You’re cleaning up after a pleasant dinner with friends. Dishes and other tableware have been placed in the dishwasher. You’re ready to dispose of food scraps and other remnants from the delicious meal. You turn on the garbage disposal; it’s not humming or draining. And, some of the scraps are coming up into your adjacent sink. You’re trying not to let this ruin your perfect evening, but you’re feeling embarrassed and certainly inconvenienced, and worried it’s going to cost a fortune to fix the darn thing.
In this moment, you’ve learned an unpleasant lesson. A disposal unit is intended for small food scraps, and should not be thought of as your in-sink garbage can. There is a proper way to care for and feed a garbage disposal and, when followed, these guidelines will have the disposal serving you well for many years.
Garbage disposals are convenient appliances helping to minimize food waste and keep kitchen sinks clear of clogs. Unfortunately, we often take them for granted until they stop functioning properly. Your garbage disposal doesn’t have to be a mysterious contraption under the sink.
The garbage disposal—although generally unseen and under-appreciated—likely works harder than any kitchen appliance. Yet, like any other piece of equipment, it requires care to function at its best. With a bit of time and knowledge, you can keep it running smoothly every day.
How a Garbage Disposal Works
Few homeowners generally see past the rubber splash guard at the bottom of their sink, and most of us don’t consider how a garbage disposal works.
Beneath the splash guard, you’ll find the upper chamber where the food scraps accumulate. Inside this chamber are the shredding ring, flywheel, and impellers. These pieces grind up the waste, enabling it to pass into the lower chamber. Here, the smaller food particles mix with water before moving into the P-trap and down the drainpipe. Other parts of a disposal include a 1/3- to 1-horsepower motor, plumbing attachments, and a reset button.
Most of us opt for a standard 1/3 horsepower disposal because they’re affordable. Yet, these smaller units have only one grinding wheel so they can’t tolerate all foods. Larger, more powerful units include up to three grinding wheels, which will pulverize just about anything you throw at them.
Since the inner workings of a garbage disposal are, for the most part, out of sight, out of mind, here are some pro tips to keep yours running in top form.
Garbage Disposal Dos
Do regularly operate and clean your disposal. Food and debris allowed to accumulate in the upper chamber for an extended amount of time will begin to decompose and smell.
Do keep water flowing when you run the garbage disposal. The water moves the small particles through the P-trap and prevents a clogged drain.
Do use cold water when running the garbage disposal. Hot water turns some foods like fats and starches to soft and slippery icky masses, making them harder to grind, and this leads to clogs. Hot water also moves fats farther down the pipe where they’ll cool, stick to the sides of the pipe, and form a clog.
Do cut or break food waste into small, pea-sized pieces before putting it into your garbage disposal. This allows the appliance to grind and drain food efficiently. Whole food items like corncobs, eggshells, and fibrous fruits can jam the disposal. Cutting food into bite-size morsels prevents clogs and potential damage from overworked motors.
Do grind certain hard materials such as very small chicken and fish bones and very small fruit pits, but never grind beef or pork bones as they are too large for the garbage disposal. These particles create a scouring action inside the grinding chamber that cleans the garbage disposal’s walls. You can also grind ice cubes once a month. The ice helps keep the blades sharp and also removes food particles stuck to the inside of the upper chamber.
Do run citrus fruit rinds through your disposal periodically to help deodorize it, and to keep blades and drains clean. Grind the rinds with cold water for about one minute. This method also reduces the need for chemical cleaners.
Do hand-crank the unit to loosen a jam. By inserting a hex key into a slot located at the bottom of the disposal, you can turn the blades and free them up.
Garbage Disposal Don’ts
Do Not grind non-food or hard-to-break-down food items. Your unit was not designed to dispose of huge animal bones, plastic scrubbers, paper towel scraps, broken glass, metal, large fruit pits, or nutshells.
Do Not use drain-opening cleansers. These chemicals can damage the disposal and potentially splash in your face.
Do Not ever put your hand in the garbage disposal unit. Always disconnect from the power before addressing any malfunction, and use tools to access the grinding chamber.
Do Not forget the reset button, which is designed to trip when the motor overheats. If the unit doesn’t turn on, press the reset button and try again.
Do Not grind the following items in your garbage disposal:
- Fibrous foods: Their strings will wind around the blades, causing the motor to seize. And, even if they get processed through the disposal, they’re liable to clog your pipes. Examples include celery, cornhusks, asparagus, artichokes, edamame pods, banana peels, and rhubarb. The same goes for long peelings of apples, carrots, potatoes, and the like.
- Pits and meat: These items tend to bounce around inside the unit without grinding. Over time, they may get through, but will likely lead to a clog.
- Grease and fat: Avoid fatty sauces, gravy, butter, peanut butter, and cheese, which are apt to congeal. Oily food waste should not be disposed of in the drain, with or without a disposal.
- Expandable foods: The size of pasta and rice gets bigger as you cook it. The same thing happens when in your disposal and pipes.
- Coffee grounds: They will clump when placed in the disposal, just like when you pour water on them in the coffeemaker. When clumping together, coffee grounds stick to themselves and everything around them, including disposal blades and the sides of pipes.
Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal
To keep your disposal performing well and smelling fresh, take a few minutes and follow these monthly steps.
1. Use a flashlight to look inside for any leftover food debris. If there’s anything in there, turn off the power and remove it. Then, restore power before proceeding.
2. Drop a handful of ice cubes down the disposal with about ½ cup of coarse salt. With the water flowing, run the unit for about a minute to dislodge any food buildup stuck to the chamber walls.
3. Then, pour about a cup of white vinegar down the drain and follow it with a handful of baking soda.
4. While that combination is fizzing, use an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flanges of the splashguard. If it’s removable, take it out and scrub the underside as well.
5. Finally, give the unit one final flush. To do this, insert the stopper and fill the sink about ¾ full with warm water and a tablespoon of dish soap, giving it a good swish to mix. Then, pull the plug and let the water drain with the unit running.
If your disposal makes loud grinding noises, backs up into an adjacent kitchen sink, or completely stops working, unplug it and call a professional for repairs.
Disposals contain powerful motors with fast-moving blades that can cause serious injury. Only a qualified technician should attempt to unclog a main pipe, and/or replace parts inside the grinding chamber. Your trusted plumber can quickly diagnose issues and perform repairs.
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Flader Plumbing and Heating is uniquely suited to assist you in determining the solution that best fits your home and family’s needs. We’ve been serving your neighbors and our community for over 100 years and 4 generations.
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Whether your garbage disposal is clogged, you need a new water heater, or you have questions about service contracts, we are knowledgeable and provide expert service. Our professional technicians arrive on time, listen to your concerns, and answer your questions. They will recommend the right solution and deliver as promised.
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