Have you ever made peeled a potato? Many of us peel something right over the sink, letting those peels flop right into it so we can easily sweep them into the disposal. It is what that disposal is for, right? A machine that can dispose of any unwanted waste?
The answer, from our Plumbing Manager, Steve Masloskie: “The only thing that should go into a disposal is the smaller, softer scraps, or other items, that are rinsed off of your plate, or bowl. The best scenario is to simply throw your excess foods away, in the garbage. If you picture anything that you put down your disposal as needing to take a long trip through your pipes, then into your home’s main pipe, then into the city’s pipes, it becomes a little clearer why it’s important to NOT put everything down your sink.”
According to Angie’s List™ there are several other tips to ensuring that your garbage disposal lasts longer than it’s 5 year warranty:
1. Avoid putting fibrous foods or tough-skinned vegetables into the disposal. The strings of celery, artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, corn husks, carrots, onion skins and potato peels can wrap around the blades, preventing proper operation of the motor. If you feel you must put fibrous foods into your disposal, do so in very small quantities, and run the cold water while you operate the unit.
2. Don’t put extremely hard foods into the garbage disposal. Items such as bones, hard skins of fruit and meat and fruit pits can dull and even break the unit’s blades. In a worst-case scenario, hard foods will jam the disposal, preventing blades from turning and causing the motor to burn out.
3. Keep grease and greasy foods out of the disposal. Greasy foods will distribute a film over the blades, diminishing their effectiveness. Eventually, the grease will begin to decay, causing an unpleasant odor in the kitchen. Pouring grease into a garbage disposal can result in clogged drains when the grease solidifies.
4. Contrary to popular belief, egg shells have no place in the garbage disposal. Some people claim that egg shells sharpen the blades of the unit, but this is not true. The shell’s stringy membrane layer can wrap around the shredder ring, and the shell itself will be ground to a sand-like consistency capable of clogging pipes.
5. Avoid putting expandable foods such as pasta and rice into the garbage disposal. Even small particles of these foods will swell with water and eventually clog the trap.
6. Exercise common sense, and don’t put non-food items into the garbage disposal. Avoid the example of homeowners who have placed rubber bands, twist ties, cigarette butts, pull tabs, fabric, sponges and plant clippings into their disposal units. These items cannot break down enough to wash down the drain.
