In–Sink Waste Disposers/Garbage Disposals

Garbage disposals have been around for several decades, but their general design and configuration have remained largely unaltered until only recently. As a result, our Calgary plumbers often hear customers complain that their older units frequently jam and clog, and are unbearably loud. But in light of new developments that have significantly improved their operation, I want to talk to you about garbage disposal problems, malfunctions, maintenance, and recent advances.

Problems and Preventative Maintenance

The purpose of under–the–kitchen–sink garbage disposals is to grind and pulverize food waste that goes down our drains, so the scraps will more easily flow through pipes. But these appliances can be susceptible to rust, and if they rust they will start leaking, which signals that it’s replacement time. But long before that happens, there are several things you can do to prevent rust troubles. You should:

• Run the disposal every time you put waste into it, lest acids and oils should stagnate and eat through the seals.
• Always run cold water down the drain during (and for at least 30 seconds after) use. Hot water will dissolve fats and deposit them deeper in the pipes, where they will accumulate and cause clogs.
• Refrain from feeding your disposal fibrous foods like celery, onion skins, and asparagus.
• Run ice and eggshells through the unit whenever possible, as they will actually help to clean it out.

Functions and Malfunctions

Once your garbage disposal stops grinding properly or begins to leak, it is definitely time to upgrade. But if properly maintained, your disposal can last up to 10 years. So if you are taking care of the unit and encounter malfunctions before that time, I might have an easy solution. Here are some possible issues, causes, and resolutions:

• The disposal will not run: check circuit breakers, fuses, and overload switches, and reset or replace as necessary. Then hit the reset button on your disposal.
• The motor hums but the disposal does not run: an impeller may be jammed, so you may need to call a technician to have it repaired.
• The disposal only runs intermittently: a defective switch or stopper could be to blame, so try replacing them.
• The unit is leaking: loose connections could be the cause, so try tightening them.
• It is being louder than normal: disposals get loud when forced to grind something they are not designed for. This can result in damaged parts, which are often more expensive to repair than it is to replace the whole unit.

Exciting Improvements

Most of the garbage disposals in our homes today are InSinkErators, and it was this manufacturer that finally listened to customer pleas about noise levels and jamming frequencies. They have created an entire range of professional disposals that answer these dissatisfactions. When properly matched to a household and its needs, these new units are so peacefully efficient that many clients do not believe they are working, which is undoubtedly a nice change for their ears and pipes.