Most garbage disposals are robust kitchen appliances that work for years with little or no maintenance. However, a jammed, clogged, or otherwise malfunctioning garbage disposal can mean calling your plumber for garbage disposal repairs. There are a few things you can do to keep your garbage disposal working great and avoid that expensive repair call.
First, you should always run cold water down the drain into the disposal while the unit is grinding and for five to ten seconds after you turn it off. Running water helps flush the ground material down the drain and through the drain lines.
Cold water is better than hot water because it will help fats and oils congeal so they can be flushed away. Hot water will cause fats and oils to liquefy and they can end up lining the walls of your drain line which will eventually lead to a clog.
Avoid putting high fiber waste material like corn husks or celery stalks down the disposal. These can clog even a heavy duty waste disposal. Don’t overwork a light duty disposal by putting bones down it or running it continuously for more than a few minutes. Small disposals are not designed to handle these types of loads.
Never put glass, metal, plastic, or any other non-food material down the disposal. Not only can it be dangerous, but these materials will jam or completely ruin the disposal. Finally, you can help rid the disposal of food deposits and odors by grinding egg shells or small amounts of ice. Your disposal will work better, smell cleaner, and last longer.
