Maintaining and Repairing Kitchen Plumbing Issues
SINKS
Once a month, boil a few gallons of water and carefully pour it down the sink. Boiled water is significantly hotter than tap water and it will help dissolve soapy, greasy materials that are coating the walls of your pipes.
Do not pour grease or fats down the drain.
Do not wash coffee grounds down the sink. Throw them out.
Use chemical cleaners sparingly, especially if you have metal pipes. Some chemical cleaners can cause metal pipes to corrode. We do not ever recommend using ANY chemical cleaners.
Some mild sodium hydroxide or sodium nitrate cleaners may be somewhat effective if used no more than once every few months but we do not recommend any brand of chemical drain cleaner, ever!
We think using a bacteriological and environmentally safe drain cleaner is the best option for drain maintenance.
DISPOSAL
Feed the disposal a little at a time. Take care to keep utensils and your hands out of the drain.
Corn husks and other high-fiber items shouldn’t be put into the disposal as they may clog the drain.
Deodorize the disposal. Cut a lemon in half and drop the fruit and a handful of baking soda into the disposal. Turn on the cold water faucet and then the disposal. The unit will clean itself as it grinds up the mixture.
Use a strong flow of cold water and keep it running at least 30 seconds after noise of grinding has stopped to flush all food particles through the drain line.
Do not be afraid to put small bones through; they help to scour the sides of the grinding chamber.
With fibrous foods (celery, chard, asparagus ends, etc.) put through only a small amount at a time with a full flow of water. If drain line is long and quite horizontal, fibrous foods or too much garbage at one time can clog the line.
Do not put uncooked fat off meat into disposer as it may clog. Do not pour liquid fats down line; solidify in empty tin can in refrigerator, and dispose in trash.
An unusual noise while disposer is operating may mean a foreign object. Turn off disposer immediately and retrieve the object.
Run the disposer each time you put food waste into it. This is particularly advisable in the less expensive models which are more subject to corrosion from the acids formed by food waste left for a long time.
Foul odors occur from a build-up if food debris inside your garbage disposer. To eliminate these odors, place ice cubes and lemon peels in the disposer and run for about 30 seconds, then rinse with cold water
DISHWASHER
A dishwasher will run well for along time if maintained properly. Common problems encountered with inefficient dishwashers are caused by small problems that can be prevented.
If it goes un-used for a week or more and begins to mold or smell bad, you can clean it using a mild cleanser such as dish soap.
On many dishwashers, there’s a filter near the bottom, or under the lower spray arm that needs to be cleaned regularly. If you have this sort of filter, check your owner’s manual to find out how to remove and clean it. If it has holes in it, replace it to protect the pump and motor seals from particles that may be in the dishwasher.
Over time, the small holes in the spray arm(s) of your dishwasher may become clogged with bits of paper, toothpicks, glass, etc. Your dishwasher will do a better job of cleaning your dishes if you take a moment to clean out these small holes, from time to time.
If you’re going away for a couple of weeks, pour a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in the bottom of your machine. This will help prevent the seals from drying while it is not in use.
REFRIGERATOR
Refrigerator coils are located in the rear or the refrigerator. You can simply vacuum the vents and coils to clean them. Dusty coils have to work harder to cool down the interior and contents of the refrigerator.
The drip pan of the refrigerator should also be cleaned. It is located beneath your refrigerator and can be removed by pulling it out.
Keep gaskets in good shape by washing them down with soapy water. Replace gaskets when they are no longer in good condition. You can test the condition by trying to slide a piece of paper between the rubber seal and the wall of the refrigerator. If the piece of papers slips between the seal and the wall, the seal is not tight enough and the gasket requires replacement.
For optimum performance, maintain refrigerator temperature between 36○ F and 38○F.
Minimize moisture by keeping food covered and containers shut. Moisture can cause the compressor to work harder unnecessarily.
Keep your refrigerator around 37-40 degrees F for the fresh food compartment. Use a thermometer to check inside temperatures. Consider the location of your refrigerator and/or freezer. Do not position them in direct contact with hot appliances as this will make the compressor work harder.