How Garbage Disposal Help Homeowners Through the Holiday Season
Whether it’s cleaning up scraps during thanksgiving dinner preparation, cleaning up after the feast, or just general routine kitchen cleaning, the garbage disposal is one of the most-used appliances in the home. Because of this, it’s no wonder many homeowners give thanks for their favorite tool. However, without the right care and maintenance, that handy appliance can quickly open the home to a world of issues. In this article, plumbers offer some insight into garbage disposal maintenance and its role in the home.
Clogged Drain Prevention
Garbage disposals are the unsung heroes of kitchens everywhere. While their jobs might seem relatively easy and perhaps not all that necessary, it’s not until the disposal stops working that one truly understands how great it was. Gone are the days where people had to fish out bigger food waste from the sink with a gloved hand and transport it to the garbage. Along with lessening the ick factor of doing dishes, garbage disposals also assisted with a major plumbing concern, preventing clogged drains.
What can be hard to realize about garbage disposals is that they actually help keep the kitchen drains from becoming clogged. While most sinks are designed to prevent truly large objects from making their way into the pipes, it’s the somewhat smaller articles that should be addressed with concern. The small items can stack up on each other and cause the pipes to drain. However, a garbage disposal will shred them up, so they’re too small to stack up together well. In this way, garbage disposals protect the plumbing system in a kitchen.
Providing Protection for Garbage Disposals
While garbage disposals are busy protecting kitchen plumbing, it’s also important to protect garbage disposals so they keep doing their job correctly. The best way to keep a garbage disposal working is to not shove any food waste within arm’s reach down it. Larger items like animal bones and peels, along with fruit pits and skins, should not be put in the garbage disposal and should instead be thrown away or composted. It’s also a good idea to avoid putting oil, grease, or other similar substances down the drain to prevent drain clogging.
Another important factor in preserving a garbage disposal is keeping the water on. Allowing the water to run as the disposal is on helps ensure that whatever substance that’s going into the disposal makes a complete trip through the mechanism and doesn’t get stuck halfway, causing clogging and damage. It’s important to note that one should only use cold water when the disposal is on and not hot water because the hot water will damage the blades. Also, to help preserve the disposal, don’t pour harsh chemicals on the mechanism. If there’s a desire to clean the disposal, it’s best to use a combination of baking soda and vinegar.
When a Disposal Needs Repair
Sometimes it can be hard to determine when a garbage disposal needs repair; other times, it’s completely obvious. When the disposal doesn’t start it is usually just an error that can be fixed using the reset button. A jammed disposal, on the other hand, requires more delicacy.
The disposal needs to be turned off, and gloves should be worn while searching for whatever caused the jamming and remove it from the blades. If the kitchen has a garbage disposal built into the sink or there’s a concern with reaching near the blades, calling an expert to look at the disposal is the best option.
About First Choice Plumbing Solutions
First Choice Plumbing Solutions is the go-to company for all things plumbing. As a family-owned business, First Choice works around the clock to provide 24/7 emergency services and peace of mind knowing they come well-trained and insured. Contact them today for drain cleaning service in Gainesville, FL, and the surrounding areas.