposal installed, repaired, or replaced, Central Plumbing has got you covered with dedicated, top-quality service. Give us a call at 225-925-8552 for all of your plumbing needs.