6 TIPS TO PROFESSIONALLY MAINTAIN YOUR PLUMBING SYSTEM If your family is like most, this is the time of year when you are looking forward to staying indoors and staying warm. Sharing meals with loved ones and spending quality time is the priority this time of year and that means extra food preparation. With the extra food preparation and clean-up comes more wear and tear on your garbage disposal. Most people don’t consider their garbage disposal any time of the year but, especially not this time of the year with all of the focus on the holidays. In fact, it is a common misconception that there are blades in your garbage disposal that will take care of anything and do all of the hard work for you. This is simply not the case. Your garbage disposal only works to mash small food particles into pulp – the mechanism inside does not slice anything into smaller pieces. When you put things like starchy root vegetables, thick peelings, and meat into the garbage disposal, the system can easily get overwhelmed and eventually develop a serious clog. In fact, the number one reason that people call for an emergency plumber during the winter months is because of a clogged garbage disposal. Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you and your family. Follow these tips to protect your garbage disposal this winter:
Always run the water when using your garbage disposal. Running it dry could lead to clogs because the water helps to push all of the pulp and materials down the drain. Keep in mind that your disposal, kitchen sink, and dishwasher all use the same drain. Be mindful of what you are putting into each of these sections of your plumbing system as the single drain could become overwhelmed easily Make sure to always put vegetable peelings, meat bones and scraps, and oil or grease into the garbage can. Putting these items into the garbage disposal could quickly lead to a serious problem. Pour a pot of boiling water into your garbage disposal drain at least one time per month as a preventative maintenance measure. Use small pieces of citrus peels and ice cubes to keep your disposal clean and fresh Consider starting a composting bucket for your home to get rid of the biodegradable items that are not able to go into your disposal drain
Keep your system in top condition and avoid a plumbing disaster or clog by following these simple tips for the best way to use your garbage disposal!
SWAT Plumbing LLC
