The garbage disposal hums, but isn’t working. Or it stinks and the sink drains slowly. Is that a DIY repair? Or do you need to contact a local garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA professional?
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Garbage Disposal Plumber Near Me: Installation, Plumbing, and Repair Services
Although garbage disposal units are very handy household appliances to have, clogged or jammed garbage disposals can quickly become a big plumbing problem. Garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA professionals are available 24/7 to deliver various services for garbage disposals.
Including cleaning out plugged up garbage disposals, new disposal installation, and repairs of residential garbage disposals.
These professionals also provide services for commercial grade garbage disposals.
When using a garbage disposal, preventing kitchen drain backups or clogs is crucial. This is achieved by ensuring that the plumbing for the garbage disposal is in excellent operating condition.
Garbage disposals often get damaged if objects such as straws, silverware or sponges land up in the unit. Garbage disposals can also be clogged by food items such as grease or fats, highly stringy foods such as asparagus or celery and by bones.
If you think your garbage disposal may be clogged, it’s important to call plumbers at Plumber Near Me USA quickly so that they can do garbage disposal repairs or installations. A garbage disposal that is clogged often leads to clogs further in the drain line.
This can in turn lead to more serious drain backups or clogs that will then need to be repaired. Plumbers at Plumber Near Me USA are able to repair just about every size and brand of garbage disposal, thereby prolonging the life of a garbage disposal by many years.
Common problems with garbage disposals include:
- Jams – Hard-to-grind items or excessive food prevents the blades from moving.
- Leaks – Seals that are worn allow odors or waste to escape, and this could cause a wet work area or even health problems.
- Nothing happens when the unit is switched on – electrical connections need to be checked, or the unit may have to be reset.
- Humming – The impellor or motor may be damaged.
- Not draining – The drain pipe may be clogged by waste due to the unit not shredding food properly.
Call Plumber Near Me USA right now to schedule the repair of a garbage disposal unit or find out more about our services for commercial garbage disposals. Call 1-888-548-3652
Garbage Disposal Replacement and Installation
If you have to have an existing garbage disposal unit replaced, or a new one installed, a garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA professional can advise you on the best unit that meets both your budget and your household’s needs.
Plumber Near Me USA plumbers can also do the plumbing for the garbage disposal and install the unit.
Our licensed plumbers will make sure the unit is connected to the plumbing system and the power source properly. To find out more about our installation services for garbage disposals, call your local plumbing expert at Plumber Near Me USA. Call 1-888-548-3652
Commercial and Restaurant Garbage Disposal Services
Many businesses have kitchens that rely on garbage disposals functioning properly in commercial sinks. A commercial garbage disposal is an important element in reducing the probability of drains clogging, as they will shred waste food before it goes into the drain pipe.
Garbage disposals for commercial kitchens come in many horsepower ratings and different styles that can handle a wide variety of volumes.
Convenience stores, office kitchens, fast food restaurants and delicatessens generally require light duty (1/2-3/4 HP) garbage disposal units.
Medium duty models (3/4HP) are most often used in medium-sized restaurants, schools and hospitals.
Heavy duty (1HP) commercial garbage disposals are most suitable for hotels, kitchens, large restaurants and factories that process high waste volumes.
However, irrespective of whether the commercial garbage disposal being used is light or heavy duty, they can all still be overcome by big volumes of food scraps. Or may be damaged by other items like dishcloths, silverware, or straws.
Getting rid of a clog in a commercial sized garbage disposal normally requires a professional. A garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA professional can replace, repair or install all types of commercial garbage disposals.
Hotels, schools, hospitals, restaurants and other such type of businesses can’t afford a kitchen to have any downtime. Our professionals are available for commercial garbage disposal repairs 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
We provide free estimates, get the problem fixed professionally and fast, and backup our work with a comprehensive guarantee. Apart from our experts being able to undertake the repair of any commercial disposal unit, we also provide installation of commercial garbage disposal units.
Apart from garbage disposal services, you can find out more about other Plumber Near Me USA’s plumbing services by calling 1-888-548-3652 or booking an appointment online.
Not All Garbage Disposals Are the Same
Some garbage disposals are reliable, quiet and have been built to pulverize seeds and bones while others are unfortunately loud, unreliable and are barely able to do the job.
Unfortunately, the type of garbage disposal units most often found in American homes are the builder-grade, least capable models.
Holiday celebrations often come with heavy meal preparation and these tend to run garbage disposals through their paces. Although some of these devices will be up to the challenge, many more simply can’t. Underperforming garbage disposals often result in sewers and kitchen sink drains that are clogged, and homeowners are often not able to fix this with drain chemicals or a plunger.
Plumber Near Me USA has its busiest day of the year the day after Thanksgiving, and jammed garbage disposals and clogged kitchen sinks and are one of the biggest reasons.
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Which Foods Should Not Be Put In A Disposal?
As the unit is called a “garbage” disposal, some people mistakenly believe anything can be put through the appliance. This is however not the case.
Trash such as twist ties, cigarettes, hair, fabric, as well as specific types of food should never be put in a garbage disposal unit.
Surprisingly, Onion skins will wrap around the shredder ring, and this will cause a blockage. Also, pasta or rice swells up in water and plugs up the trap, while egg shells can clog pipes.
Although you can call an expert plumber to help with these significant problems, it is much easier to avoid these problems in the first place by knowing what can’t be put down the drain.
Don’t ever put these items in the garbage disposal:
- Banana skins
- Poultry skins
- Large bones (anything larger than fish or small poultry bones). However, avoiding bones altogether would be best.
- Onion skins
- Eggshells
- Oil, fat or grease
- Corn husks
- Potato peels
- Hard items such as nuts, popcorn kernels, or seeds
- Peach or plum pits, or apple seeds (apple seeds can get stuck under the blades and cause them to jam)
- Rice, pasta and other starchy products
- Fibrous foods like asparagus, pumpkin, and celery
- Little pieces of plastic, glass, or metal
Things a Garbage Disposal Can’t Handle
As mentioned above, garbage disposals can’t handle everything that homeowners tend to put through them. Many people simply rinse food and other items down the drain while cooking or cleaning plates.
There are however many items that will harm your garbage disposal unit directly, or could cause problems within your pipes down the line.
Let’s look at some details about how these items can harm your disposal and should rather be thrown in the trash.
Fibrous Foods
Stringy or long foods like artichokes, banana peels, corn husks, onion skins, asparagus and celery should never be put in the garbage disposal. These foods often wrap around the disposal’s blades, and can cause the motor to seize. Fibrous materials are also difficult to process, and this often jams or blocks a disposal unit. Fibrous foods should be disposed of in the trash. An alternative is to use these foods for fertilizer or compost.
Grease
Fats, oils and grease that are the byproducts from grilling and other cooking methods should never be put down the drain. Although it may be an easy way to dispose of these substances, they create a layer over the blades, slowly building up and leading to ineffective grinding and clogs.
Although the disposal may at first chop grease into little pieces, there is still a problem with grease. When it cools down, liquid grease solidifies. The small pieces tend to then clump together and form a bigger blockage farther down the drain. Both liquid fat and oil also accumulates on the interior sides of the pipes.
Eventually, all that grease builds up, which narrows the inside diameter of the pipe. When that happens, food particles will bunch up and plug the pipe.
Even if you don’t have a garbage disposal, liquid grease should never be put down a drain. Although it may start out as a liquid, it will eventually cool down and solidify. It’s much better to let grease cool and harden in the pan in the refrigerator or on the countertop, and then throw it in the trash.
Unpleasant odors are created when grease decays and if it is in your disposal, it will smell badly. To dispose of grease, simply pour it into a container while it is still hot and throw it in the trash when it has hardened.
Expansive Foods
Foods such as quinoa, rice, couscous, and pasta expand when they absorb water. When these foods are put down the drain, even if has been cooked, it could still swell and block it, or fill the disposal trap.
It is especially important for homeowners to be careful with this food as it can easily stick to the drain and cause problems in the future, even if it’s chopped up well. Bread should also be thrown in the trash as it expands with water and could block the drain or prevent blades from working properly.
Bones
Chicken bones shouldn’t be put down the disposal as they are too hard for disposals to grind, even industrial-grade units. Many bones are so big they can’t easily go down the garbage disposal drain. Forcing the bones into the disposal can easily burn out the motor or break the disposal blades.
Although it may be possible to put items such as fish bones and other soft or small bones down a garbage disposal, it’s better not to take a chance and simply throw them in the trash to avoid issues altogether.
Halloween Pumpkin Carvings Will Haunt You
Pumpkin guts are one of the few things that wreak total havoc in garbage disposals and drainpipes. The sticky, stringy and slimy pulp that Americans dig out of pumpkins every year for Halloween unfortunately also make the perfect drain clogging material.
Innocent first time pumpkin carvers often use the kitchen sink to carve the pumpkin. They think it would cut down the amount of mess made. So, they push the pumpkin guts mess down the garbage disposal immediately. Very few people make this mistake twice.
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The guts from a pumpkin will block a garbage disposal completely. The disposal just can’t handle all that fiber. Also, the seeds and pulp that move past the disposal will stick to the drainpipes’ internal walls. When the water no longer runs, the pulp will dry and become as hard as concrete. Don’t ever let it get close to your drains, not even the toilet!
Eggshells and Coffee Grounds Plug Up Pipes
Although eggshells and coffee grounds may seem very different, the effect they have on a garbage disposal is virtually the same. When these are ground up, they become sand-like and this causes pipe obstructions.
Although there are some myths that say eggshells will strengthen the blades, or coffee grounds will deodorize your disposal, it’s much better to throw these in the trash or use them as compost. This will prevent problems down the road by keeping your disposal running problem free.
A kitchen disposal is one of the most used appliances in the home, and if you keep from putting these items into the drain, it will be more effective and last much longer.
If your disposal is clogged or malfunctioning in any other way, call your local Plumber Near Me USA professional today! Call 1-888-548-3652
Operating Your Disposal Correctly
Understanding the basics
Although using a garbage disposal seems very easy at first glance, many homeowners don’t use it correctly.
Many people push food into the small opening until it is full and then flip the switch to turn the disposal on. This is very hard on the disposal and often causes the blades to jam and even stops the disposal from working.
Run the COLD water for between 15 and 30 seconds before turning the disposal on. Feed the food into the drain with the disposal and water still running and wait for the grinding to stop.
Once the disposal has been turned off, the water should be left running for at least another 30 seconds. People often turn the water off immediately, or don’t use water at all, and this causes a buildup in the disposal system.
Something as simple as following these basic operations will help save you a lot of headache down the line and extend the life of your garbage disposal.
Apart from using the appliance correctly, here are some other things to watch out for when using your garbage disposal system:
- Don’t grind up things like egg shells, potato peels, nuts, onion skins, popcorn kernels, seeds, plastic, metal, glass, etc.
- Put bigger amounts of food scraps in the trash rather than in the disposal.
- Blades can be cleaned with orange peels cut into small pieces or ice cubes.
- Never pour grease down any drain, including the garbage disposal.
Dislodging Jams from the Blades
When a garbage disposal gets jammed, you can dislodge the blades yourself most of the time. Simply follow the steps described below:
- Unplug the unit from its power source.
- At the bottom center of the appliance, locate the hex-shaped notch.
- Insert the disposal key or an Allen wrench into the notch and turn it to and fro until the blades get loose and rotate freely.
- Plug in the unit and press the reset button.
- While running cold water, turn on the disposal to check if it is working.
If you have followed these steps and the disposal still doesn’t work, you may need to repeat them a few times. If it still doesn’t work, call a garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA to assist. Call 1-888-548-3652
InSinkErator Evolution Compact 3/4 HP Garbage Disposer. Can Garbage Disposal Blades Be Sharpened?
Garbage disposal blades aren’t really sharpened. They just don’t work effectively anymore if greasy grime and bits of food has have caked up in the grooves of the blades. Simply cleaning the blades will allow them to work better again.
An effective way to clean garbage disposal blades is to grind up peelings from citrus fruit cut into small pieces, or ice cubes.
Before trying to clean the blades of your garbage disposal, check the manufacturer’s instructions. Various newer models don’t have blades and use a different technology to grind up food particles. Normal cleaning methods like citrus fruits and ice cubes won’t work in this case.
Why Does A Disposal Smell?
Small bits of food often stay in the cracks and grooves of the appliance. An odor is emitted as the food decays.
Pouring baking soda down the drain and then adding vinegar to it is one way of removing smells. The chemical reaction is safe and it helps to loosen any sludge and grime that has built up and it can then be flushed down the drain.
Before cleaning your appliance, check the manufacturer’s instructions for any specific steps for the garbage disposal model you have.
Cleaning it regularly
Garbage disposal units often start to smell after being used for a while. It’s important to clean the system regularly to ensure it stays in tip-top shape and that waste doesn’t build up.
To get rid of this unpleasant odor, place lemon or orange peels and ice cubes in your disposal and run the unit for around 30 seconds. While it is running, squirt some liquid dish detergent into the disposal, followed by cold water for around 30 seconds.
To help the disposal getting rid of waste that sticks to the inside of the drain and the blades, grind baking soda or salt with ice.
Using a quarter cup of an effective, safe enzyme treatment once per month will help break down any grease and food in the pipes and will eliminate odors.
Schedule a professional drain cleaning once per year to prevent clogs and keep your system in good condition. Read more about drain hydro-jetting.
Can I Clean My Drain With Hot Water?
Grime can be loosened and washed away by pouring boiling hot water down the drain. It is a fairly good idea to pour hot water down most drains once per week. However, hot water will make the rubber parts age faster.
Also, you must run enough hot water to keep the grease, oils, and fats liquefied until they reach the city sewer pipes. Otherwise, you will have that same grease clog up another part of the drain system. So, pour hot water down the disposal drain less frequently than the other cleaning methods mentioned.
Can A Garbage Disposal be Harmed by Drain Cleaners?
Toxic drain cleaners can be very hard on both your appliance and pipes. When using a drain cleaner, it’s best to use an environmentally safe one. Such as Flo-Zyme Commercial Bio-Enzyme Drain Opener/Deoderizer. These products are formulated specifically to prevent organic materials like grease, fats, detergents and soaps from building up inside drains.
3 Ways Items Can Be Retrieved From The Garbage Disposal
It often happens that a ring or cutlery accidentally falls into the garbage disposal. It is definitely not a good idea to stick your hand down there to try and retrieve it. However, we do have some handy tricks that will help you fish out these items from the garbage disposal.
If you are however not sure about doing it yourself, simply give your local Plumber Near Me USA professional a quick call 1-888-548-3652
Always keep safety in mind when trying to retrieve anything from the garbage disposal. First, turn off the electric power, and shut off the water, before sticking anything down the garbage disposal.
Below we list three tricks you can use to fish stray items out of the garbage disposals
- Use A Magnet
This trick will only work with metallic items. Tie a long piece of string securely around a heavy-duty magnet and lower it into the garbage disposal slowly. Use your fishing skills and wiggle the magnet around. If you’re lucky, the item will be attracted to the magnet and you can pull it out.
- Retrieve Nonmetal Items by Using Kitchen Utensils
Locate nonmetal items that have dropped down the disposal by using a flashlight. If you manage to see it, try to retrieve it with a wooden spoon, tongs, or any other long kitchen utensil. Avoid putting your hand down the disposal – the blades are sharp!
- If All Else Fails, Check The P-Trap
If you can’t see your missing artifact by using a flashlight to look down the disposal and the magnet trick doesn’t work, the item probably managed to make its way to the P-trap. Everybody says this is the bent pipe shaped like a P located under the sink. However, it looks like a U shape to me.
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First, completely turn of your main water supply. Put a bucket underneath the P-trap to prevent to water and mess from running all over the cupboard. Unscrew the slip nuts on both sides of the P-trap, remove the pipe carefully and empty its content into the bucket.
If you think the item is in the P-trap, but don’t want to take it apart yourself, contact your local garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA professional today.
Three Things to Look Out For When Buying a New Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal is extremely useful to have in your kitchen sink. If you already own one, you’ll know it is very convenient to simply throw excess food into your sink. However, if you don’t own a garbage disposal, you’ll know it’s always a hassle to have to continuously take out the trash to prevent your kitchen from smelling bad.
If you want to buy a new garbage disposal or need to replace your existing one, it’s important to select a high quality unit. Garbage disposals provide the means to clean up quickly while you’re baking or cooking.
When buying a new garbage disposal, there are three things you need to consider:
- 1 Horsepower Or 3/4 Horsepower?
If your current garbage disposal makes a loud noise while operating, make sure you buy one with more horsepower next time.
Higher powered units are quieter, but not necessarily because a bigger motor makes less noise. It’s because more expensive units are normally insulated more heavily and heavier insulation equates to a quieter experience!
1.0 HP Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal. This InSinkErator Evolution Excel has nearly 2600 five star ratings. Get This One Now Click Here
- Stainless Steel Construction
Stainless steel garbage disposals resist corrosion much better than galvanized steel disposals. Grinders made from stainless steel will significantly outlast lessor quality grinders.
Also, the better quality stainless steel disposals do a better job of grinding. Which takes less effort, less cleaning, and fewer repairs.
- Continuous Feed
Garbage disposals come with two different types of feed: batch feed and continuous feed. Continuous feed garbage disposals are most commonly used as they are more convenient. A disposal with a continuous feed will work as long as it is switched on, allowing the user to feed food into the disposal easily while it is running.
Your local garbage disposal Plumber Near Me USA experts will install your first garbage disposal or repair/replace your troublesome disposal day or night.
Call 1-888-548-3652 or use the form below to get a free estimate and fast service.
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