Garbage disposals are a great way to make unwanted food scraps instantly disappear with the flip of a switch. The convenience they provide often causes homeowners and renters to treat their garbage disposals like trash cans—and that’s when problems start to arise.
Foul odors, clogs, and broken blades are just some of the many issues that can occur when you put the wrong things down your garbage disposal. Despite being built like a tank, even the most rugged garbage disposal can meet its match with something as seemingly innocent as a chicken bone. Knowing what to and not put in your garbage disposer can help you to increase its lifespan—and save yourself a plumbing headache.
Unsure what not to put down a garbage disposal?
Read on to learn more about what’s safe and not safe to put in the garbage disposal.
Need drain help now? Call us at Robinson’s Plumbing Service at 804-794-0918!
What Can You Put Down a Garbage Disposal?
Before we jump into what not to put down a garbage disposal, here’s a list of the things that are generally safe to put down your garbage disposal:
- Soft food scraps.
- Non-fibrous fruits and vegetables, such as apples, carrots, and cucumbers.
- Citrus peels and coffee grounds can be ground up easily while also helping freshen up the disposal and eliminate odors.
- Small amounts of dairy, such as cheese and yogurt.
- Small amounts of cooked meat, such as ground beef or chicken
Now that you know some of the foods that can go in a garbage disposal, let’s dive into what foods not to put down a garbage disposal.
What Not to Put Down Your Garbage Disposal
If you want to save yourself the time and money of fixing or replacing your garbage disposal, then it’s important to avoid putting certain foods in it. Here are six main things that you should avoid throwing down your garbage disposal to prevent issues with your garbage disposal.
1. Grease
It’s really tempting to dump that sizzling hot bacon grease into the sink. After all, throwing it into the trashcan could start a fire or burn through the plastic trash bag.
Grease is nothing more than super-hot liquified animal fat. Once it cools down, it thickens and turns into a solid that will eventually form a blockage in your pipes. The best way to dispose of grease is to let it cool down until it’s solid and then throw it into your trash can.
If you’ve accidentally put grease into your garbage disposal, consider using a product called BioOne. BioOne is a highly effective, 100% natural drain line and sink degreaser—and you can purchase it directly from us here at Robinson’s Plumbing Service!
2. Egg Shells
An ongoing myth suggests eggshells can sharpen your garbage disposal blades, but your garbage disposal does not contain sharp blades. Instead, they are blunt-shaped. This helps prevent the need for sharpening since food waste will eventually cause sharp edges to dull.
Egg shells have internal membranes that can wrap themselves around the blades. Over time you’ll start to smell very foul odors from your kitchen sink and the potential clogging of your drain.
3. Any Type of Paint
If you enjoy performing DIY projects around your home, you’ll eventually come to a point where you need to dispose of some leftover paint. Never pour oil or latex paint down the kitchen drain. Over time, it will cling to the sides of your pipe, harden, and form a tough-to-remove clog.
Even washing paint brushes in the sink can lead to a clog if the paint isn’t diluted sufficiently with enough water. Consider using a container to clean paint brushes and dispose of bulk paint at your local hazardous waste center.
4. Bones and Nuts
Throwing chicken bones or nuts into your garbage disposal is like throwing a pair of dice. If the items are small enough, they might pass through without causing harm. However, that’s not always the case.
Garbage disposal blades are not designed for chopping hard items such as nuts and bones. Even if they do make it through, they can get chopped into tiny pieces that might get stuck in your kitchen pipes.
5. Onion Skins
Throwing diced or chopped onions into the garbage disposal might be okay. However, onions have a very thin and moist layer attached to the bottom of the skin. When you throw onion skins down the drain, they can easily pass through the disposal blades, get stuck, and clog up the drain.
6. Pasta and Rice
Foods such as pasta and rice are somewhat sticky and often have difficulty making it past the disposal and down into the drain pipes. Even if the pasta or rice has already been cooked, it will absorb more water, grow even larger, and possibly block the pipe. If it sits long enough, it could trap other pieces of food and cause an even bigger blockage.
Common Disposal Issues
While they may seem relatively straightforward, garbage disposals are complex kitchen appliances. They have gears, motors, seals, and other components that allow them to efficiently and effectively chop up leftover food. But as we just mentioned above, putting certain foods or items down your disposal can lead to a damaged or totally unusable garbage disposer.
Here are several common garbage disposal issues that you might encounter if you attempt to dispose of the wrong thing:
Clogs—A clogged disposal will either make a humming noise or drain very slowly. Something is preventing the blades from turning correctly.
Foul odors—Food particles can become stuck and start to rot. You’ll notice an offensive “sewer” type of smell wafting throughout your kitchen.
Leaks—If the disposal mechanism under your sink starts to leak, it’s often due to a damaged O-ring or loose screws that require tightening. Throwing the wrong things down your disposal can often cause irreversible damage.
Strange noises—If you hear a strange metallic sound coming from your disposal, it could indicate something stuck between the blades. Other types of noises might suggest it’s time to purchase a new garbage disposal.
Smoke—A garbage disposal that smokes is a terrible sign. Shut it down and call a plumber to determine whether it’s reached the end of its lifecycle.
If you are experiencing one or a few of these issues with your garbage disposal, it might be time to call a plumber to get your disposal checked out, fixed, or replaced.
Garbage Disposal Issues? Call Robinson’s Plumbing!
Many food and non-food items can cause plumbing problems when they are put down your garbage disposal. If ignored, what are initially minor issues could eventually turn into larger and more expensive ones to fix. Even if you follow all the dos and don’ts of food disposal, you’re garbage disposal will eventually break or need to be replaced.
If your garbage disposal isn’t working correctly, click below or call the plumbing experts at Robinson’s Plumbing at 804-794-0918. One of our licensed and professional plumbers will come to your home and fix the problem right away.