One of the appliances that falls under your plumber’s maintenance and repairs area of expertise is your garbage disposal. One of the biggest complaints that professional plumbers get is that the garbage disposal has stopped working. The majority of time this is because something has been put down the garbage disposal when it shouldn’t have.
As great as a garbage disposal is, there are some items that you want to keep out of it and throw in the trash can instead. Take a look at the list that Orsack Plumbing Company has put together for you.
Can you Pour Bacon Grease & Cooking Oil Down the Garbage Disposal?
This is the top thing that you want to refrain from dumping down the drain and for good reason. If you have fried some bacon and then left the pan to set for a few minutes, you have noticed that it goes from a liquid to a thick paste like substance. This is the same reaction that grease has in the pipes when it is poured down. If you have any grease and oil that you need to get rid of, a better way is to keep a mason jar in the cupboard and just fill it up as you need to.
Are Egg Shells Bad for a Garbage Disposal?
Egg shells seem like an easy to break down substance and can be cracked with a small tap on the counter but you do NOT want to put them in the garbage disposal. The egg shell has a layer of membrane that can become very stringy. It can get stuck around the grinder and start to cause it to get clogged and eventually stop working.
Can Pasta & Potatoes be the Cause of a Clogged Garbage Disposal?
Pasta and potatoes are both pretty soft substances that seem like they should be easily ground up by a garbage disposal but they are on the no-no list as well. They each have one thing in common and that is starch. Starch will start to build up a gummy and almost gluey texture in the pipes and around the disposal that can start to clog it up. It is best to peel the potatoes into a strainer or straight into the garbage can.
Bones are a Garbage Disposal Item to Avoid
This one may seem like an easy one for the list but many people have called and wondered why the disposal is not working only to find a chicken bone lodged in. Bones are very hard and can easily lodge in and stop the rotation of the grinder.
Is it OK to Put Coffee Grounds Down the Garbage Disposal?
Coffee grounds are used and thrown out every morning in homes across the United States. The best thing to do is to drop them in the trash can. The grounds over time will start to dull the blades and that means they will work less efficiently on everything else that you try to grind down.
