Seven Tips to Keep Your Kitchen Sink Garbage Disposal in Top Condition

If you’re like most homeowners, your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal unit attached to the drain. A garbage disposal unit is an appliance that shreds and grinds food materials to a small enough size so that they have no problem passing through a kitchen sink drain. They provide a convenient way to dispose of food waste.

The typical kitchen sink garbage disposal unit consists of an electric motor and a grinding chamber with a set of sharp blades or impellers mounted at the bottom. When the unit is turned on, the blades begin to rotate at a high rate of speed, chopping and tearing up any food materials placed in the unit. The food materials are reduced to particles small enough to pass down the drain.

Common Garbage Disposal Unit Problems

While kitchen sink garbage disposal units are sturdy, durable machines, they can develop a number of problems that can affect operation and efficiency. Some of the most common garbage disposal problems include:

• Clogs – Over time, food residue can begin to clog the disposal. This can impair the flow of water and material through the disposal and into the drain.
• Jamming – Certain food items can become caught in the blades, causing the disposal to jam. This can cause the motor to overheat or trip a circuit breaker.
• Dull blades – Chopping and grinding can cause the blades of a disposal to become dull and inefficient.
• Leaks – As the years go by, the connections securing the unit to the sink and drain can become loose or damaged, resulting in water leaks.
• Bad odors – Food particles caught in the disposal can produce foul odors.
• Mechanical and electrical issues: A disposal unit’s motor can burn out or stop working for various reasons; wiring issues can disrupt the flow of power to a unit.

Keep Your Garbage Disposal Functioning Properly

With regular care and maintenance, you can help extend the life of your garbage disposal and keep it functioning properly. Here are a few tips to keep your garbage disposal unit in top working condition:

• Running cold water while using the disposal helps flush food particles down the drain.
• Avoid placing items like bones, fruit pits, fruit rinds, and other large, hard items into the disposal as they can jam and damage the blades.
• Don’t put fibrous or stringy materials down the disposal, such as corn husks, celery, or onion skins, as they can clog the unit.
• Never pour grease, oil, or fat down the disposal; these materials can solidify and cause clogs.
• Avoid starchy or expandable foods like pasta, rice, and potato peels, as they can absorb water and expand in the disposal. (These materials can also stick to the blades.)
• Coffee grounds can accumulate and create a sludgy mess in a disposal unit.
• Harsh chemicals, such as drain cleaners, should not be used in the disposal since they can damage the unit and harm the environment.

Replacing a Garbage Disposal Unit

Garbage disposals are built to last, but not built to last forever. Eventually the unit will have to be replaced. Fortunately, replacement garbage disposal units are fairly inexpensive. Since installation involves plumbing and electrical connections, it’s a job best left to a professional plumber.

Kitchen Sink Garbage Disposal Repair and Replacement in Oceanside, CA

If you live in the North San Diego County area and your garbage disposal isn’t doing its job, give 1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration a call. We’ve been providing expert garbage disposal repair and replacement services to homeowners in Oceanside and surrounding communities since 2012. Our team of licensed Oceanside plumbers can repair any garbage disposal unit problems you may be experiencing; if it’s time for a replacement, we can remove the old unit and install the new one.

You can contact 1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration through our website or phone us at 866-437-0205 to schedule a service call from an experienced Oceanside, CA plumbing professional.