Tag: garbage disposal

Garbage Disposal Dos and Don’ts

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garbage disposal dos and don'ts

Garbage disposals are incredibly convenient appliances. With just the flick of a switch, you can drain away food scraps left behind in your dishes without much hassle. However, it’s important to remember like any appliance, garbage disposals need proper care and maintenance daily. To help you out, the pros at Roman Electric have prepared a guide with garbage disposal do’s and don’ts—so you can use and take care of your garbage disposal the right way!

1. DON’T Put These Items in Your Disposal

Garbage disposals can handle a variety of food scraps such as small, thin animal bones, some vegetable scraps, ice and even small pieces of cooked meat. However, there are certain items you absolutely should not put down your disposal. Here are a few of them:

  • Grease

Any fats, oils and grease shouldn’t go in your disposal—even though they are liquids they congeal quickly and wreak havoc on your disposal and your drain.

  • Starchy Foods

Foods like pasta, potatoes, and rice can very quickly become a mushy goo in your drain and easily clog it.

  • Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds don’t break down easily which means they might worsen the condition of your drain, especially if it is older.

  • Eggshells

Eggshells don’t decompose quickly, so it is best to throw them in the trash.

DO Keep Your Disposal Clean

Clean your garbage disposal weekly by pouring a little bit of dish soap in the drain and running water. You can also make your own disposal cleaner by using baking soda and vinegar. Pour ½ cup of baking soda in the disposal and follow it up with ½ cup of vinegar. Let the mixture fizz then run water for a few seconds. To remove any odors, cut up some lemon slices to put down the disposal and let it run with water for a few seconds.

DO Use Your Trashcan when Unsure

If you are unsure of where you’re supposed to dispose of certain food scraps, take the safer route and dump in the trash. If you put the wrong thing in your disposal, you might end up dealing with plumbing issues in the long run.

DON’T Try to Sharpen It

Some sources might tell you to put eggshells or ice down your disposal to try and sharpen its blades. Garbage disposals do not have blades—they have blunt impellers that pulverize any food scraps you dispose of. So, there’s no need to worry about sharpening these impellers and there’s definitely no need to dump eggshells down there!

Have any more questions about garbage disposal dos and don’ts? Get in touch with the professionals at Roman Electric. Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website! Our team of experts will be more than happy to answer your questions and address your concerns about plumbing – and heating, cooling and electrical issues as well.

Troubleshooting Common Garbage Disposal Problems

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Only a few inconveniences are as uniquely frustrating as dealing with a garbage disposal that isn’t working right. Since the only time we really need to use one is when we’re getting rid of what essentially amounts to trash, a broken disposal usually means we’ve got to deal with some nasty garbage instead.

Garbage disposals are efficient and incredibly appreciated, but even they run into problems. When you’re not sure how to deal with them, the clock starts ticking. Eventually the smells start getting worse and the complications intensify, and you’ve got some stinky trash that needs to go immediately. Here are a few garbage disposal problems you might encounter and how to troubleshoot them!

Disposal Won’t Turn On

For whatever reason, sometimes the disposal just won’t work at all. Thankfully, you can usually whittle down the list of potential causes, because it’s more than likely a power problem.

  • Disposals get their power from a cord that plugs in under the sink, and there’s a chance it might’ve gotten jostled loose. Check to see if the cord came unplugged somehow.
  • There is a reset button on the underside of the disposal, too. Press it if the cord is still plugged in and that could do the trick.
  • Otherwise, the problem might be a result of a tripped breaker. Stroll over to the breaker box and see if any of the switches have flipped – if they have, then just reverse it and the problem should have corrected.

It’s Jammed

Even though disposals are typically pretty great at grinding up whatever you put down there, they occasionally get jammed with something they can’t get rid of.

  • Before you try anything, turn the power off. Disposals obviously have sharp blades, and you can get hurt. Never stick your hand down the disposal, regardless of whether it’s on or off.
  • Figure out where the jammed object is by using a flashlight or just by peering down in it.
  • Use some type of grabbing tool, like a pair of tongs, to fish the object out. Again, DO NOT stick your hand down there, even if you’re certain you cut the power off.

It’s Got a Clog

Although the general idea is the same as when your disposal is jammed, a clog usually happens when liquid gets backed up. You probably won’t be able to yank out one specific problematic object like you would with a jam.

  • Instead, fill the sink with some soap and water to help break up whatever is causing the clog. Take a plunger and place it over the sink and plunge it in the same way you would a toilet.
  • Never use drain-cleaning chemicals on your disposal. The corrosive components of them can harm your disposal’s metal components, so if plunging doesn’t work, then the problem is likely somewhere in the P-trap.

If the above solutions don’t work, then you shouldn’t try anything more extensive unless you have plumbing experience. Otherwise, schedule an appointment with us! Roman Electric’s plumbers have the tools and expertise to solve your malfunctioning garbage disposal along with any other plumbing problem you may have.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to find out more information!

3 Signs Your Garbage Disposal Is About to Break

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signs your garbage disposal is about to break

Your garbage disposal tends to be the go-to solution when there’s unwanted food or debris in your kitchen sink – and for good reason too. Garbage disposals can break down and remove even large pieces of food with little effort, further pushing them down the drain all at the flick of a switch. This makes meal cleanups quick and efficient. Manual cleanup can seem unthinkable after you’ve used a garbage disposal for the first time.

That’s why Roman Electric recommends you know some signs your garbage disposal might be about to break. Recognizing the signs can help you address the situation before it exacerbates. It can also help to ensure your daily routines remain unhindered by a faulty disposal.

Below are 3 signs your garbage disposal is about to break:

1. Bad Smells Are Coming from Your Garbage Disposal

While garbage disposals can break down considerable amounts of food and debris, that doesn’t mean they don’t have their limits. Too much food or debris in a garbage disposal can lead to a clog, which can prevent any food from going down the drain. This can produce a foul smell as the lodged food begins to rot.

Additionally, this can happen if you’ve poured grease, fat, or oil down the drain. These substances can solidify at room temperature, which can prevent your garbage disposal from working. This also can create some bad smells, as the grease, fail, or oil mold in the piping.

Pro Tip: Memorize the acronym FOG (fat, grease, and oil) to remember which items to avoid putting down your garbage disposal.

2. Water Is Leaking from Your Garbage Disposal

Another side-effect of a clog in your garbage disposal is water leakage. Food can’t move through the pipes if there’s a blockage, and neither can water. Clogged pipes can cause water buildup, which also causes leakage.

If there is a bad smell coming from your garbage disposal, we recommend checking under the sink to see if any leakage is present. If so, you’ll want to contact Roman Electric for further consultation.

3. Your Garbage Disposal Is Making Weird Noises

Hearing a grinding sound when running your garbage disposal is normal. After all, its function is to pulverize! But when these sounds start getting abnormal, you may need to have it inspected.

The sound your garbage disposal is making can indicate the source of the problem:

  • If the sound is incredibly loud and fierce, there could be an object, such as silverware, stuck in the disposal, clanking around in the blades.
  • If the sound is a quiet buzz or humming, then it could caused by a clog, lack of power, or a failing motor.

If any of these signs apply to your garbage disposal, we recommend having it looked at by the professionals at Roman Electric. Our dedicated team of technicians are thoroughly trained to handle garbage disposal repair or replacement.

We’ll perform a full diagnosis of your garbage disposal and provide cost-effective solutions. If you would like to speak to Milwaukee’s leading technicians, give us a call at 414-369-3798 to get started.