Tag: garbage

How to Keep Garbage Disposals Working Correctly

Plumbing Tips to Avoid Garbage Disposal Problems

Garbage disposals are extremely convenient appliances, making post-dinner clean-up a breeze for homeowners. But, like any appliance, they require a little TLC to function properly. 

Plumbers in Apple Valley, MN, want to empower homeowners to keep garbage disposals running smoothly and avoid clogs and unpleasant odors. Learn what foods can go down the disposal, why running cold water is essential, and how to limit the amount of food put down the disposal.

Avoid Putting Risky Foods Down the Garbage Disposal

sinkTo keep garbage disposals working properly, it’s all about what households put down the drain. Garbage disposals are designed to handle certain food scraps, but some things just don't belong. By following these simple do's and don'ts, homeowners can keep their disposal happy and their kitchen smelling fresh:

  • Foods homeowners can put down the disposal: Here are some food scraps that get the green light for disposal—soft fruit and vegetable scraps, cooked meat, and citrus fruit rinds.
  • Foods households shouldn’t put down the disposal: Certain foods can wreak havoc on the disposal and should be thrown in the trash – grease, fats and oils, bones, fruit pits, peels of certain fruits (like banana peels), fibrous vegetables (celery), starchy vegetables (potato peels), nutshells, and anything non-food related.

Run Cold Water to Avoid Clogs

sinkHomeowners should always run cold water while using their garbage disposal. This hack helps flush food scraps down the drain, preventing them from getting stuck and keeping garbage disposals clean.

Cold water can also prevent the system from overheating. Food scraps can be baked onto the blades if units get too hot while running. This will cause the garbage disposal to malfunction and emit foul odors in the household.

Plumbers also recommend that homeowners put ice cubes down the disposal. This might seem odd, but it can remove food particles and sharpen the blades.

Prevent Putting Too Much Food Down the Disposal

Homeowners must limit the amount of food they put down the garbage disposal at once to prevent clogs and blockages. 

To prevent this, homeowners should chop up larger pieces of food. Cutting them into smaller pieces before sending them down the disposal can make it easier for the blades to grind them up effectively.

If homeowners are looking for a natural way to freshen their disposal, grinding lemon or orange peels occasionally helps eliminate any lingering odors.

When garbage disposals clog or malfunction or start to make garbage disposal humming sounds, homeowners should first try using the garbage disposal reset button. If this doesn’t work, they should then call for repairs.

About Apple Valley Plumbing Company

Since 2013, Apple Valley Plumbing Company has offered quality plumbing services in Apple Valley, MN, and surrounding areas. What sets them apart is that they offer upfront pricing, same-day and on-time services, and treat their clients' homes like their own. Call Apple Valley, MN's experts for garbage disposal services today!

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Be Thankful for a Working Garbage Disposal This Holiday!

The Garbage Disposal Is a Special Part of a Thanksgiving Meal

It's November, and that means the year is winding down. But first, the busy holiday season awaits, and the first milestone of the season is Thanksgiving. At Thanksgiving, families cook enormous meals and invite friends and family over to celebrate what they're thankful for in the past year. There are a million things to be thankful for, but there are always things that get overlooked. One of the overlooked choices could be the garbage disposal. 

At most Thanksgiving meals, the turkey is the centerpiece. But for the people who have to clean up after the meal, the show's garbage disposal is the star. Here is a quick guide from local kitchen plumbing contractors to help homeowners get the most from their garbage disposal during the holiday season. 

Garbage Disposals Protect Kitchen Sink Plumbingdrain  

Kitchen plumbing has to deal with all kinds of hazards that the other drains in a home don't have to handle. This means that the kitchen sink drain is more likely to clog than any other drain in the house. A garbage disposal is a nifty device that serves a handy purpose. 

While cooking a huge meal, there will inevitably be food scraps from serving and preparing dishes in the sink. Instead of allowing giant food particles into the drains, a garbage disposal grinds them into smaller particles. With a good flush of water coming from the faucet while running the garbage disposal, food debris won't cause any clogged drains during holiday meal cleanup. 

How to Make the Garbage Disposal Last

The job that a garbage disposal does can be nasty. Dealing with wet food particles and grinding them up so they don't make a mess can take its toll on this appliance. There are a few things that homeowners can do to make their disposals last longer. Some good habits to get into to make the garbage disposal last longer are: 

  • Discard the bulk of the food into the garbage instead of down the drain
  • Always run hot water down the drain while using the garbage disposal
  • Never discard grease down the drain; put it in the trash instead
  • Keep onion and potato peels out of the sink since they can still cause clogs even after they get ground up

Signs Garbage Disposal Repair is Overduegarbage disposal

A garbage disposal is a noisy piece of equipment because it is a powerful appliance. The noise that a garbage disposal makes can be alarming but it is usually the best indicator of trouble. There is a difference between the noise of good operation and the noise a garbage disposal makes when it is having trouble. A garbage disposal can exhibit new noises like:
  • Grinding
  • Squealing
  • Humming
  • Wobbling

All of these are indicators that something is awry. It may be as simple as something getting caught in the blades throwing it off balance, or the sounds could indicate bad bearings or a locked motor. Either way, a garbage disposal specialist can replace the offending appliance or schedule a new garbage disposal installation. 

About Apple Valley Plumbing Company

Apple Valley Plumbing Company knows enough to deal with during the holidays, so they offer a no-mess guarantee to Apple Valley, MN. Same-day service sets them apart from their competition. Call today to get custom solutions to plumbing problems. 

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