A garbage disposal unit in your commercial kitchen makes cleanup easy. It also saves you time, energy, and even money. For the commercial garbage disposal to function optimally you need to take good care of it.
This calls for you to avoid making mistakes that might compromise it’s working. Here are some of the mistakes that you should avoid making as given by commercial garbage disposal repair professionals.
Using the wrong operating sequence
Did you know there is the proper sequence in which you should operate the garbage disposal? You should start by running cool water, turn on the garbage disposal, then gradually put the food in.
You should run the unit until all the food is gone then turn it off and let the water run for at least 15 seconds. This is to flush out the drain.
Some people start by shoving all of the food in the garbage disposal then run it. As you might have guessed, this not only results in the failure of the unit to take the food, it also puts the unit at the risk of developing problems.
Other people flush the unit with hot water. While you might have the impression that the hot water will do a better job, in most cases it doesn’t. Hot water melts the greasy waste leading to clogged drain lines.
In some cases, it might cause mechanical damage to the unit. For the garbage disposal to function optimally, only use cold water.
Do you want to keep the garbage disposal running right and prevent it from developing problems? Always follow the correct operating sequence.
Failing to clean the garbage disposal correctly
For the unit to continue working as it’s supposed to, you should take good care of it. One of the ways of doing it cleaning it regularly. While many people know that they need to clean their appliances, most of them don’t clean the unit properly.
The right way of cleaning the unit is sprinkling baking soda on the unit to freshen and clean it. Do you have lemons or lime slices in the kitchen? Put them in the unit to get rid of any odors that might be present.
You also should consider grinding up a few ice cubes that will knock off the food bits that might have been caught inside the garbage disposal. When cleaning the unit, avoid using bleach or harsh drain cleaners that might damage the appliance.
Throwing the wrong things down the drain
One of the major mistakes that people make is treating their drains as garbage cans. As a result, they flush the wrong things down the drains. In addition to this clogging the garbage disposal, it also causes a mess in the plumbing and sewer treatment systems.
For you to be on the safe side, you should watch what you put down your drains. As rule of thumb, avoid flushing down:
- Rubber bands
- Paper towels
- Coffee grounds
- Meat, poultry, and fish bones
- Grease, oils, and fats
- Cigarettes
- Twist ties
- Wooden matches
- And any other non-food items
You should note that the unit is only designed for food waste; therefore, by putting any other materials in it you will be setting it up for trouble.
Failing to reset the garbage disposal
If the garbage disposal isn’t operating correctly or you suspect that it’s malfunctioning, the best way of trying to fix the problem is resetting it. All you need to do is to turn the unit off then press the reset button beneath the unit.
The button acts as a local circuit breaker and it will help you in reestablishing power.
There are some units that come with a jam key that you can insert into the hole at the bottom of the disposal housing. For you to clear the jam, rotate it a few times.
Calling a serviceman too soon
If you are like most people, what do you do when the garbage disposal isn’t functioning as well as its supposed to? You call a commercial appliances repair Northern VA professional, right?
While there is nothing wrong with calling the professional, you shouldn’t be at haste as you will have to pay them even if the problem is minor.
Before you make the call, try to troubleshoot the problem. If the unit has clogged, try resetting it. You should only contact the repair professional if you have tried to fix the problem without success.
