Garbage disposals have made life in the kitchen more convenient. However, drains and garbage disposals are also the most vulnerable fixtures in a home. If they’re not taken care of and maintained, it can lead to garbage disposal breakdowns, clogged, drains, and more plumbing issues.
To ensure you’re making the most of your system, you need to be careful about what goes into the garbage disposal.
Here are some things that you need to avoid putting down your garbage disposal:
Oil and Grease
Whether we’re talking cooking oil, fat rendered off some meat, or any other form of grease, it will clog up your system. Excess oil and grease must never be drained into the garbage disposal. The grease cools down and forms layers on the pipes, reducing its diameter, eventually leading to a blockage. Having such issues professionally taken care of can cost up to a few hundred dollars.
Coffee grounds
According to plumbing technicians, coffee grounds are the worst food waste you could dispose of in the garbage disposal system. Coffee grounds are known to attract grease. Its buildup causes a sludge-like texture to form, which causes massive clogs over time.
Don’t waste coffee grounds by disposing of them in your garbage disposal. Coffee grounds are ideal for composting as they can fertilize the soil.
Eggshells
The issue with throwing eggshells down the garbage disposal is that they stick to the drain. Even when you put drain-safe items down the garbage disposal, the shells stick to the pipes and eventually form clogs. Eggshells are also great to fertilize the soil with. The calcium content helps the plants you’re growing.
Pasta
On average, an American consumes 9 kgs of pasta in a year. You may think it’s okay to discard pasta down the garbage disposal since it’s soft and would most likely flush down easily but you’re wrong. Since it absorbs water and expands, it’s highly likely that it will cause a clog in the system. Always discard leftover pasta in the trashcan.
Medicines
Most of us have old medicines in our medicine cabinets, ones that we no longer need and some that have expired. Never throw any medicines down the garbage disposal or even down the toilet. The chemicals in these medicines can affect the quality of water near you. Drop it off to the nearest pharmacy to ensure it disposed of correctly with other medical waste.
If you’re experiencing issues with your garbage disposal, you might need a professional drain cleaning to help solve the problem. Our licensed plumbers in Boyd, TX provide all the plumbing repairs you may need. Just give us a call on our emergency hotline at 1-817-244-0614.
