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.

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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.