Maintenance Tips to Extend the Life of Your New Garbage Disposal

In this brief article brought to you by Mr. Rooter Plumbing, we offer some maintenance tips to keep your units as dependable kitchen workhorses that deliver over a decade of trouble-free service. If you’d rather consult or hire a uniformed plumber in Sarasota, then contact Mr. Rooter to get in touch!

What You Should Never Put Down Your Disposal

An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Naturally, we’re going to start with some tips to avoid headaches in the first place. Despite their grinding power, disposals aren't designed to process anything and everything that fits through the drain opening.

Keep the following OUT of your kitchen garbage disposal:

• Fibrous vegetables like celery, asparagus, corn husks, and artichokes, because their stringy fibers wrap around grinding mechanisms.
• Grease, fats, and oils, because they can coat grinding chambers and drain pipes, solidify, and form blockages.
• Expandable foods such as rice, pasta, and bread, because these pasty masses can obstruct flow and stress grinding mechanisms.
• Hard materials like bones, fruit pits, and shells that can damage grinding components or jam mechanisms.

Of course, non-biodegradable items like cigarette butts, plastic, metal, or glass should never go into the drains, either.

Daily Habits That Extend Disposal Life

With that said, let’s get to proper care and usage. Here are some daily habits to keep in mind the next time you run your garbage disposal:

• Always run cold water before, during, and after disposal operation to solidify any greases present.
• Feed waste gradually rather than overloading the disposal.
• Cut larger items into smaller pieces before disposal.

These simple measures go a long way in keeping the garbage disposal running properly, but maintenance is still necessary.

Weekly and Monthly Maintenance

Periodic maintenance, beyond preventive measures and daily habits, are non-negotiable if you want to extend disposal life and prevent issues and odors. Here are a couple of maintenance tips to jot down on your weekly and monthly to-do lists:

Grinding ice cubes monthly helps scour grinding chamber walls, remove built-up residue, and maintain grinding efficiency. Fill the disposal with ice cubes, run cold water, and operate until ice processes completely.

After, or while, grinding the ice, you can toss in lemon, lime, or orange peels to neutralize odors and leave pleasant scents. As a bonus, the citrus oils also help clean grinding chamber surfaces.

It’s also worth mentioning that we do not recommend chemical drain cleaners – especially if your property depends on a septic system. These caustic products damage rubber seals, corrode metal components, and harm helpful bacteria in your septic tank (if you have one). Opt for vinegar or hot water for cleaning instead.

Warning Signs to Address ASAP

Maintenance helps, but accidental and incidental damage are almost inevitable. Recognizing and addressing minor problems prevents major failures, and it can save you from a premature garbage disposal replacement. Ring the alarms if you notice:

• Unusual noises
• Slow drainage
• Reset button tripping
• Persistent odors

If you’re concerned about your garbage disposal and need a local plumber’s assistance, then call or message Mr. Rooter Plumbing to get in touch. We’re happy to schedule an appointment or arrange an urgent plumbing repair service for as soon as possible.