There are generally two reasons a kitchen garbage disposal will become clogged. First, there is often insufficient water flow down the drain line which can cause debris to accumulate, creating an obstruction. Second, the disposal is not designed to handle the material being run through the grinder.
What Should You Avoid Putting Down the Disposal
Eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels and potato peels are the food waste that cause the most problems with disposals. Grinding egg shells or coffee grounds creates a gritty debris that attaches to any buildup inside the drain pipe, quickly causing a clog. Being a starchy food, potato peels form a gooey build up that is difficult to rinse out. Banana peels are fibrous and create a stringy sludge that can become tangled in the disposal’s impeller.
Besides not putting the above food waste down the disposal, the key to preventing a clogged disposal is to run lots of water during and for 30 seconds after grinding. To keep the disposal clean we also recommend grinding 3 cups of ice cubes with a little dish water.
Need help with your kitchen disposal or other plumbing systems? Call M/R Plumbing, we can help.
