5 Garbage Disposal Habits that Will Save Your Unit and Drains

Garbage disposal units make managing kitchen wastes relatively easier, but this can quickly turn into a curse if they are not properly used and maintained. Unclogging your drain is not only inconvenient, it can turn very costly if you also have garbage disposal repair to think about. This article highlights five easy do's and don'ts that will save you thousands in repair, replacement and plumbing professionals.

1. Only food goes into the garbage disposal

The most important thing to remember is that anything that is not food must never be passed through the garbage disposal. Your garbage disposal unit is only designed to cut up food scraps; non-food items may spoil the blades and even motor. Do not send any plastic, glass, paper, metal, cigarette butts or anything combustible into the drain. Large animal bones should also be avoided.

2. Limit the oils and grease

Oils and grease are a drain's worst friend, because they accumulate over time and can hold on to other solid wastes to make up fat clumps that can clog your drains. While it's good practice to pour hot water down sink drains to liquefy the grease, doing the same thing in a garbage disposal doesn't prevent accumulation of grease over time.

3. Avoid hard, expandable and starchy foods

Extremely fibrous food materials such as celery stalks, onion skins, corn husks and artichoke remains can get tangled up in the garbage disposal unit and cause a jam. Also, starchy foods like potato peels should be limited, as the starch can accumulate in a thick paste on the blades, making them stick. Be careful when dealing with 'expandable' foods like rice and pasta. These foods expand when exposed to water in your garbage disposal and drains and can make clogs easier to develop.

4. Keep the water on

While the garbage disposal unit is in use, ensure that water is kept running, turning it off only after the unit stops grinding. Only put small amounts of food at a time with water running at full pressure to prevent clogging and blade jams. In fact, you should allow it to run for a little longer to wash away all food particles completely before turning the faucet off.

5. Avoid ground coffee

Ground coffee is not dangerous in itself since it can actually help to absorb odours in your disposal unit. However, if you've already passed a lot of grease into your system, ground coffee can easily stick to the grease causing a clog. It's best to simply avoid it. You can use bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar for odour control.