How well do you know your garburator?
If you’re like most homeowners then you use it every day, perhaps even after every meal. Chances are, it’s tough for you to imagine your life without it; at the very least, it would make kitchen cleanup a great deal harder!
To get the best use out of your garburator, though, and to ensure its longevity, you need to understand how it works. At the very least, you need to separate common garburator myths from real facts. Doing so can save you money in unnecessary garburator repair and replacement fees!
A few particular garburator myths to address:
Most garburators start to smell bad, after a while. If your garburator smells bad all the time, it’s because there is food down in it that isn’t being broken down properly. This means that you are likely disposing of things you shouldn’t, and you might want to review the list of acceptable things to put into the garburator! It also means you need to clean your garburator, which you can do by putting some ice cubes and lemon rinds down it. A bit of vinegar can also help.
If food and water still go down the garburator, then it isn’t clogged. This is not necessarily true. Clogs form slowly and partially before they become really notable. You may not know that a clog is forming until it is too late! Make sure you are using your garburator carefully, then.
So long as you have water running, you can dispose of pretty much anything. Not true! While running water is helpful, there are certain things you just shouldn’t ever dispose of. Remember that your disposal is for liquids—excluding cooking oils and grease—and for extremely small food residue, and nothing more!
Hot water should always be used in the garburator. This isn’t true, and in fact, using hot water can cause fats to melt and clog up the garburator. Use cold water—and for that matter, try to avoid putting fats down the disposal!
Garburators last forever. Even a meticulously maintained garburator will break down eventually, and need replacement. When that day comes, make sure you call a plumbing professional who can set you up with a properly functioning new unit!
