Holiday feasts give garbage disposals a workout! If you do not take care of your disposal, plumbing repair becomes a reality as clogs build up and your disposal fails to keep up with the demands. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your garbage disposal reliable as it faces additional duties during the holidays in Modesto, CA. Here are six tips for maintaining a happy and functional garbage disposal:
- Run it regularly: Do not be shy with garbage disposal use. Even if you only released a minimum amount of waste in your drain, run it through a cycle. If you do not have reason to use it often, run the disposal at least once a week, even if you believe there is nothing to grind. Moving parts stay lubricated and functional, and disposal blades are no exception. So, if you run it at least once a week, you are less likely to face failure when you need a working disposal.
- Avoid hot water: If you are draining the sink after washing dirty cooking pans, hot water may seem like the best way to help your disposal do with its job. In fact, cold water is best. Hot water melts grease and fats, so they soften and later cling to drain pipes. Cold water does not melt anything, so any escaping oils and fats make it down the drain, rather than catching waste and causing clogs.
- Sharpen blades: Sharpen your disposal blades before a large dinner. To do this, freeze white vinegar in ice cube trays. Run cold water, turn on the disposal, and pour the cubes into the drain. Not only will you gain sharper disposal blades, but the vinegar will help to eliminate drain odors.
- Be careful: Not all food waste is appropriate for your garbage disposal. Never pour grease or oil down the drain. While minuscule amounts may escape and go down your drain, avoid this whenever possible. Consider saving your bacon grease, and if you don’t wish to save it, pour it in the trash. Keep potato peels, pasta and rice out of the drain, as they expand when wet and can jam your disposal. Other prohibited items include eggshells, bones, seeds and pits—and of course, never subject your disposal to glass, metal or plastic.
- Break up waste: Even acceptable food waste can overwhelm your garbage disposal. Break food waste into smaller pieces and feed them in a bit at a time. Large chunks jam the blades and can clog pipes. While you may be impressed by the motor on your garbage disposal, it is not large, and it can break.
- Control odors: Vinegar ice cubes are excellent at odor control, but there are some other ways to accomplish this. If you like citrus smells, orange or lemon peels or a squirt of dish soap can neutralize odors. You can also pour vinegar straight down the drain. If you use peels, keep the cold water running when you grind them up.
Alvarado Pumping Septic Service offers plumbing repair in Modesto, CA for your fussy garbage disposal or clogged drains. Call us today to get your plumbing working in no time!