Is Hot or Cold Water Best for Your Garbage Disposal? Find Out
For best results when using your garbage disposal, run cold water. Cold water will help fats and oils in the food waste remain in a solid state and make them easier for the disposal to grind without creating a clog in your pipes. But hot water can liquify these fats and oils, causing them to solidify as they cool and to adhere to the sides of your pipes, potentially inviting clogs down the line.
Cold water also cools the garbage disposal, keeping it from overheating. To get the most out of it, run the cold water about 15 seconds before and after using the disposal, to ensure all that waste is properly flushed out of the pipes.
What Happens When You Use Hot Water in a Garbage Disposal?
Hot water in your garbage disposal leads to trouble. Food waste often contains fats and oils, which normally are ground up and flushed out. But when you add hot or boiling water, the fat melts and disconnects from the food. This melted fat can then solidify once more in all of those nooks and crannies, clinging to your pipe walls and eventually blocking everything up.
Which is why you should run cold water while you’re disposal-zapping. Cold water keeps fats in their solid state, and the solid fats will be able to move down your drain without solidifying again and causing a blockage.
When Can You Use Boiling Water?
But there’s one time when boiling water might be useful — when you’re scrubbing down the disposal. Fat and grease can clog in the disposal and lessens the performance. If you notice a sink smells, rinse the drain with boiling water to destroy any odor-causing residue, then rinse with a second round of hot water to remove the grease. An occasional splash of boiling water is okay, but sending boiling water down the drain every time you run the disposal can cause grease to accumulate in your pipes.
So, aim to use cold water as much as possible, reserving hot water for when you’re cleaning out the disposal. Also don’t flip the disposal on if you suspect that there may be waste that will overflow, because it can create clogs and plumbing problems.a.
Why Cold Water is the Best Choice for Your Garbage Disposal
Cold water is also key to preventing grease and fat from accumulating in your pipes. When you use hot water, you’re melting those fats and oils and it gets down the disposal. But as the water cools in the pipe, the fats resolidify and stick to the inside of your plumbing, potentially causing blockages. Cold water keeps the fats solid allowing the disposal to shred them.
Running cold water also helps to preserve various components of your garbage disposal. It cools the blades and the motor down, it does not get overheated hence there is no damage. This allows the disposal to work more efficiently, shredding food waste into smaller pieces that pass through the plumbing system more easily and without creating blockages.
How Much Water Should You Use?
One widespread misconception of garbage disposals is that they require a lot of water. In fact, an ordinary garbage disposal requires only 1.32 gallons of water per day, or the equivalent of one toilet flush. Surprising, right? Which is to say, you don’t need to blast the water at full force when you run the disposal. Just crack the tap on the kitchen faucet so you have a constant stream of the water.
Can You Run a Garbage Disposal Without Water?
It may not be good to run your garbage disposal without water. If you do that, the disposal could jam, which could potentially damage it. Water also allows to help wash away ground food particles so they don’t accumulate in the disposal. It lubricates the grinding itself, ensuring that the blades chop up food waste more effectively. The grinding and maybe motor might be at risk without water. When using your your disposal, make sure you have constant water running.
How Long Should You Run Water?
You should run water as long as the garbage disposal is running, plus a few seconds after you turn it off. It’s generally better to run your disposal first and add the water after. When the grinding has stopped and the disposal is off, keep the water running for another second or two. This is further evidence that remaining food in the disposal is rinsed out.
Conclusion
Cold water is best for running your garbage disposal because it keeps fats and oils solid, allowing them to be ground up and flushed through the pipes without causing clogs. Hot water melts these fats, which then solidify further down the pipes and can lead to blockages. Additionally, cold water helps cool the disposal’s motor and blades, preventing overheating and extending the unit’s lifespan. It’s recommended to run cold water continuously before, during, and for a short time after using the disposal to ensure all waste is properly flushed out.
Hot water should be reserved only for cleaning the disposal occasionally, such as when flushing out odors with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar followed by boiling water. Running the disposal without water or using hot water while grinding food waste can cause jams and damage. Therefore, the best practice is to grind food waste with cold water and use hot water only for cleaning purposes
Further Reading:
5 effective steps to get rid of garbage disposal smell
Can You Put Lettuce & Cabbage Down A Garbage Disposal?
Can You Put Drain Cleaner In A Garbage Disposal?
