Tips For Operating Your Garbage Disposal

These days’ garbage disposal units have become almost as important to the home appliance list as a vacuum cleaner. But like any appliance when they are working well its great but when they aren’t they can be terribly smelly and a real pain. So here are some tips to help keep your garbage disposal running optimally.

You can extend the life of your garbage disposal by following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. The manufacturer knows what their machine is capable of so follow the rules.

One of the most important things to remember is to never grind up anything that you shouldn’t. Things that weren’t meant to be ground up can damage the blades or cause the machine to become clogged.

If your disposal unit won’t run first check the circuit breaker or fuse. Try resetting it. You should also check to see if the overload switch has tripped. Just push the reset button and see if it’s working now.

If the motor hums but the disposal itself won’t run you could have a propeller that’s become jammed. This happens quite frequently if too much is jammed into the mouth at once or if unsuitable items are placed into the disposal.

To clear the jam start by unplugging the unit. If it’s directly wired then turn off the breaker. Your owner’s manual should have directions for cleaning the impeller but if you can’t find your book this should work. Look on the bottom of the disposal unit for a hole that’s the shape of a hexagon. Get a hex wrench that fits then rotate the wrench back and forth to free the obstruction. Some garbage disposals actually have a switch the reverses the impeller to automatically clear the jam.

If your disposal runs intermittently you should check for a defective stopper or switch which may need to be replaced. Remember to always shut the power source of to the unit when you are working on it.

If the garbage disposal is grinding poorly make sure you have enough water running through while you are operating the disposal. Water is a key to efficient operation. If you have sufficient water flow then check for leaks below the disposal. If you find a leak tighten the connection. If you don’t find a leak you might need to replace the drain gasket. If all else fails call a repairman.

If the disposal is overly noisy first check to make sure something hasn’t gone into it that should not have. If the trap is clear then you might need to replace the impeller or blade. If this doesn’t resolve the problem you may need a new motor, which means you’ll have to call a repairman. Something to be aware of – motor repairs can cost as much as a new unit so you may want to just replace the unit.

Garbage disposals will get a build up of debris and sludge that you’ll need to remove to keep it operating efficiently. The easies way to do this is to fill it with rock salt and ice cubes then run it for about 10 seconds. If you are getting bad odors off of it you can deodorize is by grinding a lemon while running the water.

Your garbage disposal will work best if you use cold water to grind the food and if you start running the water before you feed it the food. Then continue running the water for a bit after you are finished grinding. You should never overfill it. Rather feed it small amounts at a time. Do not use drain cleaners or bleach to clean it and do not grind bones, glass, metal, or rubber. Check your manual for manufacturer instructions on what you should not feed your disposal unit.

Your garbage disposal should give you years of service if you follow these tips and do regular maintenance.

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory.