Tag: disposal

Modern kitchen sink area with organized under-sink storage, featuring sleek cabinetry and stylish faucet by Scott Plumbing.

Best Maintenance Practices to Keep Your Garbage Disposal in Good Shape

How to Take Care of Your Garbage Disposal

The holidays are officially here, and along with the festivities comes preparing big family meals for countless parties, gatherings, or celebrations. For most homes, the kitchen transforms into a busy hub of activity with all the cooking, eating, cleaning, and dishwashing involved.

This also means that the sinks collect mountains of dishes, and the garbage disposal is constantly running in the background. With all the food and cleaning during the holiday, homeowners should ensure that the garbage disposal is in top shape to prevent any unexpected breakdowns or clogs that could put a damper on all the holiday festivities. The following are some of the best ways to ensure the garbage disposal stays in good condition and to prevent clogs. 

Food That Doesn’t Belong in Garbage Disposals

The first thing to consider when preventing clogged pipes and garbage disposal problems is to ensure that particular foods don’t go down the drain and garbage disposal. Oil and grease, for example, are big no-nos because they solidify at lower temperatures inside the disposal or pipes and can cause significant blockages. Rice, pasta, and other expandable foods should also be kept out of the drain because they absorb water and can expand to cause clogs. 

Other foods to be avoided include stringy, fibrous foods and vegetables that can get tangled up in the disposal, hard food like bones, nuts, and pits that could cause the disposal to break, and things like eggshells, coffee grounds, and seafood shells that can damage garbage disposals and cause clogs. Additionally, large quantities of food should never go down the disposal at once, as it can overwhelm the garbage disposal and pipes and create problems. 

Run It With Water and Ice

Stainless steel kitchen sink with water running into the garbage disposal, illustrating proper maintenance practices for preventing clogs.Whenever homeowners run their garbage disposals, and for a bit after it’s turned off, they should also run cold water from the kitchen tap. Cold water can help clear food debris from the garbage disposal, keep it moving down the pipes, and prevent the motor from overheating. 

Also, running a handful of ice cubes through the garbage disposal occasionally is a good practice because it can help clean any food debris that has gotten stuck while also helping keep the blades sharp. Following these simple tips at home can help keep the garbage disposal working well and prevent clogs in drain and sewer pipes.

Leave Garbage Disposal Repair and Replacement to the Pros

Hands installing a garbage disposal unit under a kitchen sink, showcasing plumbing connections and maintenance practices relevant to garbage disposal services.While prevention is a big part of keeping garbage disposals in excellent working condition, problems can still arise occasionally despite preventive measures. This is why it’s crucial to have a trusted, professional plumber come in for complex repairs and services that cannot be resolved with the push of the garbage disposal reset button. However, if the reset button must be used often, this likely indicates an underlying problem that a professional should handle.  

Garbage disposal installation and replacement should also be left to a plumber to ensure they are installed correctly and safely. Some more signs of garbage disposal problems indicating a plumber should be called include hearing strange humming noises, foul smells, if it isn’t working well anymore, or a garbage disposal that is leaking.

About Scott Plumbing

Scott Plumbing is a local, family-owned and operated company serving Huntsville, AL, and the surrounding areas. They provide clear and honest price estimates, same-day service, and trusted technicians. Call them today for kitchen plumbing and garbage disposal services in Huntsville, AL. 

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A hand using a screwdriver on plumbing fixtures, including a garbage disposal and pipes, for Scott Plumbing maintenance.

When Does a Home Need Garbage Disposal Repair?

Three Signs of a Failing Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are one of the fantastic modern tools that makes it easier to keep the kitchen clean. This hidden appliance grinds organic waste, allowing it to be put down the drain and travel safely through the pipes instead of going into the trash. With faulty garbage disposals, the food waste going down the drain may not be ground enough and cause problems for the plumbing, such as clogs. 

Like any other part of the house, a garbage disposal may occasionally need repair or may give out completely. Homeowners should not settle for half-functioning garbage disposals and get garbage disposal repair or replacement if the symptoms that are discussed in the following paragraphs are noticed.

Humming, Screeching, and Other Unusual Noises

Frustrated woman covering her ears with pillows, illustrating the distress caused by unusual noises from a malfunctioning garbage disposal.

While these appliances are not known for being quiet when they are operating, the garbage disposal that normally makes a grinding and whirring sound may change its tune if something has gone wrong. Some sounds indicating problems with the garbage disposal are:

  • Clanking:This can mean that a utensil has fallen into the disposal. A homeowner should quickly turn the disposal off and remove the silverware.
  • Humming:Garbage disposal humming usually happens when it is turned on, but it does not seem to be working. This typically means that it is jammed, and the blades cannot move. This safety feature can sometimes be fixed by hitting the reset button on the bottom of the appliance.
  • Screeching:This loud metallic sound usually means something is out of place or broken inside the unit or the motor has a problem. Homeowners should not use their disposal if it makes noises like this, as it could make things worse.

Slowing Down and Not Functioning Well

Poor performance is a sure sign that the garbage disposal has an issue or is nearing the end of its functional life. Several scenarios can signal poor performance of the unit. If it is taking longer than it should to do its job, it is frequently becoming clogged, or a homeowner must use the garbage disposal reset button often, then the garbage disposal in question should be looked at by a professional. 

There is no reason to put up with partially functional and ineffective garbage disposals when a professional can fix or replace them. When the garbage disposal is experiencing these performance issues, it can also cause problems for the plumbing, so fixing them quickly is important. 

Bad Odors

Woman expressing frustration while sitting at a desk with a laptop, illustrating common homeowner issues with garbage disposal performance.

A garbage disposal that is experiencing problems can also stink up the kitchen. Bad garbage disposal smells can be attributed to several things, and sometimes it is just a matter of cleaning them to remove any food stuck on the blades. Still, sometimes there is a more significant problem that needs addressing. 

Bad smells could indicate the garbage disposal is jammed or clogged with food or could point to a clog in the piping below the garbage disposal that may have been caused by the garbage disposal not working well enough to grind food waste sufficiently to travel through the pipes. 

About Scott Plumbing

Scott Plumbing is a local family-owned and operated business serving Huntsville and the surrounding communities. They provide straightforward pricing, same-day service, and a satisfaction guarantee. Call them today for kitchen plumbing and garbage disposal services in Huntsville, AL. 

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