i'm on my 2nd garbage disposal, any tips to help prolong the lifetime of my garbage disposal?

Question

any dos and donts? any well-known tips? is it a myth that you should have the water running when you have the garbage disposal on? sometimes i dont do the dishes every single day, and there are times the dishes sit in the sink for even 2 to 3 days at a time, is it bad for food to sit inside the disposal, even for a couple hours?

i know silverware and any other objects that are particularly hard, and not edible such as wood chips, silverware, sharp knives, and other metal or foreign objects are not recomended to be put in the disposal, but what about things that are somewhat hard, such as pasta that has been exposed to the open air for several hours, and has hardened, is it suitable for the disposal, or do i risk damaging it, when i dont just want to throw it away?

any and all information would be helpfull, i thought i knew the basics, but my 2nd disposal is on the fritz, and i havent even had my own place but for less than 3 years, is this normal life for a disposal?

ha! that last sentance should have read "is this a normal lifetime for a disposal?" sorry!!!

to mr. knowItAll: my 1st garbage disposal, literaly threw a blade right out of the disposal, it landed on the counter, and i did not want to turn it back on with it missing a blade, and had it replaced.

i notice nowadays, when i jam a piece of raw meat, or a piece of fat down in the disposal, and i have to fish it out, that the blades are getting loose, now, on my 2nd disposal. i'm wanting to know how to take care of a brand new one, and keep it brand new, besides just not using it. please let me know if you need me to be more specific.

to mountainriley: my disposal was installed by my landlords contractor, and when i asked to read the instructions, he said he had already thrown them away. YOU'RE THE IDIOT.

Answer 1

I think you sleep too much, Goddess! But, I digress. Your garbage disposal is actually a food waste disposal. It is not designed to grind up anything. It just beats it around enough so that it won't clog the drain. You are using it incorrectly. They do sell big motor jobs for people like you, but abuse them, and they will fail too! Sorry.

Answer 2

You might have two problems. A plugged line and a broken garbage disposal. Unplug the garbage disposal under the sink. Now make sure you can freely move the teeth on the garbage disposal. It will not move if something is jammed in there, removing the rubber thingy in the drain helps to see better. I think on the disposal itself there is a re-set button, you can press this and plug it back in and see what happens. It may have burned up after being jammed, in which case you need a new one. Installing one isn't real difficult, but still a challenge. If the dishwasher won't drain and the garbage disposa side won't either you have a clog somewhere. Do you have a clean-out drain? it should be outside near the kitchen outside walls . It would be a 3 or 4 ": pipe with a cap on it and a square thing to put a wrench on it. Turn it counter clockwise and remove it. be aware that it may gush whatever is in there out. If the water is standing in there you need to put a snake down there and loosen up the clog. If this clean-out has nothing in it then your clog is somewhere between the disposal, the dishwasher and the cleanout. You can also try and put the snake in the already draining side I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Yes there are several things that you can do to extend the life of the disposal.

1.) NEVER leave anything in the disposal for any length of time. Food starts breaking down very quickly and causes bacteria which will "Eat" the blades etc by rusting them. It will also cause a very foul odor because the metal absorbs the food particles.

2.) NEVER pour grease in the disposal, This is not only bad for the disposal but it is very bad for your sewer system and will cost you major dollars!

3.) Never put bones in the disposal it can LOCK up the motor quickly (If it is not running when you drop them in) and cause the motor to burn up.

4.) Never use COLD water to digest the food in disposal

5.) Never let anything but food get into the disposal.

6.) Always start your disposal before putting anything in it

7.) Always run HOT water before putting anything into the disposal and let the water run until you turn OFF the disposal.

8.) Always keep the disposal CAP on while it is not in use. If you don't have one you can buy a replacement at a hardware store for a few dollars.

Hope this helps !

Answer 4

The person who said to run cold water is correct; this keeps the motor cool. Also, avoid using the disposal except for those incidental food items that wind up in the sink. Never use your disposal in lieu of a garbage can. Nothing hard, ever. Cheap disposals will only last a few years. Higher amp draw and/or horsepower rating will indicate the stronger disposals to use. Price, too, will be a good first indicator. Not all disposals are equal. Next disposal you buy, save the instructions. The instructions will give you a better understanding.

Answer 5

You have left out the most important info. What is wrong with it.
NO, garbage disposals last quite sometime. If it merely does not start when you turn it on, it is probably stuck from leaving things in it, causing corrosion. Food and veggies contain acids which corrode the pot metals disposals are made with. If this is the problem, you need the (an) allen wrench (1/4 inch) that came with your disposal. Dead center, in the very bottom of your disposal, is an allen head. Insert the allen wrench, and turn it to break the disposal free from whatever is holding it. You can turn it in either direction, or both.
Running water when using your disposal, washes the food remains down the drain, and removes the acids out of your disposal.

Answer 6

We use our disposal daily and had to replace the first one after 10 years. I purchased the 2nd one (same make and model) and it has been running for 8 years. If a food product get extremely hard I throw it into the trash, not the disposal. I never put celery in the disposal either. It can clog up the unit. I always run water down the disposal when it is running. Never run it dry.
In additon, if you have a dishwasher and it drains into the disposal, NEVER run the disposal when the dishwasher is on. It can mess up th disposal. Good luck

Answer 7

I feel your pain....I have had a lot of grief with my disposal too. I am getting to the point where I think they are more of a nuisance than an actual help. I dont put much of anything down there. No pasta or starches for sure, but also no fiberous veggies like celery or onion or even carrot skins. Buy one of those "screen" things for your sink. They fit over the opening and catch anything bigger than a crumb. That will def prolong the life of your disposal. And yes, I would think food sitting in the disposal would not be good for it ... common sense. It would start to stink and maybe even rust or rot out the blade. Anyway, good luck!

Answer 8

First, yes-water should be running when the disposal is running.
You obviously have a grasp of disposal basics. It is important to know that soft stuff, like rice, if there is a lot of it, can strain the motor too. If in doubt, throw it out. Better to have to empty your garbage pail than to have replace the disposal.

Finally, if you ever have to replace your disposal, get the strongest one you can afford. I have had mine for 15 years. It was expensive at the time, but well worth it.

Answer 9

Hello:

First, as to what goes into the disposer: nothing you can't digest yourself (although usually the result is a clogged drain).

Second, as with so many items, you get what you pay for. Don't purchase the cheapest item. Shoot for the mid range, about $80.

Also, yes you should run the water while running your disposer.

When it gets bad breath, throw in a lemon peel (yeh you can eat them!),

good luck!

Answer 10

I was hoping you would have said what the problem was.
Motor burned up?
Made aw full noises?
Quit doing anything?
Mulch disc and blades broke?


ADDED:

Dang!!, sounds like it's mad at you.

Basically, I think the problem you're having is from food stuffs remaining on the blades, and blade disc most of the time.
That's causing the cutter blades and rivets holding them on to rust out prematurly.

I would recommend just turning it on for a brief period after using the sink so as to spin the excess water off it.

Also, try to use the other side of the sink most of the time for general use.

Oh, one other thing. Now, I'm not yelling at you....but.......Have you thought of doing dishes more often so the pasta doesn't harden to brick?