Tips to Keeping Garbage Disposals Functioning
Garbage disposals offer major conveniences in the kitchen. Homeowners can scrape away food scraps while cooking or during post-dinner cleanup and let the disposal handle the rest. However, to ensure this handy appliance functions optimally and avoids clogs or unpleasant odors, it’s key for households to follow a few simple tips.
South Yarmouth plumbers recommend these practices: be mindful of what foods go down the disposal, keep cold water running while it's in use, and avoid overloading the system. Following these steps, homeowners can ensure their garbage disposal remains a reliable kitchen appliance for years.
What Foods Cannot Go Down the Garbage Disposal?
One of the biggest tips for homeowners to keep their garbage disposals fully functional is to limit what goes down the disposal. While it can be easy to quickly scrape all food scraps down the disposal, certain items should not enter the unit.
Plumbers suggest never putting items down the disposal that could damage the blades or cause clogs. Some examples are bones, fruit pits, cooking oils and fats, fibrous and stringy vegetables, and starchy foods like rice or potato peels.
Even some soft food scraps, such as cooked pasta, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, and fruit cores, are not allowed to be put down at your disposal.
Following these tips can keep garbage disposals working correctly and efficiently.
How Running Cold Water Benefits Garbage Disposals
A tip many homeowners might overlook is the importance of running cold water down the disposal—simple yet effective.
Plumbers recommend running cold water down the disposal while using it and immediately afterward. This tip helps flush food scraps through the system to prevent buildups, which can result in a clean disposal. In addition, it keeps the disposal from overheating. Food can be baked on the blades if the unit gets too hot, causing foul odors.
In addition, putting ice cubes down can help sharpen the blades and remove food particles.
Way to Limit the Amount of Food Put Down the Disposal
Another easy way for homeowners to prevent their garbage disposal from malfunctioning and clogs from forming is to limit how much food is put down the unit at once.
Households should only put small amounts of food down at once. If food pieces are too large, homeowners should cut them into smaller pieces.
Property owners should also schedule professional garbage disposal repairs or replacements at the first signs that their unit is malfunctioning. They should book services if they hear garbage disposal humming noises, if it stops accurately grinding food, and if it shows signs of a clog. Upon arrival, plumbers will perform numerous tasks, including checking the garbage disposal reset button.
About E.F. Winslow Home Services
E.F. Winslow Home Services has provided quality home services on Cape Cod and surrounding areas since 1971. They offer 24/7 live answering services and emergency repairs. Call them today for garbage disposal services in South Yarmouth, MA.
