BE THE FIRST IN YOUR BUILDING TO CLEAN THE DISPOSAL AND WIN A HUGE PRIZE!
Naw, I just made that up. There is no prize except The Board’s thanks for helping ease Beach Wood’s never-ending plumbing problems, and lessening the costs that go with them, by cleaning the disposal. Trust me, five minutes of your time along with a few ice cubes and a handful of salt can make a difference.
If the disposal is old or the “blades” are dull, the waste is not adequately ground. While it is forced through the disposal, the unnecessarily large pieces will not make it to the larger street-side pipes but will clog the smaller, intermediate pipes causing the messy backups we all want to avoid.
Disposals have impellers, not blades, which can’t be sharpened. Their purpose is to force waste against the disposal’s wall, called a “grind ring” where, through centrical force, it meets sharp metal teeth and is finely chewed. (Still with me?) These teeth can’t be sharpened either but they can be cleaned and doing so significantly improves the disposal’s performance.
Cleaning is easy! The most popular method to clean a grind ring is to throw a handful of salt and 8 to 10 ice cubes into the disposal while running cold water. Allow the garbage disposal to run for about a minute before turning it off. Then, continue to flush with cold water for another 15 seconds. This will allow any remaining debris to exit your disposal and go down the drain. The ice breaks into thousands of tiny pieces and, along with the salt, scrubs the inside of your grind chamber. Toss a wedge of lemon in when you’re finished to give a fresh citrus smell.
Cleaning helps but a poor performing disposal causes the same problem. How old is yours? Clogged pipes result in damaged pipes and damaged pipes must be replaced both inside and outside the unit. The Association is responsible for replacing exterior pipes but owners are responsible for all interior costs which is likely to include new flooring and floor covering. Replacing an ancient disposal may be less costly in the long run. Give it some thought.
Joel Marmelstein, Director
Joel Marmelstein, Director