How to Prolong the Life of your Food Waste Disposer

Whether you are planning to purchase or already own a food waste disposer we all have a good understanding of how much one of these wonderful machines could cost and if you do not know, well, it ranges from anywhere from $150 to $500 and that is not including how much you got to pay for someone to install it.

So, why not take some time to read this post on some tips on prolonging the life of your food waste disposer? Here are some do’s and don’ts that could help you to begin doing some things and stop you from doing others.

1.Grind ice

Have you ever wondered how would you sharpen the blades inside the food waste disposer if they go dull? Will you need to take it apart and sharpen each blade? Or will you have to hire someone to replace the blades?

Well, I have good news! You can put a few ice chunks in your garbage disposal from time to time. The ice will help keep those blades sharp so they can handle other things you put down.

2. Avoid high fiber materials

The garbage disposal isn’t built to handle things with tangles and threads like corn husks, onion skins, celery and other such items. The items can thread around the disposal and burn out the motor. Put them in the garbage can instead.

3. Run cold water

When you are using your garbage disposal, you will want to run cold water at full pressure. This helps to flush the chopped-up items down the drain and away from the house.

4. Avoid Bones and Shellfish Shells

Bones and shells can dull and break your garbage disposal’s blades. These hard materials can jam the disposal, thwarting the blades from functioning properly and eventually exhausting the motor.

5. Avoid Fruit Seeds and Pits

Big and hard seeds and pits from nectarines, cherries, peaches, and durians can create similar effects as bones. They can blunt the blades or completely stop your garbage disposal from working.

6. Never Ever Put your Hand in the Waste Drain Disposer

We all have watched enough horror movies to understand that the waste drain disposer is not a place for us to put our hands down to reach something that has fallen in and yes, even though the switch is off you should not put your hand inside the waste drain disposer. Call in and let a professional take care of it.

P.S. Food disposals, also known as garburators, are banned in a couple of municipalities in Ontario including Toronto, Ottawa, Markham, Vaughan, and Guelph.