Garbage Disposals

The garbage disposal is one of the great conveniences of the modern kitchen. They allow you to rid your home of food waste that otherwise might linger in trash cans. This waste is simply chopped up and washed away with your kitchen sink’s other waste water with very little effort on your part. But that doesn't mean these systems don’t need to be cared for to maintain proper operation.

Whether you’re just considering having a garbage disposal installed or you’re experiencing problems with an existing unit, the Orlando area plumbers at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) are here to help. Our skilled technicians are always available to come to your home to inspect, maintain, repair or replace your garbage disposal. You will find that your problem is quickly solved, your troubles are quickly forgotten and your disposal is back in business in no time.

Taking care of your garbage disposal is pretty easy, but there are a few things you should know to help you keep it working as effectively as possible:

• Never pour cooking oil down the garbage disposal; it can solidify in your pipes and cause clogs.
• Don’t put too much in your garbage disposal at once. In order to keep your disposal working properly, slowly feed the food and run water down the drain before and after use
• Don’t put stringy or starchy food in the disposal because they cannot be completely broken down. Some examples of foods that fit in this category are celery, potato peels, and fruit.

Garbage Disposal Cleaning & Maintenance

Many homeowners tend to neglect their garbage disposals. For the most part, a garbage disposal is not a device that needs much attention, but there are a couple little things you can do to keep it functioning at its best.

To keep the blades clear of debris, dump a full tray of ice into the disposal. Run some cold water and turn the disposal on. Let the blades whir until the ice is all gone, then turn it off and let the cold water run for about 15 more seconds before turning that off as well.

Another good method for keeping the disposal blades clean and removing corrosive mineral deposits is to put a cup of white vinegar down the drain. Let that sit and soak for about an hour, then flush with hot water. The vinegar will break up mineral deposits.

For odor control, toss some lemon peels into the disposal once in a while. This breaks up smelly gunk and leaves the drain smelling fresher.

Clearing Garbage Disposal Jams

Whether you overestimated your disposal’s abilities or inadvertently dropped a whole potato into it, you may find yourself in a situation with a jammed disposal. There are a couple of things you can try to get the blades spinning freely again.

First, before doing anything to clear your disposal, turn off the power to the unit. To do this, find the motor under the sink and either unplug it from its power source or turn the master switch to off. You can also flip the circuit breaker if you have access to the breaker box. If you cannot access either the unit or the power to the unit, do not proceed with working on the disposal and call a professional.

Once you are sure all of the power is off, reach into the disposal or use a pair of pliers to remove any objects that you can find. Next, locate the hex key that came with the disposal unit. This wrench is designed to be inserted into a small fitting on the underside of the disposal unit. Turn the wrench back and forth to manipulate the blades.

If neither of these methods works for you, or if you just feel more comfortable having a professional handle the situation, call MPI. Our Orlando metropolitan area plumbing technicians know how to handle all kinds of garbage disposal problems. Call us today to learn more about our garbage disposal services.