You’ve probably spent quite a bit of time in your kitchen, so imagine you’ve just cooked a great meal. It is delicious, but the daunting task of cleaning up afterwards is stuck in the back of your mind. Cleaning and putting dishes away are two aspects of it, but one of the biggest problems we encounter is how to properly dispose of food waste.

The reality is that many don’t understand what a garbage disposal is for and how it works. In this blog, we will cover that, as well as if you should be concerned about your garbage disposal causing pipe damage. Read on for everything you wanted to know about garbage disposals.

Get to Know Your Garbage Disposal

If you are in the process of getting a garbage disposal, it is always best to get it professionally installed by a company offering plumbing services in your area because it will save you money in the long run. Once installed, it’s important to understand what can and cannot safely go down your garbage disposal – remember that anything you put down there has to move through your drainage pipes. Here are a few key pointers to keep in mind:

• Only put food particles in your garbage disposal that can be liquified. 
• Never run your garbage disposal without a strong flow of cold running water. Cold water is best because it will cause any grease or oils you may have accidentally put down your disposal to solidify. 
• Run your garbage disposal regularly, even if you haven’t put anything down there. This helps prevent rust and corrosion.

You Can’t Put Just Any Food Item in Your 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. Dumping your coffee grounds down the garbage disposal is not a wise move. Coffee grounds may look finely milled, but they are densely packed and almost paste-like when removed from a filter. If you put it 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, get in touch with a residential plumbing specialist in your area.
• 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: dumping leftover egg down your disposal is fine, but avoid egg shells. There is a common misconception that eggshells 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 plumbing services provider.

Garbage Disposals Do Not Cause Pipe Damage

On its own, no garbage disposal will damage your pipes, but there is a caveat. Any pipe issue is dependent on the way you use your garbage disposal. Improper usage will certainly lead to clogs and other headaches. Garbage disposals don’t cause pipe damage, but garbage disposal users can by using the garbage disposal in a way it is not designed to be used. We’ve outlined some ways to maintain and take care of your garbage disposal above, but if you do run into a clog or your disposal stops working, never fear. Get in touch with a local residential plumbing specialist who can effectively diagnose the root cause of any issues and solve them quickly. Residential plumbing and plumbing services companies are well-equipped to troubleshoot and provide affordable garbage disposal repair.

City View Plumbing Provides Fast and Reliable Garbage Disposal Repair

Are you looking for the best garbage disposal repair company in Minnesota? Look no further. For nearly 70 years, we have prided ourselves on being the best and have served the residents of our local community with excellence and diligence. Our HVAC technicians have the expertise and product knowledge in water conditioning to help address the problems of your home’s most important systems and, most importantly, provide solutions. Do you have a plumbing issue that needs to be resolved? Schedule an appointment today and let us get to the root of the problem.