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Garbage Disposal is perhaps an essential part of today’s kitchen. This piece of equipment functions as food and waste shredder. It basically breaks down the food into small particles that get accumulated down the drain.
Not only does it protect your kitchen from the bad odour of the wastage, but it also sheds it away without much of an effort. Having said that, the way you use your Garbage Disposal can affect its lifespan.
How Long Can A Garbage Disposal Last?
The lifespan of your Garbage Disposal depends on various factors. The durability of the parts and how you use your Garbage Disposal are two of the most important factors that determine the lifespan of your Garbage Disposal.
On average, a Garbage Disposal can last up to 10 to 12 years if kept with proper maintenance. However, often with proper maintenance, just like any other machine, you just might find your Garbage Disposal acting up.
Here are a few common issues that may occur suggesting that your Garbage Disposal may be in very bad shape.
Signs Your Garbage Disposal Needs Maintenance
1) Bad Odor Coming From The Garbage Disposal
Bad odour coming from a kitchen is definitely intolerable. Sometimes Garbage Disposals can be the root cause of that foul smell.
Usually, food or waste does not get accumulated in the Garbage Disposal. However, your unit just might have stubborn chunks of food and waste stuck down there, causing it to smell bad.
Frequent maintenance and proper cleaning is the solution to this problem. Perhaps if the odour remains, then you might need assistance from a professional.
2) Garbage Disposal Is Leaking Water
Water leakage found in the kitchen is worrisome as it is. However, if that leakage is from your Garbage Disposal then there can be a number of reasons. Among those reasons, few of them are
- The Garbage Disposal’s sink flange is not tight enough to stop the water leakage.
- The Disposal’s internal seal has worn out.
- Drain lines of the Garbage Disposal are not well-connected.
- The hose connected to the Garbage Disposal is loose causing the water to leak.
3) Garbage Disposal Is Making Unusual Noises
Garbage Disposal making noise is normal. However, Garbage Disposal making a strange noise usually means
- Something is blocking your Garbage Disposal which you should remove immediately.
- A particular body part of your Garbage Disposal is not functioning properly.
4) Your Garbage Disposal Is Not Turning On
Pressing down the reset button can usually solve the problem. However, even after pressing the button your situation persists, then your Garbage Disposal may have a serious problem.
5) You Frequently Have To Press The Reset Button
Although the reset button can prove to be quite handy, however, the need to use it frequently can mean a lot of things. In the worst-case scenario, it could mean that in the near future you might need to replace your Garbage Disposal.
What Can You Do To Extend The Lifespan Of Your Garbage Disposal?
Just like any other household appliance, Garbage Disposal also requires continuous maintenance. Proper maintenance can mean the extended life span of your device at your Disposal.
Here’s a list of 5 points that can help you prolong the lifespan of your Garbage Disposal.
1) Avoid Dumping Large Amount Of Food
This is a basic no-no when it comes to Garbage Disposal. Yes, it helps grind your food into the smallest of particles, however, the food that you dump can end up damaging the blades.
Your Garbage Disposal can take care of small bits of leftovers and grindable food waste for you. However, heaps of food and waste can end up creating a blockage for your device.
2) Let the Garbage Disposal Running For A Few Minutes
Once your Garbage Disposal is done grinding the waste and you can hear there’s nothing left for it to grind, then here’s what you need to do. Let the empty Garbage Disposal run for a while.
What this does is, it allows the cold water to clean the remains of the food that gets stuck inside your unit and flushes them out of the pipes.
3) Using Cold Water Is The Key
Hot water is best for cleaning purposes. In the case of Garbage Disposal, you should avoid using hot water. There’s a good reason for it.
Hot or boiled water can soften the remains of food. Once the food remains are softened, the Garbage Disposal cannot grind the waste properly, which can eventually lead towards blockage in the pipes and, as a result, bad odour.
4) Pour Boiling Water Once A Month
Boiling water assists in deep cleaning. Usually, you would use cold water for your Garbage Disposal. However, when it comes to your unit’s maintenance, it is recommended that you use boiled water.
Boiled water actually helps in getting rid of any waste particle that gets stuck on the blades or down the pipe. It loosens the waste, making it easy for you to clean your Garbage Disposal.
5) Let Ice Do The Cleaning
Now, this may sound strange, but ice can help you clean debris from the blade. All you need to do is throw two blocks of ice into your Garbage Disposal while it’s running.
To remove foul smell from the Disposal, you can throw in lemon juice, ice cubes, and smell the odour fade away.
What Factors Have An Impact On The Lifespan Of A Garbage Disposal?
Three factors greatly affect the lifespan of Garbage Disposal.
1) The Usage Of Your Garbage Disposal
The use of Garbage Disposal is undoubtedly quite simple. You dump the waste and let the Disposal do its job. However, the task that seems so simple can end up impacting the efficiency of your unit permanently.
The food and the waste, their size, and the quantity of you throw in the Disposal determine the lifespan of your unit. With that being said, the more you dump the waste, the more the blades along with the motor are being used.
Some Garbage Disposal features parts that are installed to address the heavy Disposal of waste at a time with ease. While other Disposal machines can only cater to a small amount of waste at a time.
Therefore, it is important for you to consider your usage of Disposal, that is, the frequency and a load of waste you would want to get rid of before investing in a Garbage Disposal.
2) The Quality of Your Disposal Machine
The lifespan of any equipment or machine depends on the quality of its part. That is no different in the case of Garbage Disposal. The more heavy-duty and high-quality part your Garbage Disposal features the more reliable and long-lasting your Disposal would be.
Although there are a lot of pocket-friendly options available in the market, it all comes down to the quality of the Disposal. Investing in a cheap model may benefit you in the shorter run but will leave you asking for repairs or replacement after a period of time.
3) Things You Put In Your Garbage Disposal
The lifespan of your machine gets easily affected by the waste and food you put in your Disposal. Certain things directly affect the performance and eventually the lifespan of your unit.
If oily and greasy food is being dumped down the Disposal then the machine will deteriorate at a much faster rate as compared to the Disposal that gets bits of fruits and non-greasy food dumped down the unit.
In addition to that, here are certain items that should never go down in Garbage Disposal:
- Eggshells
- Bones
- Ground coffee
- Onion skin
- Peels of fruits and vegetables
- Glass
- Nuts
- Paper
- Plastic
- Cigarette butts
