Your garbage disposal can be your best friend, until it stops working. As one of the top plumbers in Kansas City, Mac Wilson Plumbing has seen plenty of garbage disposal issues. Often it is because items are thrown in the disposal that do not break down well and should just be thrown in the trash instead.
We have compiled a list of some of the most problematic items for garbage disposals:
- Vegetable Peelings
- Celery Stalks
- Fruit Pits
- Rice or Pasta
- Fats and Grease
- Egg Shells
- Bones
Vegetable Peelings
According to some of the top plumbers in Kansas City, vegetable peelings are a very common offender when it comes to garbage disposal problems. When peeling items such as potatoes or carrots, typically, you are doing this task in the sink. It seems convenient at the time to simply run all your peelings down the garbage disposal. If you continue to do this regularly, the peels can develop a thick paste on the blades. If the peelings get past the disposal, they can easily clog your pipes, causing a back-up. Avoid making this mistake and find the trash can.
Celery Stalks
When celery stalks run through the garbage disposal, they become stringy in texture and can get wrapped around the blades. They can also develop a paste similar to vegetable peelings, so it is best to simply throw them out.
Fruit Pits
Have you ever tried to cut a fruit pit in half with a knife? It is rock solid. So, is there any reason to think the blades of a garbage disposal will have better luck? Unlikely.
Rice or Pasta
Any starchy foods like pasta or rice can stick to the disposal blades, especially if they are dumped in large quantities. Although it is tempting to dump these down the drain, we suggest adding these items to the trash can instead. Coffee grounds also have a similar effect, so avoid dumping those as well.
Fats and Grease
If you have ever let grease settle in your pots and pans after cooking, what happens? It solidifies and becomes more difficult to remove. The same thing can happen if you dump grease down your garbage disposal. We DO NOT recommend dumping any fats or grease down the drain. If you mistakenly dump grease, we recommend running hot water for a few minutes in hopes of melting and washing away as much as possible. Many of the top plumbers in Kansas City encounter clogs involving grease regularly.
Eggshells
Although these are very fragile, eggshells do not entirely break down. Larger pieces can potentially linger in the pipes or disposal and cause a clog.
Bones
Chicken bones may seem small enough to add to your disposal, but they do not completely break down and can cause backups. It is best to play it safe with any item that can’t be turned into a liquid or very fine powder, and bones would definitely fall into this category.
If your disposal is acting up, then contact us today. As one of the top plumbers in Kansas City, Mac Wilson Plumbing has an expert team that can quickly diagnose the problem, repair, or replace your garbage disposal.
