We use our garbage disposals every day, and it’s one of those appliances that most of us take for granted. It does its job without complaint and the only time we seem to notice is when something goes wrong. More often than not, however, what goes wrong is people inadvertently putting food down the garbage disposal that they shouldn’t. The wrong kind of food will clog the pipes, damage the gears and in the worst cases can even force you to replace your disposal. The good news is that there’s a plumbing service that can correct the problem. But we believe that an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. Before you pour anything you shouldn’t down the drain, take a close look at this list of common foods and make sure you get rid of them in some other way.
- FOG. FOG stands for fats, oils and grease, which are liquid when they’re hot, but will solidify in the cool pipes of your plumbing. That can easily create a sticky clog that can back your system up.
- Fibrous Vegetables. These usually come in the form of peelings: carrots, potatoes, celery and the like. They can wrap themselves around the disposal’s gears and grind the system to a halt. Plug the disposal if you’re peeling these vegetables and make sure you throw the peelings in the trash instead.
- Rice and Pasta. These may not sound like problematic foods, but they tend to swell when they become wet, which means they can easily clog up your pipes.
- Coffee Grounds. Coffee grounds will get into the gears of your disposal and grind them to a halt. Always dispose of them in the trash.
- Seeds and pits. Most people know better than to toss bones in the disposal, but the same principles applies to fruit seeds, peach pits and the like. The disposal won’t be able to grind them up and they can severely damage your system.
For garbage disposal installation and repair, give WM Henderson, Inc. a call!