How to Prevent Garbage Disposals From Malfunctioning
When garage disposals malfunction, they can not only inconvenience households but also lead to messy clogs or smelly odors. This makes it essential for homeowners to take steps to keep their garbage disposals functioning properly.
In this post, plumbers from Augusta, GA, explain some simple tips homeowners can use to prevent their garbage disposals from malfunctioning. These include knowing which foods are safe to put down the disposal, why running cold water is essential, and how to limit the amount of food that goes down the disposal at once.
Avoid Clogs by Keeping These Foods Out of Garbage Disposals
When homeowners quickly wash dishes and push scraps down the disposal, it can be easy to toss all of the food down the system without thinking about whether any foods are harming the unit.
But doing this can lead to garbage disposal clogs and other defects.
To avoid problems, plumbers recommend only putting relatively safe foods down the disposal. This list typically includes soft foods. Some examples are cooked meat, fruit pits, citrus rinds, and ice.
There are certain foods households should avoid. These include bones, fruit pits, cooking fats and oils, stringy or fibrous vegetables like celery and corn husks, and starchy foods.
If households are still determining if food can go down the garbage disposal, they should always throw it in the wastebasket instead of down the drain.
Run Cold Water to Prevent Garbage Disposal Issues
One of the easiest ways households can prevent garbage disposal problems is to run cold water down the drain while using the unit and immediately after turning it off.
Running cold water is a simple step, but it can have big advantages. For one, it can prevent clogs by keeping the food flowing through the system, resulting in a clean garbage disposal. It can also keep the system from overheating, preventing food scraps from baking on the blades and eliminating foul odors.
Homeowners should also put ice cubes down the disposal. This can help remove food particles and sharpen the blades.
Watch How Much Food Goes Down the Drain
Plumbers also recommend that homeowners watch how much food goes down the garbage disposal at once. When cooking or washing dishes, homeowners might quickly push a bunch of food scraps down the drain at once. However, this can lead to blockages if too much food is put into the garbage disposal. Plumbers suggest homeowners cut large food scraps into smaller pieces to avoid clogs.
To keep their systems working correctly, homeowners must schedule garbage disposal repairs or replacements at the first signs of an issue, including a clog, humming noises, or if the system stops grinding food accurately. During services, plumbers will try the garbage disposal reset button and make any needed repairs.
About Universal Plumbing
The team at Universal Plumbing offers quick-response plumbing services to the Augusta-Richmond area. With more than 100 years of combined experience, they offer after-hours emergency services and only hire trustworthy technicians. Call them today for garbage disposal services in Augusta, GA.