Two of the most commonly used plumbing appliances in homes across Australia are garbage disposals and washing machines. As these plumbing appliances are used on a regular basis, they are often more susceptible to develop plumbing issues compared to other plumbing appliances used in the home. By having a basic understanding of what needs to be done to keep garbage disposals and washing machines working efficiently, homeowners will be able to avoid the high costs of constant repairs and premature replacements.

If you are interested in getting reliable service from your garbage disposal and washing machine, here's some good advice for you.

Garbage disposals

Usually located in the kitchen, garbage disposals perform the very important task of tearing up leftover food into smaller pieces that won't cause kitchen drains to become clogged. To remain unclogged, however, garbage disposals demand proper use and maintenance. This is something most homeowners are not all too familiar with.

For starters, garbage disposals are only meant to shred soft, biodegradable food waste and not tacky and hard-to-grind stuff, such as coffee grounds, bones, and corn husks, as well as cooking grease, oils and fats. The hard-to-grind waste items will damage the blades of the waste-shredding appliance while the tacky waste will cause a pasty mess in your disposal.

Second, garbage disposals need to be kept clean at all times. A cleaning service should be regularly performed to prevent clogging due to a buildup of small pieces of waste in the kitchen drains, over time. Immediately after cleaning dishes in the kitchen sink, pour a little dishwashing soap into the garbage disposal and let it run with some cold water. Avoid using harsh household cleaning chemicals, as they can damage your blades and drain pipes. Put some orange or lemon ice cubes in the disposal to stave off drain odours.

Consult a plumber if your drains are not functioning properly.

Washing machines

Homeowners can now avoid the backbreaking task of washing clothes by hand thanks to washing machines. But like garbage disposals, these machines are also prone to frequent breakdowns, which can be avoided if they are used and maintained as per manufacturer instructions. The hoses that supply hot and cold water to the machine should be regularly inspected for leakage or signs of deterioration because they usually experience constant variations in water flow rate when the appliance is in use.

Aside from that, the drum of the machine should be thoroughly cleaned from time to time, without any clothes inside. It is also important to avoid overloading the machine with too much dirty clothes. Wash loads should be based upon manufacturer-recommended advice.