Kitchen Plumbing Tips: Sinks and Garbage Disposals

Rooter Experts offers some kitchen plumbing tips to help keep your appliances running smoothly. We know it can get expensive to constantly call a plumber for assistance, so we’re giving you hints to prevent damage, so you can save our number for serious situations only.

Garbage Disposal Problems

  • Your garbage disposal is strong, but it can be weakened. Don’t substitute your disposal for a trash can or compost bin for discarding waste, because it will wear down over time. Stringy items like celery, chicken skins, and banana peels can get wrapped around the blades, rather than being properly ground up.
  • Hopefully this is common knowledge, but you MUST run the water while using the disposal. It flushes food particles that could otherwise clog in the drain. Run it for 15 seconds before and after using the disposal.
  • Here is a helpful cleaning hint: toss some ice cubes into the garbage disposal. Although it will sound loud and frightening, it is actually cleaning and sharpening the blades. Add some dishwashing detergent for a better clean.

Sink Maintenance

  • Never pour grease or oil down the drain. These liquids congeal, or get hard, when cooled and could cause the sink to clog. Instead, pour them into a plastic container, let it harden, and scrape it into the garbage.
  • Clean the aerator: sediment builds up in the aerator, which can cause the water pressure to decrease. Unscrew it from the faucet and clean it with a soft brush and vinegar.
  • If you smell a strange odor, you need to investigate possible sources of the problem. Old and rotting food can grow mold, which is known to be related to respiratory problems. The longer you take to unclog a drain, the worse it becomes.

Los Angeles Plumbing Company

For more advice from Rooter Experts, your local Los Angeles plumbing company , read our weekly blog posts with bathroom and kitchen plumbing tips. Check out this hilarious post from last week about the Worst Plumbing Experience . Follow us on Twitter for updates @RooterExperts