What Not To Put In Your Garbage Disposal
While garbage disposals are one of the most convenient appliances in your Sterling home’s kitchen,
there are still some rules that apply when determining what or what not
to put in them. If you put the following items in your garbage disposal,
it could spell trouble for your plumbing.
Grease, fat, and oil, while being material that can be tough to dispose
of, should absolutely not go down your garbage disposal. The reason for
this is pretty straightforward. While these materials might be easy to
pour down your drain, they will solidify once inside it, which could ruin
the pipes and plumbing beneath your sink.
Avoid Long, Solid Foods Like Pasta and Carrots
One type of food that might be a bit less obvious is pasta. Pasta should
never be put down your garbage disposal. The reason here is that when
pasta comes into contact with water, it expands – regardless of whether
or not it is already cooked. Therefore, pasta that comes into contact
with water after being put in your garbage disposal could expand, causing
damage to your pipes.
Coffee grounds should never go down your garbage disposal. Opt to throw
them in the trash, or even compost them, as opposed to disposing of them
this way. Coffee grounds might go down the disposal easily, but they will
easily clog the trap, preventing other food from being properly disposed
of due to the clogging.
Hard Seeds and Pits
Here’s an easy one: seeds and fruit pits. While this does happen accidentally
somewhat frequently, make sure to keep an eye out for pits and seeds when
using your garbage disposal. If a pit or seed hits the blades of your
garbage disposal in the wrong way, it could do damage and result in garbage disposable leak that is difficult
and costly to repair.
Egg Shells
Probably the least obvious one of all is egg shells. While the hard shell
of an egg is not great to put down your garbage disposal, the most problematic
part is the membrane. The membrane of the egg shell can wrap itself around
your garbage disposal’s blade. Along with coffee grounds, egg shells
are a great thing to compost.
Garbage disposals are a quick and easy way to get rid of that refuse that
you cannot use in cooking. Just remember to be mindful of what you put
into them, or you could cause some damage to your Sterling plumbing system.
Also, check out few tips that will keep your Sterling disposal unit from dying during the ordeal.
If you’re experiencing trouble with your Sterling, VA garbage disposal
unit, call Cardinal Plumbing, Heating & Air Inc. at 703-721-8888.