Garbage disposals have many benefits, including cutting down on food odors and saving money on trash bags. However, a disposal’s impact on your plumbing system should not be ignored.
Grease, oils, and coffee grounds can solidify over time in pipes and the disposal unit and contribute to clogs. Fibrous vegetables like celery and onion skins can entangle the appliance’s blades.
Clogs and Blockages
A garbage disposal is a handy device that reduces the amount of food waste you need to put in the trash. It also helps your plumbing system by reducing the amount of food waste that goes down the drains and into the sewer system. But if you aren’t careful, you can cause large drain clogs and other issues with your garbage disposal and your plumbing.
For example, putting large amounts of fats and oils down the disposal can lead to pipe blockages because they solidify when they cool. It’s also important to always use cold water when you run the disposal, as this keeps grease from melting and causing blockages.
Other foods to avoid include fibrous vegetables, such as asparagus stalks or corn husks, which can wrap around the disposal blades and prevent them from spinning. It’s also a good idea to avoid putting things like coffee grounds, eggshells, and other hard-to-grind items in your disposal.
Damage to the Drain Pipes
Garbage disposals create a lot of vibration while they work, which can cause damage to your pipes. The constant movement and pressure can loosen connections or degrade seals, causing leaks. This can also affect your plumbing fixtures in the kitchen, including sink faucets, and may lead to water damage and mold growth.
Always Run Water
A continuous flow of water while a garbage disposal is running helps wash the food particles through the grinder and drain pipe system. This reduces the chances of clogs.
Avoid Certain Foods
Fibrous foods like corn husks, celery stalks and onion skins can wrap around the impellers and jam the disposal. Pasta and rice are sticky and expand in water, contributing to clogs. Bones and coffee grounds can also clog a disposal.
Never pour grease, fat or oil down the disposal or drain pipes. This will liquefy and
accumulate in the pipe system or the disposal and can contribute to clogs and other problems.
Septic System Issues
Garbage disposals grind food waste up into small particles that are then flushed into the sewer system. This may create a problem for households that rely on a septic tank. Some experts recommend avoiding garbage disposal completely if you are on a septic system. Others suggest talking to a local plumber about a solution that works for you.
If your septic tank gets full of sewage, it will cause the waste to back up into your home’s drain lines. Regular pumping should prevent this issue. You should also avoid pouring grease down your drains and use baking soda and vinegar to keep your pipes clean and odor-free.
A septic system failure causes untreated sewage to be released into groundwater, surface water, and marine water. This sewage contaminates drinking water wells and water sources with pathogens, chemicals, and nutrients. These contaminants threaten human health and damage the environment. If your septic tank is failing, contact your local environmental health department to schedule an evaluation.
Clogged Sinks
Using a garbage disposal unit properly is the best way to protect your plumbing system and prolong the life of the appliance. Keeping in mind the food scraps that should never go down the disposal and recognizing early warning signs of trouble, such as slow-draining sink water, can help you avoid clogged drains and pipes and the need for costly repairs or replacement.
Starchy foods like pasta, rice and potato peels should be discarded in the trash instead of thrown into the disposal, as they soak up water, expand and collect in pipes. Grease should never be put down a disposal, either; it will solidify in the drain and pipe over time, leading to a greasy, smelly mess that can be hard to clear. Eggshells, coffee grounds and shellfish should also be discarded in the trash rather than down the disposal, as they don’t break down easily and may clog pipes. The same is true of nuts and seeds, which could damage the blades or become stuck in the disposal. For more information on plumbing services and needs, sites like https://www.fixitrightplumbing.com.au/plumber-middle-park/ near Melbourne, Victoria have a lot of resourceful information.
