Caring for Your Garbage Disposal

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Anyone who has a garbage disposal knows how handy these little mechanisms can be for homeowners. They make cleaning up after a meal so much easier, grinding up the little pieces of food that get left behind. While they are nifty devices, they also need special care to keep them working properly. Overworking them or not maintaining them will cause garbage disposals to breakdown, something no one wants in the middle of the holiday season.

3 Ways to Care for Your Garbage Disposal

There are a few ways to care for your disposal to keep it working properly. Most of garbage disposal problems are caused by operator error, usually overworking the motor until it gets clogged or burns out. Here are three rules to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your garbage disposal in working order.

  1. Be careful what you put into your disposal. Garbage disposal are not meant to handle all types of garbage. No non-food substances should ever be put into the disposal, and even the acceptable types of food come with some limitations. Keep hard foods like fruit peels, coffee grounds and tough or fibrous vegetables out of your disposal.
  2. Always run water when using the disposal. If the disposal is on, your cold water should be running, also. Always run cold, not hot, water while running your garbage disposal to flush items down the drain.
  3. Keep it clean. You will need to clean out your disposal occasionally. Make sure the device is off and carefully wipe the blades and seals with a thick cloth. You can also run ice cubes through the disposal with tiny pieces of citrus peel to clean the blades and get rid of odors.

Once you are used to living with a disposal, you’ll want a malfunctioning disposal repaired quickly. If your garbage disposal does jam or stop working, call in your local plumber. They may be able to fix the problem or can install a new device.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing Inc
Sterling, VA
(703) 435-4441

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