5 Foods You Should Never Put in the Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are a great invention that make our lives easier. With the flip of a switch, you can kiss those food scraps goodbye. It can be tempting to put anything down the disposal, but beware: certain foods can wreak havoc on your disposal and lead to plumbing issues. If you want to save yourself time and money, avoid putting the following foods down your disposal.

Coffee Grounds

After you’ve enjoyed that hot pot of coffee, cleaning your coffee maker can be a pain. It may be tempting to dump the grounds down the garbage disposal, but think again. Coffee grounds may look finely milled, but they are densely packed and almost paste-like when removed from a filter. If you put them down your garbage disposal, a pile of gunky sediment will collect in your drain which can make a clog more likely. If you do end up with a clogged drain, City View Plumbing has your back. We provide the best plumbing and residential plumbing services in Minnesota. We’ll have your drain unclogged in no time.

Animal Bones

No garbage disposal is indestructible. Chicken bones and the like will do serious damage to your garbage disposal because disposals are not designed to grind up very hard items like this. Smaller bones may not be as dangerous, but make no mistake, they can wear down the garbage disposal’s grinding mechanisms and shorten its lifespan. 

Egg Shells

Who doesn’t like an omelet to start the day? Dumping leftover egg down your disposal is fine, but avoid egg shells. There is a common misconception that egg shells help your garbage disposal by sharpening its blades. This is wrong for two reasons. Firstly, garbage disposals don’t have blades. They use blunt impellers to break down food. Secondly, egg shells can get wrapped around the impellers, get loose and lodged into the impellers. This can lead to a blockage and a big headache for your plumber. But never fear, City View Plumbing specializes in both garbage disposal repair and garbage disposal installation. We provide the best plumbing services in the Metro Area: coffee grounds and egg shells are no match for our technicians.

Potato Peels

If you decide to dump potato peels down your garbage disposal, a couple of scenarios could take place. The peels may be thin enough to evade the disposal’s impellers and get caught in the drain, or they could get ground up by the impellers into a starchy paste. If this paste enters your pipes, it could lead to major blockages.

Onion Layers

While it is true that chopped onions can safely be added to your garbage disposal, watch out for the outermost layer. The outer layer could get wrapped around the impellers or miss the grinders completely and get wedged in the drain. If the layers get wedged in the drain, they can act as a net for other disposed items, creating a blockage.

City View Plumbing Keeps Your Garbage Disposal Running

For nearly 70 years, City View Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning has been serving the homes of our local community with excellence and diligence. If you need a garbage disposal installed or repaired, our drain maintenance team will take care of it. We have the expertise and product knowledge to help address the problems of your home’s most important systems and, most importantly, provide solutions.

Schedule an appointment today for a professional servicing tech to make sure your garbage disposal is functioning safely and effectively.