Whether it’s a garbage disposal for the home, or an industrial one that is used in a restaurant kitchen, taking care of your garbage disposal is one of the key factors in ensuring its lifespan, which will go a long way toward keeping money in your pocket. Nobody likes to have to shell out for new equipment a year after they got it, so proper garbage disposal maintenance and care is vital in making sure yours runs properly all the time.

Care

The first step in ensuring your garbage disposal runs properly is making sure you don’t put anything in it that isn’t supposed to be disposed of in that manner. Never put anything too hard like bones, shells, or unpopped popcorn kernels in your garbage disposal. This will cause the shredder to become dull and ineffective over time, and these items can also get jammed. Fribrous and starchy items should also be avoided from being put in a garbage disposal. Banana peels, celery, corn husks, potato peels, egg shells and coffee grounds should all be avoided. These items can be wrapped around the blades and cause a major blockage. You also want to avoid placing trash items in your garbage disposal. That’s what the trash if for. Don’t put thing like twist ties or rubber bands in there, as well as hair, grease, string or screws. It seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t know how to use a garbage disposal properly.

Run cold water when your garbage disposal is on, too. This will keep the motor, bearings and shredder assembly from overheating, and will also make sure the waste gets down the drain properly. Using hot water could cause a blockage further down the drain, which will mean a whole lot of headaches later on.

When it comes to cleaning your garbage disposal, make sure you do it on a regular basis. Dropping a few ice cubes down there will help to knock off any debris that may have been built up, and you can even go so far as to make special ice cubes out f lemon juice or vinegar. This will not only clean the garbage disposal, but keep it smelling fresh.

Maintenance

Nothing in this world is perfect, and you might run into problems with your garbage disposal from time to time, no matter how well you take care of it. Should this happen, there are steps you can take to repair it, without having to spend a lot of money on a repairman.

Of course the first step in garbage disposal maintenance is making sure to turn the power off. Never, ever, try and repair one while the power is on, as this could cause serious injury. Unplug the unit and from there you’re good to get started with repairing it.

For garbage disposals that won’t work, you can try using the offset wrench that came with the unit if your disposal won’t run or the flywheel is stuck. Put the wrench in the flywheel turning hole and turn it clockwise to dislodge the stuck impeller.

For garbage disposals that leak, you can try tightening the three mounting bolts, or if that doesn’t work, the problem could be in the plumbers putty. Force some putty between the sink flange and the sink then tighten the bolts again and wipe away and excess.

Got a slow drain? Remove the bolts holding the discharge pipe and check for clogs or disruptions. Should nothing be found the problem could be deeper in the line, so use a sink auger to clear the obstruction.

Those are just a few of the problems that can arise with garbage disposals. You can feel free to consult a plumber, or even someone where you bought your unit for more information in how to repair it should something come up.

Garbage disposals can be a wonderful addition to any home kitchen or business. They range from the simple to industrial, so make sure you choose the right one for your needs. From there it’s up to you to maintain it through regular cleaning and maintenance. It doesn’t have to be hard and you shouldn’t run into too many problems as long as you are inserting the proper items to be disposed of. Make sure you clean it on a regular basis and it will run fine for many years to come.