Most people in this day and age have a garbage disposal unit in their kitchen. Their popularity, combined with common misconceptions about how to properly use them have led to them being one of the top causes of kitchen sink back-ups – either directly, or indirectly. Hopefully this article will help you to be outside of that trend.
Correct and Incorrect Use of Garbage Disposers
Many people see the big, gaping hole in the sink as a place to stuff as much food down as possible, and when they flick the switch, the waste is just sent off to who knows where. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
You kitchen sink, has one of the smallest drain lines in your house. The drain piping under your sink actually has a 1 1/2” (outside diameter) “p-trap” under it that food particles and everything else must travel through in order to reach the 2” drain line under the home.
Garbage disposers were created to take the food that you put down them, and cut them into smaller, more manageable bits, so they can make our way down the drain lines. The more you put into them at any one time, the more food goes down those tiny drain pipes.
Combine that with the fact that food contain oils and greases that are released from the food as it is chopped up, and you can see how it really can be a recipe for disaster. This is especially true if you wait for the kitchen sink to stop draining before you turn on your disposer, or if you cram your disposer full before turning it on.
To avoid this potential problem, you should regularly use your disposer, as you put food into it – little by little. You should also avoid dense/starchy foods like potatoes and rice. These starches cannot really be chopped up very well, and will fill your drain line in no time flat.
Some Garbage Disposal Tips
If you want your disposal to last a long time, and perform at peak efficiency, here are some tips for you.
- When you are done cleaning your dishes, always run the disposer for a few seconds, with plenty of hot water, to make sure it is clear. This will keep food particles from sitting too long in your disposer and smelling, or even causing eventual rust problems
- Always use lots of hot water after running your disposer. Not only will it helps wash the food down the drain, but heat keeps grease from turning solid, and will keep the pipes directly under your sink cleaner. Remember, grease collect food particles like fly paper catches flies.
- Every once in a while, put a handful of ice cubes in your disposer and let the disposer chop them up. This will help keep your blades sharp, so it does a better job of chopping up the food.
- Consider throwing the bulk of your food waste in the garbage, and only using your disposer for the small amounts left over. This will be a huge contributor to keeping your lines clear. Remember, the more food/grease you put down your drains, the sooner you will back up.
Hopefully, those tips will help you to get the most out of your garbage disposer. Still, at some point, your disposer will likely need to be replaced. When it does, give Allstar Plumbing a call. We will take a look at your disposer and give you a free estimate. If you choose to approve the estimate, our techs carry a garbage disposer on our trucks. That saves you time and money.
Call Allstar Plumbing Today!
