Tips to Have a Functioning Garbage Disposal

The garbage disposal is often the most common thing that is taken advantage of in your home. It is simply there, helping you to get rid of leftovers and discarded vegetable peelings.
You don’t think about it until you need to use it. Because of this, we get many calls about clogged garbage disposals and ones that are just not functioning properly.
The following are three tips to help you get better functioning from your garbage disposal this fall season:

Don’t Ignore It

The biggest mistake made by garbage disposal owners is that they do not use it enough. Ignoring it is actually going to cause it to malfunction when you do use it.
The best thing you can do is turn it on and run cold water through it every two or three days. If left unused, it will start to rust or corrode. In the end, you are left with a frozen disposal that no longer works when you need it.

Smaller is Best

Fall is usually what inspires a lot of us to get in the kitchen and start cooking. This means your Arlington, VA garbage disposal may get a lot of use this time of year.
The important thing to remember is that your Arlington, VA garbage disposal is going to work best when you cut up the waste into smaller pieces. Shoving large pieces of fruit, vegetables, or meat into it will either cause it to jam or malfunction. Smaller pieces of waste are always best for the disposal.

The Don’t List of Foods

The garbage disposal is designed to get rid of food waste, but there are many items in your kitchen that will damage it. We often get calls from people with clogged disposals and the clogs happen because they are putting down items that do not belong in a garbage disposal. Grease and oil are on the top of the list as they cause major clogs.
Foods that actually expand, like pasta and rice, can cause clogs. Potato peelings, like pasta and rice, contain starch, which will stick to the sides and clog up disposals. Of course, you never want to put down anything like paper or plastic as these will cause damage to the machine.
If you can follow the above tips this fall, you can be guaranteed a better functioning garbage disposal and you will not have to worry about calling us to unclog or repair it.

Time to get your Arlington, VA home garbage disposal ready for the holiday season. Call The Plumbing Dr. at (703) 525-9280 today.