Tips to Have a Functioning Garbage Disposal

As soon as fall season arrives, we start receiving numerous calls about garbage disposals not working properly.

When colder weather starts to arrive, people start cooking indoors again after grilling outside all summer long.

What this means is that their garbage disposal is going to be in full use again. To yourself off our list of house calls, consider the following tips to keep your garbage disposal in good working order:

Down the Drain It Goes

Most of our calls about garbage disposals are caused by what the Naperville homeowner is putting down the drain. Grease and fat can quickly cause the garbage disposal to become clogged.

While most people realize this, they don’t realize they also shouldn’t be putting down foods that are starchy, like potato peelings. Rice and pasta are expandable foods that become sticky. These, too, will clog up the disposal.

Small Amounts and Small Sizes

We also get calls about malfunctioning garbage disposals, only to find out that the Naperville homeowner is putting down too much food at one time or they are not breaking down the food into small pieces.

Large food pieces can cause the blades to become dull and, eventually, the disposal will stop working all together. Putting small amounts down and small pieces with the cold water running will keep it working well.

Proper Cleaning

The garbage disposal also needs to be cleaned properly. There are several cleaners available on the market that are specifically designed to clean the entire system.

However, to make sure the grinding mechanism is clean, drop a few ice cubes in it every so often and let it grind up the ice. Of course, be sure the drain cover is in place before doing this or you could get hit by flying ice.

The above tips are going to help you get through the fall season and the coming holidays. We love seeing our customers, but the last thing you need at this time of year is a garbage disposal that doesn’t work.

However, if your garbage disposal is more than seven years old, it may be the right time to replace it.

Time to get your Naperville, IL home garbage disposal ready for the holiday season. Call Jim Wagner Plumbing at (630) 577-9341 today.