What do you put in your garbage disposal? If you’re like most people, it’s a lot. We tend to take our disposal for granted, putting every last piece of leftover food and scraps right down the drain. Everything from small crumbs to whole apple cores, from vegetable peelings to expired cottage cheese – into the disposal it goes. But what most people don’t know is that some things can take a toll on your garbage disposal.
Let’s take a look at the top seven things you should not put in your garbage disposal.
#1: Pasta
Pasta expands when it absorbs water. Even after it’s cooked, it can still get bigger and soak up more water. When you put a noodle or two down the drain, it’s no big deal, but any more than that can cause a problem. As the pasta expands, the starches get sticky. When you run the disposal, it can fill the trap or clog the moving parts.
#2: Bones
Garbage disposal blades are sharp and meant for grinding up food, but bones aren’t food. Bones are much too hard for your disposal blades. They will get tossed around in the disposal without breaking down. If pieces of them do get cut off, those pieces are likely to get stuck in your pipes.
#3: Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are so small, how could they be a problem? It’s not the size of the grounds, but the consistency. Coffee grounds tend to clump together in the bottom of your disposal where they can stay, causing a gunky mess that can clog the moving parts.
#4: Fruit Pits
Peach pits, avocado pits, and cherry pits are easy to toss into the sink. While your disposal might chop them up, they’re likely to damage and dull the blades leading to a shorter life for your disposal.
#5: Eggshells and Onion Skins
Both eggshells and onion skins might go through the disposal blades just fine. But keep in mind, each of these items has thin membranes. Those membranes can wrap around the disposal blades and mechanism, which can lead to breakdowns and other issues.
#6: Grease
Grease might flow right through your disposal without a problem. This isn’t the case with your pipes. Pouring grease down your kitchen sink can lead to clogged pipes and a backed-up sink.
#7: Stringy or Fibrous Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables that are stringy or fibrous, such as celery, pumpkin, asparagus, and oranges can wreak havoc on your disposal. The fibers can wrap around the disposal’s shredding unit and blades and stop the motor or cause the unit to stop working.
Garbage Disposal Repair
Your kitchen sink is not a trash can. It can’t handle anything you decide to throw at it. Putting any of the above items down it can lead to a short life for your disposal. If you have questions about what to throw away and what to put down the drain, contact your local plumbing company. The expert team at Armor Plumbing and Underground, Inc., can answer all of your questions and can help should your garbage disposal need repair or replacement.