A garbage disposal doesn’t just make your life in the kitchen more convenient; it also helps protect the environment. With a garbage disposal, cleaning up after meals goes much more quickly, and they help you save money. To find out which garbage disposal is right for your home, contact the experts at Sewer Squad Plumbing & Drain Services.
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Do You Need a Garbage Disposal? Check out These Benefits
It seems like no matter how much you try, you always end up with leftover food scraps during food prep and after eating. Whether it’s peels or uneaten food, most people throw this stuff into the trash, which can make the kitchen stink. A garbage disposal makes life in the kitchen more convenient and provides these other benefits:
- Garbage disposals make cleaning up after eating go more quickly, leaving you more time to relax after meals.
- Food waste left in the trash begins to decay and emit foul odours into the kitchen. Flushing the food debris down the garbage disposal eliminates this problem leaving your home smelling cleaner.
- Garbage disposals cut down the amount of garbage bags you use, which saves you money and is better for the environment.
If you’re still not convinced a garbage disposal is right for you, call the experts at Sewer Squad Plumbing & Drain Services to find out more.
How to Maintain Your Garbage Disposal
When your garbage disposal is running as it should, it’s a handy appliance that makes life in the kitchen easier. It keeps your kitchen clean and fresh smelling, and saves you money. However, when the garbage disposal isn’t working right, the food can get stuck inside and cause a variety of problems. Here are a few tips to keep your garbage disposal in tip-top shape.
Use Plenty of Water
When running your garbage disposal, use plenty of cold water while the machine is grinding up the food. Once the machine has finished, continue running the water for about 20 seconds so the remaining particles are washed down the drain.
Avoid Fibrous & Hard Foods
Garbage disposals work best when they’re handling food that they can grind up easily. Foods like hard seeds, popcorn kernels, peach pits, apple seeds, and animal bones don’t grind up and can damage the system. Small pieces can get wedged underneath the blades causing them to jam. Also, the fibers from fibrous foods can wrap around the blades and damage the system.
Clean the Inside
Through usage, sludge builds up on the sides and blades of your garbage disposal and it requires cleaning. Avoid using harsh chemicals that can damage the unit and instead use baking soda down the drain and following it up with vinegar. You can also put a cup of rock salt down the drain and grind up ice cubes to clean and sharpen the blades.
If you need help cleaning or repairing your garbage disposal, call the plumbers with over 6 years of experience — call Sewer Squad Plumbing & Drain Services.
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How to Know When to Replace Your Garbage Disposal
Even with routine maintenance, your garbage disposal will break down and require replacing. Here are the most common signs that it’s time for garbage disposal replacement.
- Odd Noises: Every garbage disposal makes noise during operation; however, if yours begins making noises it’s not made before, it means something is wrong.
- Foul Odours: If you don’t clean your garbage disposal regularly, you will notice an awful stench coming out of the unit. If, however, you’ve kept up with the cleaning and still smell something foul, it may be time to swap the unit out for a new one.
- Water Leaks: With proper maintenance, your garbage disposal should last from 8-10 years, but over time, it’s common for the unit to crack and eventually leak. Water leaks mean it’s time to replace it.
