These days, it’s nearly unthinkable to build or remodel a kitchen without a garbage disposal unit. The garbage disposal helps to keep your pipes clear of clogs and it makes your work in the kitchen a lot easier.
The problem is that many people don’t actually treat their garbage disposals correctly. You may unintentionally inflict damage upon your garbage disposal and even put your plumbing system at risk if you don’t take the proper steps to keep it in check.
For garbage disposal replacement, plumbing repair, or drain maintenance with a team of trusted professionals, call Brooks Plumbing today!
How NOT to use your disposal
The following common garbage disposal mistakes should be avoided at all costs.
- Putting non-food items down the drain. The garbage disposal is not as powerful as some people give it credit for, and for good reason. Paper, plastic, rubber, and other materials simply don’t belong in the plumbing system, and your garbage disposal won’t be able to break them down effectively. Be sure to inform family members that items like cigarette butts and plastic wrappers belong in the trash instead.
- Leaving large chunks of food as-is. Your garbage disposal motor may wear down from large pieces of food as well. The motor can become overworked, and you may find yourself hitting the reset button underneath the unit frequently, and, eventually, replacing it too soon.
- Pouring F.O.G. into the drain. Fats, oils, and greases all seem fairly innocuous, but these can be detrimental to the pipes. F.O.G. actually hardens as it cools down. And when this happens, they’ll collect in your pipes, leading to clogs. Additional debris gathers and sticks to the F.O.G., and you may deal with a major drain clog that needs professional repairs.
- Throwing in these common food substances. Some things to avoid putting in the drains include hard food items (seeds, pits, bones, and popcorn kernels, for example), fibrous foods like celery and potato skins, and expandable foods. Celery could wrap around the impellers of the disposer, so be sure to cut it up if you do feed it into the unit. Foods like rice and pasta may expand in the pipes and should be avoided at all costs.
Be sure to take care of your plumbing system and call the friendly folks at Brooks Plumbing today to service or replace your garbage disposal in Olympia.
