A properly working garbage disposal is a wonderful appliance, disposing of all kinds of kitchen waste to saving time and keep smelly food waste out of the trash. A broken garbage disposal can be a real hassle, causing expensive plumbing and drain problems. By following a few simple guidelines, you can keep your kitchen sink disposal working smoothly and reliably for years.
Maintaining a Garbage Disposal
You can keep your disposal clean by adding a little dish soap to some cold water and letting the garbage disposal run for a few seconds after washing dishes. It's also helpful to run your disposal regularly to keep the moving parts in good condition. An unused disposal can corrode from accumulate food waste.
Tips For Using a Garbage Disposal
- Always Run a full stream of cold water. This helps hold grease particles together so they can pass through the disposal more easily.
- Some hard foods are safe to put down the disposal. This includes small chicken and fish bones, egg shells, etc. These harder particles can help clean the inside of the disposal.
- Never fill the chamber with food and then turn on the disposal. Always run cold water and turn on the disposal before adding waste gradually to the disposal.
- Only food waste should be put down a disposal. Paper, metal and plastic can damage the unit.
- Never pour oil or grease down the drain. It will eventually build up and clog the drain.
- Grinding lemon peels can help reduce the odors inside the disposal.
When Your Garbage Disposal Jams
If an object has been dropped into the disposal and jammed, the unit should be unplugged to turn off the power. Once the object has been removed the unit can be plugged back into the power source. If it won't turn on, most disposals have a reset button located on the bottom of the unit.
