Garbage Disposal and How To Use
Aaronrobertson
How to use Garbage Disposal in a rental home.
When we think of a garbage disposal, many mistaken beliefs come to mind. The most common is that no matter what type of trash we have in our hand, we should be able to drop it into the disposal, flip the magic switch, and have the disposal grind it up and send it to the great garbage can in the sky. However, even though a modern disposal is filled with much technology, this does not mean it’s indestructible. If you are the owner of rental property, you know all too well how some tenants can make life difficult when it comes to appliances. Therefore, we are glad to provide you and your tenants with a few tips on how to properly use a disposal.
Disposals Need Regular Exercise
Just like we humans need exercise to stay in tip-top shape, disposals need plenty of exercise as well. Therefore, a disposal should be run on a regular basis for a few minutes at a time, even if you have little if anything to put down the drain. By running it every few days, this can keep the disposal’s gears and other parts from rusting, corroding, or freezing up.
It’s Not an All-Purpose Trashcan
While we may think of a disposal as an indestructible mechanical machine, it does have its limitations regarding what it can and cannot accept. Because of this, we highly recommend you not toss metal cans, cigarette butts, banana peels, grease and oil, large bones, glass, or plastic items into the disposal. If you do, a number of problems will result, such as clogged drains, damaged gears, and blades that will become dull, bent, or broken. As a result, the moaning you are likely to hear will not only be coming from the disposal but also the landlord who has to make the repairs.
Always Use Cold Water
If there is one thing we notice very frequently with rental property tenants who have problems with their disposals, it’s that they almost always run hot water down the drain. While this is great for cleaning standard drains, it’s not recommended for drains that are connected to a disposal. Instead, resist the urge to turn on the hot water, and thus use cold water each and every time with a disposal. By using cold water, the food inside the disposal will harden, which makes it much easier to be ground up and pushed out the drain pipe by the disposal.
Cut Waste into Small Pieces
While the blades of a disposal are very sharp and made to handle many tough materials, they work best when faced with small pieces of waste. Therefore, once you have a knife in hand, we suggest cutting up your leftovers into very small pieces before sending them down into the disposal. By doing so, the disposal’s gears and blades will not have to work as hard, ensuring the disposal will have a long and happy life.
Keep the Disposal Running
Even after you are sure the disposal has completed another successful mission with your leftovers, we recommend you continue running the disposal for a few minutes. If you do, this will ensure no waste is clinging to the sides of the disposal, and that everything has been flushed out the drain pipe, which will help prevent clogging.
By keeping these tips in mind and putting them to good use each and every time, we have no doubt you and your garbage disposal will have a long and happy marriage. And along with this, you and your rental property landlord will also be smiling much more often as well.
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Disclaimer: The content on this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or advice. Consult with a qualified professional for specific advice.
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