Holiday Garbage Disposal Woes

From colder weather to heavier usage, if there’s any weak spot in your home’s appliances, plumbing or heating system, it’s likely to show its ugly side during the holiday season. One part that is especially vulnerable to holiday damages is your garbage disposal.

In Brooklyn, we at Petri Plumbing tend to get more garbage disposal calls now than any other time of the year. From excess cooking to house guests, a disposal will be put to the ultimate test and if it fails, getting it repaired can be costly. If you follow these professional tips, however, you can maintain your kitchen plumbing into the New Year.

Practice moderation: Even if your garbage disposal was installed by professional residential plumbing experts, it still shouldn’t be used like a trash can. Be reasonable with the scrap that enters the drain and avoid large or coarse items like coffee grounds, banana peels, eggshells, and bones.

Avoid grease and oils: The holidays will be filled with baking, sautéing, frying and more but your garbage disposal won’t be able to handle the grease and oil. These will harden as they cool, potentially clogging your disposal drain in the process.  Make sure you use very hot water to clean pots and pans that have excess grease and oil residues.

Rinse often: Because your disposal is getting some extra use during the holidays, it’s likely to get a little stinky. By running it for 30-40 seconds with hot water, you’ll help it rinse away the backed up food particles inside. This half-a-minute step can help you save hours of lost time getting your disposal repaired or replaced.

At Petri Plumbing, we know your garbage disposal is a vital part of your way of life. By following these tips, you can help maintain yours even during the hectic holidays. If you do however have a disposal mishap in Brooklyn or Manhattan, give us a call at 718-748-1254 to find out about our garbage disposal repair and replacement services.