The garbage disposal is a small appliance that isn't necessary to have in your home, but it is a nice convenience to have. Garbage disposals are a great way to dispose of waste from meals without the need to scrape each and every plate, bowl, or pan. The garbage disposal is a time saver, but if you aren't careful with it, it could breakdown, leaving you without this convenient appliance and with a repair bill instead. Read on for some mistakes you need to avoid when using this appliance.

Putting Too Much Food Down At Once

If you put too much food down the disposal at one time, it may cause your disposal to clog. You need to put the food into the disposal slowly, allow it to grind, and get washed away. Your disposal can take a lot, but it can't handle it all at once. Take your time when using the disposal. If you're in too much of a hurry, skip using the disposal and scrape the items into the garbage instead.

Using Hot Water To Rinse The Disposal

While rinsing the food down the disposal, you may think hot water is what should be used, but you should actually be using cold water. Hot water can melt the food down, which can harden down further in the drain. Use cold water to keep the food whole so the disposal can do its job.

Turning The Water Off Too Soon

If you turn the water off too soon or you turn the disposal off too soon, it is going to cause the disposal to clog. You need to run the water until the disposal is finished grinding the food. You will hear the disposal when it's finished working. Listen while you're using the disposal, run the water, and turn everything off when it's done.

Placing Hard Objects In The Disposal

Some items do not belong in your disposal. Hard food scraps such as bones or fruit pits should never be put down the disposal. These need to be thrown into the trash instead. Some other items that do not belong in the disposal include tough or stringy food scraps as in corn husks or cobs, banana peels, celery, or onion skins.

These are just a few mistakes you need to avoid making with your disposal. If you end up with an issue with your disposal, you can call a professional appliance repairman for help making the repair. For more information, contact local professionals like those found at Aplus Appliance.