Garbage Disposal Use and Care
Most homes have a garbage disposal installed on the kitchen sink and most are not use properly. Here are some Do's and Don'ts to keep in mind.
DO’S and DON’TS – GARBAGE DISPOSALS DO grind food waste only with a strong flow of “cold water” only. DO grind food waste material, allowing the disposal and water to run for a full two minutes after grinding. This permits the disposal to flush water through the drain lines to the main sewer and prevents possible clogging of the drain lines. DO replace cover or sink strainer at drain position while unit is idle, and leave in this position to prevent foreign material from accidentally dropping into disposal. DON’T use hot water when grinding food waste. However, hot water can be drained into disposal between grinding periods. DON’T dispose of fat and/or greases in your disposal, nor through your kitchen drain. Grease will cling to the drain pipes and cause clogging. Keep grease in used cans until it hardens and dispose of in the trash. DON’T feed fibrous food waste (corn husks, potato skins, pea pods, celery, onion skins, carrot tops or skins, artichoke leaves, etc.) into the disposal.
DON'T put rice, pasta, potato's, in the disposal, they are starchy and will stick to the pipes and case blockages in the pipe. DON’T grind hard materials such as bones, fruit pits, cigarette butts, etc. DON’T misuse your disposal. It is ruggedly built to give you trouble-free performance. It will dispose of most normal food wastes, but it will NOT grind and dispose of such nonfood waste items such as tin cans, bottles, bottle caps, glass, china, leather, cloth, rubber, string, or feathers, these items should be disposed of in the trash can. DON’T PUT LYE OR OTHER CHEMICAL CLEANERS INTO THE DISPOSAL. PRODUCERS OF SOME CLEANERS WARN THAT THEIR PRODUCT WILL DAMAGE YOUR DISPOSAL. WARRANTIES ARE VOIDED WHEN CHEMICAL DAMAGE IS DETECTED.
Some Care Tips
Every once in a while you can add some dish soap and ice cubes to your disposal. We recommend putting in a cup or two of ice with a dash of dish soap. Keep the water off and turn on the disposal once the ice has been turned into a powder, turn on the water while the disposal is still running. Once all the powdered ice has been melted and washed away turn off the disposal and water. The ice helps scour the walls and clean the blades. If you want to add a fresh scent you can add lemon juice, or peels to the ice and soap.
Whether these garbage disposal DO'S and garbage disposal DON'TS are tips you already knew or whether this is brand new information, it is always a good idea to have a trusted plumbing company you can rely on, just in case you need a helping hand.
A-Archer Sewer & Plumbing Service has experienced plumbers that can service your garbage disposal and kitchen drains.
