Could you ever imagine living without your water heater? It’s one of those components to your plumbing system that’s impossible to think of going without. Another one is a fully functional kitchen sink. Many homes today have even one more component they can’t think about being without—their garbage disposal.
These components are all convenient, but if you’re not properly caring for them you could find yourself without them and with a huge repair bill to boot. Keep reading to learn how to best protect your kitchen sink to avoid costly and time-consuming plumbing repairs.
Keep Forbidden Items Out of Your Kitchen Sink
Failing to care for your kitchen sink drain or your garbage disposal can lead to damage to the unit, and can compromise your drain and sewer lines. If you do have a garbage disposal system, it’s important that we dispel a certain myth—that myth is that the blade of the system are shard and therefore chop up anything you put down the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true.
Your garbage disposal does have “blades,” if that’s what you choose to call them. But what they actually are, are grinder plates that rely on centrifugal force to grind down food waste. Then, the waste is flushed down the kitchen sink drain, and the flow of water (yes, you should keep your faucet running alongside your disposal system), helps the waste move all the way down the drain. But what items can overload your garbage disposal and/or back up your kitchen sink drain? Keep reading to find out!
- Hard Items: This can include things like bones or fruit pits. There are some newer garbage disposal systems on the market today that advertise they can handle these items. But honestly, in almost all cases, you’re better off disposing of these in the trash.
- Fibrous Food Waste: Things like corn husks and celery stalks are what we’re referring to heart. These items get wrapped up in the moving parts of a garbage disposal system, and it can be damages as the disposal struggles to continue to operate.
- FOG: This stands for fats, oils, and great. FOG isn’t a threat to your garbage disposal. But it is a threat to your kitchen sink drain and sewer line. If you pour FOG down your kitchen sink when it’s still hot after cooling, it congeals once it hits the cooler interior of your pipes. This is a great way to form a stubborn clog and backup that will only build up the more you put down the drain.
- Pasta, Rice, or Coffee Grounds: Again, these don’t damage the garbage disposal. However, these are items that absorb water in your pipes. When they do this, they expand, and this will cause blockages in your kitchen sink drain.
When it comes to the garbage disposal, these devices are typically pretty reliable and sturdy. But, it’s important that you use them with care. If your garbage disposal does malfunction, or if you have a stubborn kitchen sink clog that can’t be relieved with a plunger and a little bit of elbow grease, then we’re the team to call!
For professional plumbing in Alpharetta, GA, contact DC Cheek Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today!
