Your garbage disposal is a lifesaver.  It is a remarkably quick and convenient way to dispose of food waste.  In fact, many garbage disposals can withstand years of daily use without a beat.  But how do you keep the not-so-silent hero of your kitchen healthy?  If properly monitored and maintained, your garbage disposal can dodge the serious problems for years to come.  Continue reading for best practices and tips for extending the life of your garbage disposal.

Run Cold Water During Use

The cool shock from cold water will cause the food that is in your drain to harden.  This is ideal, since hardened food is much easier for your garbage disposal to grind up.  Many people get in the habit of running hot water down their drain, however we advise against using hot water for your garbage disposal as the high temperature can melt your food waste.  Melted food waste will adhere to the pipes of your sink and garbage disposal, which in turn can cause a clog or a more serious issue.

Watch What Goes Down the Drain

Certain materials should never come in contact with your garbage disposal.  Obviously, metals and plastics should be thrown away instead of shredded down the drain.  Many other things should be kept away from your disposal, including fibrous vegetables, bones, oils, and grease.  Here is a list of some of the things that should never be placed in your garbage disposal:

Add Some Citrus

Now, time for something that we encourage putting in your garbage disposal: citrus fruits!  Whenever you peel a lemon, lime, or orange, toss that peel down the drain of your sink and let your garbage disposal work its magic.  The peel will help to eliminate some of the food waste that is stuck to the blades and interior of the garbage disposal.  Additionally, the fresh scent will suppress any odors coming from the garbage disposal.

Occasionally Use Boiling Water

Remember when we said that hot water is not the best option for garbage disposal use?  That remains true.  However, if you are trying to wash away any excess food stuck in your system, a pot of boiling water down the drain once a month will do the job.  Keep in mind, the heat does cause the food that is in your garbage disposal to melt, which can cause clogs.  It is imperative that you do not pour boiling water down your drain more than recommended.

Keep It Running

Many people will shut off the garbage disposal after they hear a change in sound, generally indicating that the food is gone.  This method will leave bits and pieces of your food waste in the disposal, which after time can cause a clog.  To avoid this issue, we recommend running the disposal for an extra two minutes with cool, running water.  This ensures that all pieces of food waste are eliminated down the drain.  As an added aspect of protection, pump a small amount of dish soap into the disposal.  The grease-fighting powers of the dish soap will both clean the disposal and finish the job by sweeping away any stubborn pieces of food waste.

LED lights are also measured in two different ways; by their color temperature and the lumens they produce. Because they use significantly less power and are gaining in efficiency with each generation, whereas older bulbs are consistent in their wattage being representative of the amount of light put out, LED bulbs can vary in efficiency a bit more. What this means is that the bulbs are now rated by their Lumen rating, or how much light they put out, versus how much power they draw. Understanding how LEDs work and the opportunities that they present to you as a homeowner are key to helping you make a decision as to how you light your home.

The energy consumed by a single building or business can prove to be a huge overhead cost, especially for those buildings of a much larger size.

Starting the initiative to reduce energy consumption is becoming more and more common as the benefits become more and more clear. The benefits of reducing energy consumption is often times for one major reason, and that is to reduce overhead costs. By making switches (such as those listed here), you could realize a 50% or more reduction in overall energy usage in your facility.

Sound interesting? Learn how you can do that with the tips below…

Whatever lighting technology you have right now, if it isn’t LED, then you are probably consuming more energy than you have to be when it comes to your lighting system.

By converting to LED from a technology like fluorescent, you will easily realize a 30% reduction (on average) in energy consumption from your lights. Now, if you have lights such as metal halide or HPS (often used outside or in high ceiling lights), then you could realize even greater savings (by up to 75%)! This, in and of itself, can prove to be a major way to reduce energy usage in your buildings.

facility manager is, but it’s just a fact. Think, who knows more; someone who works with all the equipment everyday or someone who overlooks said worker? Probably the former, and that’s okay! But, just remember to ask them to be on the lookout for things and get them on-board with your efforts to reducing energy in your building. It will help a lot with your efforts!

Planting save energy in your building, but they are definitely the huge players that eat up a lot of energy. By changing just these 9 things, you will be able to put your efforts to the highest reward type initiatives.

Once you’ve switched these major energy consumers, you can then work on smaller areas of your building that are inefficient, just not as much as these 9 things.

What is one thing not listed here that you find to be a huge energy consumer? Comment it down below so we are all aware of it!

When you see your kid crawling or walking for the first time, it’s monumental. This is something you simply do not want to miss. But as you’re trying to get a snapshot of this wonderful moment, a thought pops into your head: My child can now go anywhere in this home. You now begin to see your home differently. All of a sudden it feels like a danger zone. The loose wires over there. The dangling electrical cords right here. The numerous empty electrical sockets that appear so inviting to tiny hands.  Before you panic, though, let us put you at ease! Follow these simple tips for childproofing your home!