Recently we explained how to unjam your garbage disposal, but if you keep your eye on what goes down there you may never need to unjam it; consequently, you will extend the life of your garbage disposal.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when operating your garbage disposal.
- Don’t use hot water when grinding food waste. Hot water will cause grease to liquefy and accumulate, causing drains to clog.
- Don’t put large amounts of food down the garbage disposal. Feed food into the garbage disposal a little at a time with the cold water running; this will help the food scraps flow down freely through the drain pipes and plumbing.
- Don’t put expandable foods into your garbage disposal. Foods like pasta and rice expand when you add water in a pot; they do the same thing once inside your pipes or garbage disposal and are the cause of many jams and clogs.
- Don’t grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins, and artichokes. Fibers from these can tangle and jam the garbage disposal motor and block drains.
- Don’t put too many potato peels down the garbage disposal. The starches in the potatoes will turn into a thick paste and may cause blades to stick.
- Don’t grind large animal bones (beef, pork etc.).
These are just some tips to help prevent clogs and jams from occurring, if you are having trouble with your garbage disposal please call your local plumber: City Wide Plumbing 480-966-8795. We have all the tools and knowledge to help you with whatever plumbing problem you may have.
