Easy Ways to Avoid Garbage Disposal Problems

How to Prevent Garbage Disposal Issues

Garbage disposals are small kitchen appliances that can be incredibly useful to households. They can conveniently eliminate food scraps when homeowners cook or wash dishes. However, they can also easily get clogged if households don’t take the right steps. 

In this post, Whittier, CA, plumbers give tips for how homeowners can keep their units working correctly. These include only putting the right items down the disposal, running cold water while using the unit, and knowing how much food to dispose of. 

Know What Foods Can Go Down the Garbage Disposal

sinkHomeowners must know what types of food can go down their garbage disposals to keep them working correctly. The wrong items can cause blockages.

To avoid clogs, homeowners should avoid putting certain types of food down the drain, including:

  • Bones
  • Fruit pits
  • Starchy foods
  • Fibrous foods
  • Cooking oils, fats, and grease
  • Stringy vegetables

It is best to avoid disposing of some of the soft ones, too, like crushed eggshells, cooked pasta, fruit cores, and small coffee grounds. If homeowners are still unsure if food can go down the garbage disposal, they should toss it in the waste basket instead of putting it down the unit.

sink

Run Cold Water to Prevent Clogs

An easy way for property owners to keep their garbage disposals in good working condition is to run cold water while using the system. Running cold water while the unit is running and right after can prevent food clogging and result in clean garbage disposals. 

Cold water can also prevent garbage disposals from overheating. If these units get too hot, food can bake onto the blades, leading to foul odors. 

Another tip for homeowners is to occasionally put ice cubes down the garbage disposal. This will sharpen the blades and remove food particles.

Only Put Small Food Scraps Down the Disposal

Households must be careful how much food they put in the garbage disposal. If they put too much food down at once, it can cause clogs. To prevent this, property owners should cut larger food scraps into smaller pieces before putting them in the disposal.

Property owners should also pay attention to signs of garbage disposals malfunctioning. Some symptoms to watch out for include whether the household hears garbage disposal humming sounds or stops grinding food correctly. If this happens, homeowners must quickly turn off the unit and schedule garbage disposal repairs with a plumber. During these services, an expert may use the garbage disposal reset button to see if that resolves the problem. Otherwise, they might schedule repairs or garbage disposal replacements.

About Drainiacs

The team at Drainiacs is the top-rated residential plumbing contractor in Whittier. They hire licensed technicians, offer reasonable pricing, and offer guaranteed satisfaction. Call them today for garbage disposal services in Whittier, CA.

Before You Travel, Secure Your Plumbing System

Top Ways To Prevent Plumbing Disasters While You’re on Summer Vacation

Summer vacation should be a time for families to relax – not worry about plumbing emergencies occurring at their homes while they are gone. To avoid these threats, Whittier, CA, plumbers provide tips homeowners can do before they leave on vacation to secure their plumbing system, including turning off their main water line, shutting off their water heater, and inspecting their system by a professional.

Learn how households can accomplish these tasks and why taking these steps is essential before heading out on vacation.

Why You Should Turn off Your Main Water Valve

water valve After a relaxing vacation, homeowners don’t want to return home to standing water from a burst pipe. Fortunately, households can avoid these problems by shutting off their main water line. 

Taking a couple of minutes to turn off the main water shutoff valve can provide numerous advantages to households, including:

  • Giving them peace of mind that their home is protected from potential water leaks and floods. This allows homeowners to fully relax, enjoy their time away, and not worry about what might be waiting for them when they get home.
  • Letting them avoid expensive repairs. Homeowners can avoid costly fixes by avoiding major water damage, hefty repair bills from pipe bursts, and other problems. 
  • Saving money on water bills by not having the water running – or wasting water through a leak.

Reasons To Shut off the Water Heater

water heater When going on vacation, homeowners should turn off their water heater. This might seem like an unneeded task that a lot of property owners overlook, but it can save households a lot of money if a defect develops with the water heater while the household is away. 

Doing this provides numerous benefits for homeowners, including:

  • Reducing stress by knowing the home is safe from leaks and water heater issues
  • Saving energy and reducing the water bill while the household is gone

When the household returns home from their vacation, they can quickly turn the water heater back on and promptly restore hot water to their house.

Benefits of Performing Plumbing Inspections

There are numerous steps homeowners can take to reduce the chances of a plumbing mishap occurring while the family is on vacation. These can include:

  • Scheduling a plumbing inspection or plumbing maintenance with a professional before their trip to check the entire system and look for defects
  • Checking for leaks around faucets, toilets, and pipes
  • Listening for gurgling or unusual noises that can indicate clogs or other issues in the plumbing system
  • Checking the water heater for leaks around the tank or any pilot light outages

Performing these tasks before a vacation can save homeowners money and stress during and after their trip.

About Drainiacs

The team at Drainiacs is the top-rated residential plumbing contractor in Whittier. They hire licensed technicians, offer reasonable pricing, and offer guaranteed satisfaction. Call them today for plumbing services in Whittier, CA.

Why Households Need Plumbing Maintenance

Why Homes Need Plumbing Maintenance

Homeowners must keep their plumbing systems in good condition to keep households running safely and conveniently. Families rely on their plumbing appliances and fixtures to perform daily hygiene tasks, clean, cook, and more. 

Households can have hefty repair bills or urgent plumbing replacement needs if these systems malfunction. To prevent this, households can schedule regular plumbing maintenance services. Annual plumbing services allow homeowners to keep their systems running, prolong the lifespan of their appliances, and lower their utility bills. 

Keep Plumbing Systems Running Correctly

toilet When plumbers perform plumbing maintenance services on a home’s plumbing system, they will quickly identify any existing defects and avoid unexpected breakdowns. 

Sometimes, homeowners might try to perform plumbing maintenance tasks independently, but this can be problematic. Over time, homeowners will likely get busy and neglect the ongoing tasks, which can put their plumbing appliances at risk and cause them to break down. Instead, homeowners can rest assured that their system is running correctly when they hire a professional to perform routine plumbing maintenance. 

During maintenance services, plumbers might start with drain cleaning. This allows them to remove existing clogs and help prevent sewer backups. After these services, plumbers will focus on safety. They will check the water pressure from the plumbing fixtures and inspect the system for leaks, including gas leaks. This will keep the household safe.

Prolong the Life of Plumbing Appliances

Routine plumbing maintenance keeps households safe and helps homeowners extend the lifespan of their plumbing appliances and fixtures. 

Plumbing systems endure a lot of wear and tear as they are used daily. Over time, this can cause them to break down. Maintenance services allow plumbers to reduce deterioration and keep plumbing appliances and fixtures running correctly for longer.

Plumbers performing water heater maintenance can extend the system’s lifespan by up to 5 years. This can result in less stress for homeowners as they don’t have to worry about unexpectedly losing hot water, and it can help property owners avoid having to replace expensive appliances prematurely.

Reduce Utility Bills

save money One of the biggest advantages homeowners can experience from scheduling routine plumbing maintenance is savings in their utility bills. If plumbing systems are running inefficiently or if there are undetected leaks, water and energy bills can increase.

If the plumbing system leaks, homeowners might notice their water bills rising. A leak can waste water, resulting in more water used monthly. Plumbing maintenance services can detect these issues, allowing plumbers to make the repairs. 

When water heaters are not properly maintained, they can use more energy than usual, increasing energy bills. Homeowners need to schedule plumbing repairs as soon as possible.

About Drainiacs

Drainiacs are the biggest brains in sewer drains. They offer reasonable pricing, licensed technicians, and satisfaction guaranteed on all services. Call today for plumbing services in Whittier, CA.

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Protect Your Household With Backflow Testing

What To Know About Backflow

Homeowners need to keep their plumbing systems working correctly. A major part of that is preventing backflow. If backflow occurs in a home’s plumbing system, it can quickly make household members extremely sick by contaminated drinking water.

Plumbers near Whittier, CA, explain the dangers of backflow, how professionals test for it, and why it’s crucial to schedule regular backflow testing. 

Dangers Risks of Backflow

dirty water Backflow can be incredibly dangerous for households. When it occurs, families can be exposed to sewage in their drinking water. 

Backflow happens when a backflow device malfunctions and water flows in the reverse direction. Instead of flowing out of a household, backflow can flow back into the plumbing system, contaminating the home’s water supply and causing family members to become extremely sick. Fortunately, this can be avoided by scheduling backflow testing.

What Homeowners Can Expect During Backflow Testing

backflow testingDuring backflow testing, professionals will extensively inspect the home’s plumbing system to ensure it functions correctly and identify any signs of defects that can lead to backflow. 

When the backflow tester arrives at a house, they will look for the backflow preventer and test it to ensure it works correctly. Some other tasks they will perform include shutting off the downstream and adding test kit hoses. They will also clean the check valve and make sure it works correctly. 

Homeowners should schedule backflow testing on their backflow prevention devices at least once a year to ensure they work properly. 

Benefits of Backflow Testing

Backflow can cause serious health issues, such as E. Coli, salmonella, hepatitis, and other illnesses. It can also cause eye, nose, throat, and ear infections, ulcers, and vomiting.

Fortunately, plumbers can help households avoid these problems by performing backflow testing. They can also protect public health by keeping backflow out of the city water supply and preventing water contamination.

About Drainiacs

The team at Drainiacs is the top-rated residential plumbers in Whittier. They offer licensed technicians, reasonable pricing, and guaranteed satisfaction. Call them today for backflow testing services in Whittier, CA.