Kitchen Plumbing - Garbage Disposal 

A kitchen is the heart of a home.  Unfortunately, part of enjoying our kitchens is the clean up.   Garbage disposals are a helpful appliance that makes washing dishes a little bit easier.  But, if not properly maintained garbage disposals can cause troubles such as blockages and clogged drains.  Here are some guidelines on what to do and what not to do when taking care of your garbage disposal.

Do:

• Check the plumbing. Time to open up the sink cabinets and grab a flashlight.  Your garbage disposal will be located directly under the sink.  Identify the drain pipe coming from the disposal.  Check the garbage disposal and drain pipe for any leaks.  Take a look under the sink for any water damage.  Water damage is a clear indicator of a leak.
• Use the disposal regularly. Using your disposal frequently allows the disposal parts to stay in good working condition.
• Use cold (not hot) water when running your disposal. Your first thought might be to use hot water but your disposal and your pipes needs\ cold water.  The fat and oils from the food will liquefy in hot water making it harder for the disposal to remove it.  Using cold water will allow the fat and oil to harden enabling the disposal to remove it.
• Keep it clean with ice and vinegar. Grab a handful of ice and a cup of white vinegar and throw it in the disposal while it is running with cold water.  The ice will sharpen the blades.  The vinegar will help sanitize and remove any stuck on food.
• Keep it fresh and smelling nice. Plumbers don’t recommend using bleach to sterilize your drains as it may damage your sink’s material.  However, a great way to keep your garbage disposal and drain smelling good is by grinding up lemon or orange peels.  Cut the peels into smaller pieces and put into the disposal with cold water running.  The oil in the fruit will help with lubricate the disposal while smelling great!

Don’t:

• Be silly. Don’t grind anything that is not a biodegradable food.   The quickest way to see a plumber is to put something like glass or rocks down the kitchen sink.  Garbage disposals are built for food scraps only.
• Put potatoes peals in the disposal. The peels can easily clog the blades.
• Put rice or pasta into the disposal. Any food that can expand has the possibility of clogging your pipes and causing a back up.
• Drain grease, oils or fats into the garbage disposal. Oils will harden at room temperature making it hard to remove from the working parts of the disposal and possibly cause a clog.  Instead, put the oil in a disposable container and throw in in the trash.
• Overburden the blades. Cut the waste into smaller pieces and feed them into the disposal a few pieces at a time.   

With these tips you will keep your garbage disposal in great working order.  If you see any leaks or need professional help, please contact us at Kennedale Mansfield Plumbing. 

Leaks only get worse and are serious business. If you are having issues with your garbage disposal plumbing and need the help of a professional please contact Kennedale Mansfield Plumbing. KMP offers 24 hr emergency plumbing service as well as online scheduling