A garbage disposal can be quite convenient and help with your home’s plumbing system as a whole. But this unit tends to be misused, and if that goes on for too long it can cause major destruction in your house. So to combat this, our plumbers have created a guide on how to maintain a healthy and efficient garbage disposal system.
What you can (and can’t) put in a disposal:
Consider this: the average American home spends about 2.7% of their income on energy bills, amounting to about $2,000 every year. This number can decrease exponentially if you keep certain materials out of your disposal, as these substances can easily clog your machine. Make sure to keep the following out of your disposal at all times:
- Grease and oils.
- Bones.
- Hot water, this can congeal any grease or oil you have in your machine!
- Potato peels or watermelon rinds.
- Expandable foods such as rice and pasta.
- Anything stringy such as celery, onions, egg shells, corn husks, and carrots as these strings can dry, wrapping around your blades effectively causing a huge problem.
How should it be maintained?
Like anything else in your home, your disposal requires some tender love and care to work properly. Some tips that will go a long way in maintaining your disposal for a good amount of time include:
- Always use cold water when running the disposal to help ease the grinding up of foods.
- Run your unit at least once a week to prevent rusting and corrosion.
- Once a month, grind up about 15 ice cubes as a way to sharpen the disposal blades.
- If your disposal is smelly, throw a few citrus peels into the unit to freshen it up. Do not use liquid soap to clean the machine, as this can easily combine with food particles to cause a clog.
When should you call a plumber?
If you are hearing any out of the ordinary sounds, your unit takes a long time to dispose of relatively normal foods, or there is a smell that just doesn’t go away, don’t hesitate to call our local plumbing company today! Even if you have the smallest of questions, we are here to help!
