Garbage Disposal Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Disposal

The truth about garbage disposals is that if you are nice to them they will be nice to you. So most of the time when we get a call from someone needing a Brooklyn plumber to fix a malfunctioning or non-working garbage disposal, it’s usually something that could have been avoided by following our garbage disposal tips.

Not everyone grew up around garbage disposals, and many people, we have found, were never really instructed in the proper way to use them. To help Petri Plumbing’s neighbors in NYC and Brooklyn we have created a list below to help keep your disposal running smoothly:

Our Garbage Disposal Tips

1. Don’t turn off the water before turning off the disposal disposal when there are utensils in it

The optimal way to run the disposal is to turn the water on first, then run the disposal, turn off the disposal and then turn off the water last.

2. Never turn on a disposal when there are utensils in it

Of course no one does this intentionally, but making sure nothing like that is in there BEFORE you turn it on can avoid big problems.

3. Oil and grease do not mix well with your disposal

Oil and grease are sticky and get into places they shouldn’t, potentially gumming up the disposal’s motor.

4. Avoid putting fibrous materials like corn husks in it

Fibrous plants like corn husks, artichoke leaves, celery sticks and even banana peels and onion peels can wreak havoc with the motor.

5. Don’t put any of the things here in your disposal (All have been found in disposals)

Jewelry, cigarettes, fruit pits, large seeds, whole fruit, hard flower stems, nut shells, sea shells, seafood shells, coffee ground filters – basically don’t put anything in the disposal that you would not put in a blender.

If you didn’t know these garbage disposal tips already and have a clogged disposal, Petri Plumbing is available for emergencies at all times, but it’s always best to contact us before a small problem becomes a big one! Request an appointment today.