Phoenix Plumber Tip: Do’s and Don’ts of Garbage Disposals
Repeat after me…”My garbage disposal is not a composter.” If you want to avoid a clogged sink and costly repairs, it pays to be careful about what foods you allow to go through your garbage disposal. Here are some Dos and Don’ts from your friendly and knowledgable Phoenix Plumber:
Phoenix Plumber Tips: Dos
- Do grind food waste with a strong flow of cold water. Why cold water? It will cause any grease or oils that may get into the unit to solidify, so that they can be chopped up before reaching the trap.
- Do be sure to run the water long enough to push the items through the disposal and down the pipes.
- Do grind certain hard materials such as small chicken and fish bones, egg shells, small fruit pits, etc. A scouring action is created by these particles inside the grind chamber that cleans the garbage disposal’s walls.
- Do grind peelings from citrus fruits such as lemons or oranges to freshen up drain smells.
- Do cut large items into smaller pieces. Put them into the garbage disposal one at a time instead of trying to shove a large amount in at once.
Phoenix Plumber Tips: Don’ts
- Don’t put too many potato peels down the garbage disposal at once as the starches in the potatoes will turn into a thick paste and could cause the blades to stick.
- Don’t grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins, and artichokes. Fibers from these can tangle and jam the garbage disposal motor and cause drain blockages.
- Don’t put expandable foods into your garbage disposal. Foods like pasta and rice expand when you add water in a pot; they do the same thing once inside your pipes or garbage disposal and are the cause of many jams and clogs.
- Don’t grind large animal bones (beef, pork etc.).
- Avoid putting coffee grounds down the garbage disposal as they can clogs if they accumulate enough.
Follow these tips from your Phoenix Plumber at Ben Franklin Plumbing and your garbage disposal should serve you well for many years!
