Garbage disposal is one of the routine chores that you have to do every other day. Garbage is produced in many areas in the home. Most of the garbage is thrown out in trash bags for collection by the garbage trucks. But some of the garbage is shredded and disposed in a special device called a garbage disposal unit or simply a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal is a mechanical device that is usually installed below the sink. This device is used to shred and dispose of those solid food remains to avoid clogging. The disposal shreds these food pieces into very tiny bits that can easily pass through the drainage and sewer system without clogging. The ironic thing about the whole process is that sometimes the garbage disposal unit gets clogged while preventing clogging. It all depends on how you use it and the kinds of food remains that you dispose with it. A garbage disposal can function for a long time without clogging if you use it and maintain it properly. Today you are going to learn how to prevent clogging in your garbage disposal unit, avoiding that last minute call to your local plumber.

Use Cold Water

You should always run cold water in your garbage disposal unit before, when, and after turning it on. The cold water will carry the food particles down the drain and leave the disposal clean and unclogged. The cold water will also solidify any oils, fats, and greases thereby ensuring that they do not coat the blades that are used for shredding.

Avoid Fibrous Foods

You should not dispose fibrous foods in your garbage disposal unit. Foods with tough fibers like asparagus and celery should not be fed into the garbage disposal unit because they can entangle the blades and prevent the unit from working.

Avoid Overloading

You should buy a right-sized garbage disposal that will save you money and energy at home. You should upgrade to an Energy Star certified model during your DC kitchen remodeling. After acquiring this high efficiency model, make sure that you use it properly. Never overload the garbage disposal to avoid “choking” it.

Avoid Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds should not be disposed down the drain. The coffee grounds will not damage the garbage disposal but they will accumulate inside your drain pipes and cause a drain clog.

Avoid Large Bones

Large bones should not be fed into the garbage disposal unit because they can damage the shredding blades. The blades are not strong enough to crush large bones. But you can put small bones, like fish bones, in the garbage disposal for shredding and crushing.

Avoid Potato Peels

Potato peels should not be put in a garbage disposal unit. The disposal will smash and shred these peels into mush and paste. The starch in the peels will become paste and this can cling and accumulate on the blades, causing them to stop working.

Dispose Small Pieces

You should not feed large chunks of food in the garbage disposal unit. Try to chop up large pieces of food remains before throwing it into the garbage disposal.

Clean The Disposal Regularly And Properly

You should clean and use the garbage disposal units regularly and properly. You should only clean the disposal with cold water. You can throw a few ice cubes in first. To deodorize the disposal, use vinegar ice cubes or grind up orange or lemon rinds.

Tap water is not always clean. You can turn on your tap and get brown water full of dirt and debris. The water can also have other impurities that are not easy to see. Some of these impurities like minerals are detected by taste. You should always ensure that the water you drink is clean and safe. And although some of these imparities do not pose any health hazard, they can still ruin the taste of the water. You should test your water regularly to ensure that it does not contain any impurities. Let us now look at some common impurities that you can find in your tap water.

Dirt

Dirty tap water is not very common but you can still get it from time to time. Dirty water contains actual dirt, and maybe sand and silt. Dirty water is an indication that the main water supply line is damaged. If this is the case, then you need to hire a DC emergency plumber immediately to fix the problem. You should start by calling your local water supply company to find out whether the problem is on their side or yours. If the water supply company has no problem, then you need your local plumber to inspect your water supply pipes. Dirty water is more common in households with wells. If you get your water from a well, then the dirt could be coming from the well. If it’s a new well, try running the water for some time to drain out the system. You should also consider repairing or replacing the water screening and filtration system.

Minerals

Minerals are very common in water. This is what we refer to as hard water. Depending on your locality, you can discover that your water has high levels of iron, calcium, or manganese. And although these minerals do not pose a health hazard to people or animals, they can still ruin the taste of the water. These metals can also leave stains on your clothes and dishes when you use the hard water for cleaning. They also inhibit lathering making cleaning and bathing a huge hassle.

Rubber

With time, the rubber tubing in your plumbing appliances, such as the hot water heater, can start to wear out. The tiny pieces will be drowned in the water and you can find these pieces when you fetch the water for drinking or cleaning. Rubber is mostly worn out by chlorine. As such, if you use chlorine to treat your water, then you can expect rubber impurities in the long run. If you notice rubber bits in your water, call a professional plumber to replace the worn-out rubber tubing.

Carbon

You can also notice carbon specks in your tap water. This usually occurs when the carbon in your water filter disintegrates. Carbon is used to trap foreign bodies and impurities from the water. But with time the carbon filter and/or cartridge gets old and worn-out. This is when you start to notice tiny specks of carbon in the water. Check the user manual of your carbon filter to see how you can repair it or replace the cartridge.

Rust

Rust is one of the most common impurities in water. You will find rust particles in your water when some of your pipes, fixtures or appliances are corroded. You can also get the rust from your water supply company. If consumed in install amounts, rust is not a health hazard. But it still undermines the taste and equality of the water. You will need a professional plumber to determine the source of the rust and to fix it.