GARBAGE DISPOSALS
The luxury of a garbage disposal has become almost a necessity for most homeowners in their kitchen. While that is the case, a garbage disposal isn’t built for everything. You may want to check with your plumbing professional to see if your drainage system is equipped to handle the additional load from a disposal.
There are definitely some things recommended not to put in your garbage disposal: celery, asparagus, chicken bones, coffee grounds, corn husks, egg shells, nuts, oatmeal, onion skins, pasta, potato, rice, peels (carrots, cucumbers, potatoes), pits (peach, nectarine, etc.), pumpkin and other squash, and shells. A lot of these items can actually go in a compost pile. If you aren’t composting, then the garbage can is the best place for them. Although these items can often be handled by your disposal, they can cause build up in your drainline over time that will clog your pipes.
You don’t want to pour grease down your disposal or any drain. Hot liquids (when draining pasta, for example) and grease can melt and otherwise damage your garbage disposal. In addition, no harsh chemicals or paint should be put down your drain.
You’ll also want to make sure that you are running COLD water down the disposal whenever you are using it. Most manufacturers recommend starting the cold water, then turning on the disposal. Followed by adding items into the garbage disposal, leaving the disposal running until the sound of grinding has stopped. Then turning off the disposal and allowing the water to run for an additional 30 seconds minimum to flush the drain.
Even if you’re careful with what you put down your drain, problems can still occur with your garbage disposal. Here are some helpful hints that you can try on your own if your disposal isn’t working properly. Remember safety first, your garbage disposal can do to your hand what it does to your leftovers. Don’t stick your hand down the disposal! Whenever working on a disposal, make sure the power is turned off.
What if your garbage disposal won’t turn on? First, make sure the disposal is plugged in. If it is, press the reset button on your disposal if it is equipped with one. If that doesn’t work, plug something else into the outlet to see if the outlet is functioning. If whatever you plugged in turns on, give us a call.
If your disposal won’t turn on all the way but instead makes a humming sound, you most likely have something stuck between the shredder ring and the impellers. Don’t stick your hand down the disposal to remove the object! Make sure that the disposal is unplugged and then depending on the model of your disposal, use the tool provided with your disposal or an appropriate allen wrench to manually rotate the impeller to clear the stoppage. The tool or allen wrench should be able to turn a complete 360. Give us a call if you need assistance!
Other problems may include leaks, slow drainage, or no drainage. For all of these problems and any other disposal problems you may be having, give us a call. We will send out one of our certified technicians to help!
Call us at (801) 477-5818 or fill out the form on this page to ask about Garbage Disposals.