The garbage disposal unit is an amazing plumbing appliance that gets rid of all those solid food remains in the house. The main function of the garbage disposal is to shred and grind huge solid food particles into small particles that can pass through the drainage and sewer system without clogging it. The first rule when using a garbage disposal is to never shove excess food remains in the device for shredding. You should feed the device gradually until all the food remains are gone. If you misuse your garbage disposal unit, the appliance will start suffering all kinds of problems including clogging and even total malfunction. This will force you to call a professional DC plumber for repairs, which can be quite costly and inconveniencing. But you can avoid all these problems by using the following operating, care, and maintenance tips for your garbage disposal unit.
Always Use Cool Water
Contrary to popular belief or expectation, you should never use hot water to shred and grind food remains in your garbage disposal. Hot water will melt the oils, greases, and fats in the food remnants and these can end clogging your drains. Cold or cool water on the other hand will leave all the fats, oils, and greases in solid form but ground to tiny bits; and these can easily pass through the drainage and sewer system. As such, always use cool water to grind food remains in your garbage disposal.
Ensure Proper Operating Sequence
It’s very important that you follow the proper sequence when operating your garbage disposal. You should always start by running cool water in the garbage disposal. You should then turn on the appliance and then start putting the solid food remains inside for shredding and grinding. And as mentioned above, do it gradually. Do not shove all the food remains in the garbage disposal at once. Load the appliance with small loads and then give it time to finish shredding. Continue running the garbage disposal unit until all the food remains are gone and then turn it off. Leave the cool water running for 10-15 more seconds to help clear and clean the drains of all food particles and debris.
Ensure Proper And Thorough Cleaning
You should clean your garbage disposal regularly and properly. Use baking soda to give the appliance a thorough cleanup. You can also toss in lemon or lime slices in the garbage disposal to give it a fresh scent. Also grind up some ice cubes and run them in the appliance to remove any trapped food particles and debris from the appliance and the drains. Never use bleach or some of those harsh drain cleaners to clean your garbage disposal because they can damage its interior components.
No Grease Or Fat In The Disposal
Avoid dumping fats and greases in your garbage disposal unit. Do not dispose of liquid fats and greases in this appliance. The greases and fats can end up solidifying and clogging inside your drainage and sewer lines.
Grind Food Waste Only
The garbage disposal unit should only be used to shred and grind food waste. Do not use the appliance to dispose of any other solid waste like matches, cigarettes, or glass objects.