Ten Tips for Your Garbage Disposal From a Maintenance Professional
YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL IS NOT A TRASH CAN!
Your G/D is just a tool for grinding up small bits of leftovers so that you don’t have to worry about clogging up your pipes. It is not made for metal, plastic, or anything harder than most household foods! Keep bones out, too! Don’t ever put foreign chemicals into your system.
Go Buy A G/D Tool!
If it’s not running, don’t condemn it! Ninety-nine percent of garbage disposals have a hole underneath that allows you to handcrank it free once it’s been jammed. You can either use a 1/4″ alan key or a garbage disposal tool in this situation. Most home improvement stores sell them near dirt cheap, but I suggest the alan key because it has a million other uses. When you flip the switch for the g/d and it just hums, but doesn’t take anything down; it probably just needs freed up.
Sharpen Your Teeth!
On the standard garbage disposal there are two odd-shaped little teeth inside that spin around, cutting up any chunks of softened food. After time and constant wear and tear these teeth begin to dull. If your garbade disposal jams a lot or contantly gets stuck the teeth may be heading south. If you drink coffee you can run a filter-full of coffee grinds through. The disposal makes an awful sound, but this does the job every time. Run it with cold water and make sure you let the g/d run until the grinds are completely dissolved. You can also fill it up with ice and run a dry cycle once a month to aid the teeth.
Water?
It really amazes me how often I come up on a disposal with a burnt motor due to the residents not running water before, during, and after usage. You absolutely have to run water before, during, and after using your g/d. This lubricates the teeth to ease the grinding and pushes the ground up disposables through the tiny drain holes. Make sure it’s cold water because hot water can melt different substances off of your food and coat the interior lining or your pipes.
Reset me!
If you haven’t been playing nicely and your disposal is suddenly without any power, it’s time to reset it. Most people think when their g/d doesn’t turn on the issue is electrical. Almost every garbage disposal has a little red button on the motor housing that stays inside as long as everything is working normal. When there’s a bad jam or some other issue the motor will go into overload to avoid severe damage and this button will push out. Simply push it back in and everything should be fine. If you push it back in and it just hums, refer to bulletin two.
Never Put Expandable Foods Inside!
Alright let’s think about this a second… what happens when you put things like spaghetti and rice in water? Right, the expand. They do the same thing once inside your pipes and/or garbage disposal. A lot of people say it’s fine to do, but I’ve personally seen a ton of garbage disposals and kitchen drain stacks backed up because of this. Just take a second extra and scoop it into the trash can.
Not For Fat!
Don’t ever put fat of any kind down your disposal. Some say that cooked, solid fat from meat is fine but they’re mistaken. Any type of fat can clog up the tiny drain holes in your garbage disposal and even further than that it will build up in the interior walls of your drain pipes. If you’re having problems with your sink draining slow and you’ve ever put fat or grease down your drain, you may want to go ahead and pull off your J-bend for a thorough cleaning. To be rid of liquid fats or grease store them in an empty can in the fridge and then put them in your trash can.
Feed The Disposal Slowly.
Your disposal is not an incinerator. Make sure when disposing that you feed it only a little bit of food at a time. This means don’t fill it up and then turn it on, expecting everything to disappear like magic. Over time this will cause all kinds of problems.
Don’t Put It There!
Do not put anything inside the garbage disposal before you’re ready to use it. Acid from the food we eat, if not disposed of immediately, over time will cause corrosion inside the unit. This can destroy the flywheel, teeth, and even lead to leaks forming. Don’t ever leave food set inside it when you’re not washing dishes.
Clean Up!
Keep your disposal clean. Not only does this keep it running more efficiently but it’s more sanitary and more pleasant for you. Pour a little dish soap inside and let the garbage disposal run for a minute or so with some cold water after washing dishes. The trick from earlier with the ice cubes will help with any smells from misuse over time. Running peels from your favorite type of citric fruit will not only clean off the sidewalls, but the acid contained within (a natural cleaning agent) will get rid of germs and funk.
Stay good to your disposal and it will stay to good to you. If properly maintained a disposal should last at least five years. Anything not covered within these ten bulletins should be considered a serious problem to be left to a professional. Always make sure that your garbage disposal is either unplugged or switched off before trying to service it in any way.
