An Easy Garbage Disposal Maintenance Guide

Garbage disposals don’t often come to mind when people think about what might require maintenance in their homes. But the truth is, neglected disposals often lead to costly damage. Homeowners in St. Peters, MO who’ve gone years without utilizing the following maintenance tips should consider scheduling an appointment with a reliable garbage disposal repair technician.

Run the faucet while disposing of food

Always run the kitchen faucet when you put food down the garbage disposal. Water prevents food scraps from sticking to the blades and helps wash everything down the pipes. This is one of the easiest steps for maintaining your garbage disposal and minimizes the need for repairs.

Garbage disposals might sound self-explanatory, but there’s a right and wrong way to use them. Turn on the garbage disposal and let the faucet run before putting food down the drain. Wait until the garbage disposal is done chopping up the food scraps, then keep the water running for at least 10 seconds after you turn off the disposal.

Wash down food scraps with cold water

The water’s temperature makes more of a difference than you might expect. Cold water is recommended while using the garbage disposal because it keeps grease and fat in their solid state. When hot water heats up greasy residue, substances liquefy and cling to the blades of your garbage disposal. Grease is difficult to remove and will build up over time, causing the blades to break down.

If you’re in the habit of washing food down the drain with hot water, your plumbing system is due for some reliable garbage disposal repairs. Hot water by itself doesn’t hurt the garbage disposal, but still increases its risk of attracting harmful substances like grease and fat.

Avoid foods that will damage the blades

Garbage disposals are designed to chop up soft foods, which means not everything should get dumped down the drain. Disposals can’t handle hard pieces like bones, popcorn kernels and avocado pits. Even some malleable foods like fruit and vegetable skin can be harmful because the long fibers wrap around the blades.

You’ll likely experience a jammed garbage disposal if you attempt to grind up inedible portions of food and scraps with high levels of fiber. When this happens, don’t try to fix it on your own. There’s no shortage of reliable garbage disposal repair specialists in St. Peters, MO who have the right tools to safely address the blades.

Clean with natural remedies

Garbage disposals need a good rinse every once in a while. The best part about this maintenance tip is that you don’t have to go out and buy cleaning solutions from the store. In fact, those drain cleaners you see on the shelf often contain harmful chemicals that will corrode the blades on your garbage disposal. A bit of baking soda and vinegar should do the trick!

Even if you follow all these maintenance guidelines, your garbage disposal will likely need a checkup at some point to prevent future damage. The specialists at Crews Appliance Repair proudly offer their expertise to the residents of St. Peters, MO and the surrounding areas. Send a quick message to inquire about our comprehensive range of services!

Categorised in: Garbage Disposal Repair

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