Avoid a Clogged Kitchen Sink with InSinkErator Parts

Running a commercial kitchen is like running a small empire. You must keep all stations and moving parts working smoothly with as few setbacks and hiccups as possible. Doing so leads to the overall success of the kitchen, with clean dishes when you need them, delicious food for the taking and happy customers who come back for more. When a sink clogs right in the middle of a busy shift, it can back up orders and make for unhappy customers and lost business. It might even lead to poor sanitation, which can negatively impact your kitchen for the long term. One of the most common contributing factors to sinks clogging is large chunks of solid food. These can get stuck in pipes and capture smaller food particles, leading to a blockage that’s hard to clear. Garbage disposal units help to alleviate this problem by cutting down larger food solids into smaller pieces that can pass safely through your drainage system — but they require regular maintenance. A cursory understanding of how garbage disposal units work and their serviceable parts can help you keep them up in top condition to keep sinks draining reliably.

How Does A Garbage Disposal Unit Work?

It’s important to understand the way a garbage disposal unit works so you can identify what’s broken when something goes wrong. A garbage disposal unit is a machine that attaches to your commercial sink. It catches the food debris from dishes, then shreds these particles with a shredding disk. The garbage disposal unit attaches to the sink with a flange. The flange uses a gasket to achieve a watertight seal. The flange assembly also helps to secure the unit to the sink. When running a garbage disposal unit, dishwashers run cold water into the sink and feed food waste into the hole at the top of the flange assembly. The water helps liquefy the food particles while also helping push the pulverized debris through the pipes. A splash guard fits above the flange assembly. This component helps keep the food particles fed into the unit from flying back out as they go through the shredding process. Past the shredder, the garbage disposal unit connects to the drain line using a fitting that might also have a replaceable gasket.

Replace Your Shredder

Shredders or grinders in the garbage disposal unit are what pulverize the food particles that go into the garbage disposal unit. Rather than using blades, shredders use thick prongs that spin quickly and mash up the food. Sometimes debris gets jammed near the shredder. This debris can damage the part and cause malfunction. Other times, a shredder becomes damaged simply due to natural wear and tear. When food builds up above the shredder, that can be an indication that it may have become dull or damaged. Cleaning out the shredding chamber and inspecting the teeth on the shredder allows you to assess its condition. Replacing your shredder can get your InSinkErator garbage disposal unit back to running at full speed.

Check for Leaky Gaskets

A leaky gasket in the water lines attached to your garbage disposal unit can cause improper drainage. This leads to a backup in the line and a clogged sink. With any luck, finding the leak can be as simple as locating the drip along your water line. Common locations for leaks are where the drain line meets the garbage disposal unit and where a dishwasher unit connects to the garbage disposal. By replacing your gaskets with an InSinkErator fiber gasket or other InSinkErator commercial garbage disposal parts, you can fix your leaky disposal and allow your kitchen to run efficiently.

Replace Broken or Damaged Splash Guards

The splash guard has a two-fold purpose. It keeps too much debris from going into the machine at once, and it stops debris from coming back out of the shredding chamber. When your splash guard becomes damaged or worn, it can cause overfilling problems. Too much garbage going into the disposal at once can clog the line and cause water to back up in the sink. Replacing the splash guard is a simple fix.

Check Your Flange Assembly

The flange assembly holds the garbage disposer to the bottom side of the sink, and another flange might also connect the unit to the pipes. When this becomes damaged, it can lead to leaks, clogs and other similar malfunctions. If you find a rusted, dented or damaged flange assembly, replace any broken components with compatible InSinkErator parts. Always be sure to follow safety protocols — such as killing the power to the unit — before working on it. Garbage disposal units are a great waste management tool for the commercial kitchen. They cut down on refuse, and they are safe and convenient. Keeping them clog-free and in good working order can help sinks in your kitchen run more efficiently. Use InSinkErator replacement parts for your commercial garbage disposal unit, and keep your staff and customers happy.