Tag: disposal

Keep Your Garbage Disposal Working With Simple Maintenance Tasks

Easy Tips to Keep Garbage Disposals Functioning

When homeowners need to quickly and efficiently remove food scraps while cooking or clearing dinner plates, they rely on their garbage disposals. These appliances grind down food scraps to eliminate food and odors.

If these units malfunction, they can clog and emit foul smells. Fortunately, homeowners can avoid these issues and strive for a clean garbage disposal by performing maintenance tasks. 

Ormond Beach, FL, plumbers provide tips on how to keep garbage disposals working fine. These include putting the right types of food down the disposal, running cold water while using the disposal, and putting only a little food down at a time. 

Avoid Clogs by Only Putting the Right Foods Down the Disposal

sinkGarbage disposals can be useful systems for households as long as the right types of food are placed in them. 

Generally, plumbers deem most soft foods safe to dispose of in the garbage disposal. This includes citrus fruit rinds, vegetable scraps (except fibrous ones and potato peels), small chopped-up meat, ice, and other similar items.

Some foods that households should avoid putting down the disposal are:

  • Fruit pits
  • Bones
  • Cooking oils, fats, and grease
  • Starchy foods
  • Fibrous foods
  • Stringy vegetables

If homeowners are still determining specific foods that can go down the garbage disposal, they should, by the rule of thumb, toss them in the waste basket instead of putting them down the unit.

Run Cold Water to Keep Disposals Working

sinkA dumping hack many homeowners might not know about is running cold water down the garbage disposal.

Running cold water while the unit is running—and for a short time after turning it off—helps food run through the system and prevents clogs. Cold water also prevents garbage disposals from overheating. Food can be baked onto the blades if the appliances get too hot while grinding, causing foul odors. 

Homeowners should also put ice cubes down the garbage disposal, which can help sharpen the blades and remove food particles.

Don’t Put Large Amounts of Food Down the Disposal

Another way for homeowners to keep their garbage disposals working correctly is to limit the amount of food they put down the system one at a time. Putting too much food down the disposal can lead to blockages.

Plumbers recommend that homeowners cut larger food scraps into smaller pieces to avoid putting too much food down the device. 

Property owners should also pay attention to signs that indicate their garbage disposal needs to be repaired or replaced. If it starts to make humming noises or stops properly grinding food, it should be turned off immediately, and the homeowners should schedule professional services. During an inspection, the plumber will likely try using the garbage disposal reset button to determine if repairs or replacements are needed.

About Andy Frattin Plumbing

The team at Andy Frattin Plumbing is your trusted local plumbing expert in Daytona Beach. They offer flat-rate prices, on-time services, and guaranteed satisfaction. Call them today for garbage disposal services, repairs, or replacements, in Ormond Beach, FL.

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Keep Your Garbage Disposal Functioning With These Key Tips

How to Keep Your Garbage Disposal Working Well Over the Holidays

While holiday traditions are different for every household, there is typically one common denominator: lots of cooking and baking! This can be exciting as households entertain and host large dinners or gatherings, but it can also put homes at risk of clogs and garbage disposal problems.

With more cooking and food scraps, there is an increased risk of putting the wrong items down the disposal and creating a blockage or issue. This post gives tips on how households can avoid clogs and keep their disposal working correctly.

Food You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

Putting the wrong type of food down the garbage disposal can lead to clogs, blockages, and problems for the garbage disposal. Fortunately, that can be easily prevented by not putting certain foods down the garbage disposal, including items like:

  • Never put grease or cooking oils down the disposal. These can solidify and form clogs. Instead, these should be disposed of in the trash.
  • Avoid putting stringy vegetables like celery or asparagus. Strands of these can get caught around the blades.
  • Don’t put starchy food like pasta or rice down the disposal. If these absorb water, they can expand.
  • Never put hard food items like bones or peach pits down the disposal, as these can wreck the blades.
  • Avoid putting eggshells or coffee grounds down the disposal as these can get stuck in the system.

Why You Should Run Cold Water When Using Garbage Disposal

run water through the systemWhen using the garbage disposal, plumbers suggest running cold water during and after. Doing this will help keep food moving through the drain and prevent it from clogging the garbage disposal. It will also help the blades grind down the food, help clean garbage disposals, and even prevent foul odors from the drain. Running cool water will also help cool the motor and prevent overheating.

In addition to running cold water, plumbers also suggest not putting too much of any type of food down the disposal at once to prevent clogs and problems with the disposal. Homeowners can also put ice cubes down the disposal to keep the blades sharp and dislodge food scraps to avoid clogs.

Garbage Disposal Problems? Call a Plumber

trust a plumber with garbage disposal servicesWhen garbage disposals malfunction, hiring a professional to perform repair or replacement is essential. It can be tempting for homeowners to watch a DIY video and try to do the work themselves, but this can be risky. A trained expert can quickly and accurately make the garbage disposal repair, ensuring the work is done safely.

Some signs of garbage disposal problems indicating a plumber should be called include things such as bad smells from the disposal, strange noises like humming or leaking, if the disposal has trouble grinding down food or doesn’t turn on, and the garbage disposal reset button has to be used too often.

About Andy Frattin Plumbing

Andy Frattin Plumbing is a family-owned company that has been serving Ormond Beach, FL, and the surrounding areas since 2000. They provide flat rate prices, on-time service, and the latest technology. Call them today for kitchen plumbing and garbage disposal services in Ormond Beach, FL.

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