We tend to think of the garbage disposals in our kitchen sinks as instant eradicators of unwanted food, and accordingly some people will pour anything down their kitchen drain, assuming that the disposal will take care of it. This can be very problematic. Garbage disposals do a wonderful job, but they can’t handle everything and while you may be aware of some of the foods that you can’t put down the drain, others may surprise you,. We’ve included a quick list here to give you a sense of what we mean.
- Peeled vegetables. Vegetable peelings include things like potatoes and carrots, but can also include celery leavings and similar bits of unusable veggies. Their fibrous nature makes it easy to create a clog if they get flushed down the drain, and can wrap around the gears of the garbage disposal very quickly.
- Pasta and Rice. Pasta and rice can expand when they get went, and have proven quite difficult to get out of your pipes if they form a clog.
- Fats, Oils and Grease, or “FOG” as they’re known in our business. They usually get poured down the drain while hot and in liquid form, only to solidify once they cool down inside your pipes. That makes for big trouble; instead, pour them into an empty can until they cool, then dispose of them in the regular garbage.
- Coffee Grounds. Like pasta, coffee grounds can expand when they get wet. They also act like sand when they get into the gears of your garbage disposal, creating all sorts of problems as a result.
- Fruit Seeds. Peach pits and cherry pits are obvious examples of things you should never flush down the drain. You should expand that to include lemon seeds, apple seeds and seeds from other fruits and vegetables as well.
Hutchins Plumbing and Air Conditioning can unstop your kitchen drain here in Plano, TX!
