Get The Most Out Of Your Garbage Disposal

While it's not something many people like to think about, sink clogs are one of the most common plumbing issues in a household. Many of these are caused by a back up in the garbage disposal. Our Sun City, AZ plumbing contractors suggest following these tips to avoid such a problem.

Always run cold water when the disposal is on. The cold water prevents the blade assembly and motor from overheating. A burned out motor is the number one reason for disposal replacement. Pour hot water down the disposal once a week to remove any grease that may be building up underneath the blades. Don't put these things in the disposal:

Stringy vegetables or vegetable peels:

These get wrapped around the teeth in the disposal and prevent them from chopping up other items.

Corn cobs, celery, lettuce, onions, asparagus and artichokes:

In small amounts they may clear the teeth, but in bulk they will cause problems.

Kitchen grease or fat

Liquid fats should never be sent down the drain. They are the number one cause for clogs. The fats adhere to the side of the pipes as they cool and reduce the area of the drain that water can pass through.

Egg shells:

Egg shells get pulverized and the fine powder adheres to the inside of your pipes. This slowly closes up drainage line and is tough to remove without professional help.

Dry pasta or rice:

These starches quickly swell in the presence of water. When these items go down the disposal they can quickly gum up a drain line by clumping together and snagging on any debris already in the pipes.

Non-food items:

Garbage disposals were designed to reduce small amounts of organic material into small pieces to easily flow through the drainage system. Non-food items are often too hard to be effectively shredded and go down the drain whole. If the item is harder than the blades of the disposal, it can dull the blades and result in poor efficiency in the future.

Our Sun City plumbing contractors suggest keeping a scrap bag next to the sink to dispose of all these garbage disposal hazards.