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The holiday season is officially here, which means your garbage disposal is headed for a serious workout. Over the holidays, you’ll be feeding your garbage disposal plate scrapings, vegetable peels, and other scraps that will send this appliance into overtime.
Unfortunately, not every garbage disposal grinding away at food scraps is a state-of-the-art appliance. What one appliance can accomplish with ease could send another screeching to a halt.
Here are a few common mistakes homeowners make with their own garbage disposals. Armed with this information, you can keep yourself from digging your kitchen appliance into an early grave this holiday season.
- Running hot water during use: Hot water might kill germs, but you’re not eating anything in your garbage disposal. Cold water is actually the preferred water temperature for grinding away food waste because it allows any grease and fat that’s in the disposal to move through the pipes intact. Hot water can melt fat and grease, which causes it to build up and clog the pipe.
- Not cleaning the garbage disposal correctly: It’s important to properly clean your garbage disposal to keep it from wearing down and stinking up your kitchen. However, you never want to use bleach or harsh drain cleaners in your garbage disposal. These products can damage your disposal and cause it to malfunction. Instead, sprinkle in a little baking soda to clean your disposal. Using lemon and lime slices can also help to eliminate odors and keep your disposal clean.
- Using the incorrect operating sequence: Some homeowners scrape their food into their garbage disposal and then run the appliance at the end of the day. But running your disposal this way can damage your appliance and increase your risk of attracting pests. To use your garbage disposal properly, start by turning on cold water. Turn on your garbage disposal next and then gradually put food into the disposal. Run the appliance for approximately 30 seconds before turning it off. Let the cold water run for another 15 seconds. This will help to flush out the drain.
When you make a few too many mistakes with your garbage disposal, you could end up with a clog or a leak. Undetected leaks are not only an issue when it comes to water damage but they can also cost you up to $164.50 a year. That’s where your Sacramento area plumber comes in.
Looking for a Sacramento area plumber?
If you’re looking for a Sacramento area plumber, Preferred Plumbing and Drain is the emergency plumbing service for you. Whether you have a problem with your garbage disposal or a damaged water heater, our local plumbers have got your back. For more information about our plumbing services, contact Preferred Plumbing and Drain today.
