We have had our garbage disposal back up twice on us. What should we not put down her?

Question

The plumber said to not use it and only depend on it to use with the dishwasher. Any good advice out there?

Answer 1

Do not, repeat, do not, put broken glass down the disposar, it will not "sharpen" the blades. This is plain idiotic. Standing near a disposar and putting things like this down it could cause you to have flying glass hit you. I've heard this "urband legend" before and, that's what it is.

Turn the water on and let it trickle slightly when you put anything down the disposar, when you finish drizzle a little liquid soap down it with warm water until it's clear.

If you get to Home Depot pick up some disposar "pills" you run the water and drop one in once a month, it cleans the disposar and makes it smell better.

Don't put bones down it. don't put anything like bones in it. It should be O.K.

I've been changing these out for over thirty years without a problem.

Answer 2

I would tell you to get a new plumber. Doesn't sound to me like he knows what he is doing. And what is the deal with the dishwasher? Please don't call him again.

You do have a reset button on your disposal that you can try to push in when it won't run. Just be sure that no matter what you do, MAKE sure the disposal is turned OFF. You also have a small wrench you can reach in the disposal and turn it at the bottom to unplug it when it freezes up. They are two things you can try.

When you prepare to use your disposal, turn on the water, let it run a few minutes before you start feeding the trash down. DO not feed large pieces, go slow, leave the water run BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER USING THE DISPOSAL.

DO NOT FEED the following to your disposal: Bones of any kind. Cabbage, coffee grounds, banana peelings or grease of any kind.
WHEN you feed your disposal, feed very slowly, don't shove the food down, all pieces should be cut up very small.

You really can put most anything down IF you run enough water, don't shove and stuff it and small pieces. FOLLOW those rules and you will not have a problem.
ONCE a month, fill all your sinks, including bathrooms with very hot water. Then pull the plugs and allow it to run out. Helps to clean the drains.

EDIT NOTE: One other important thing. This concerns your rubber thing around the disposal at the top where you put the food in to chop it up. Feel up in under that rubber round thing on the inside where you can't see it. Yucky soft stuff gets built up under there. It will cause your kitchen to smell. You will search all over and never discover it because you can't see it. You have to feel for it. As the rubber gets old, you have to replace it. It will begin to smell sour.

Answer 3

Some people a disposal will take all kinds of food. Some commercial disposal will take allot more than a home type. Table scraps are not recommended. Small particles washed off the plate are OK. Never put grease down the sink period.
Potato peelings,onion skins banana peels,spaghetti,or anything in bulk. Run water while you wash off dishes or small scraps. I keep a can from something I have opened to pour grease into. When it hardens I put it in the trash.

Answer 4

Only let the minimum of food and scrap get down into your disposal. If you let too much down you can clog or jam it up or even worse the drain pipes in house. You also run the risk of clogging up your dishwasher drain hose as it most likely connects to your disposal. Also, make sure to run it once a day just to make sure nothing gets left in there too long, and always run it with the water running.

Answer 5

Coffee grounds, celery, potato peelings, stalks of any veggie, cantaloupe seeds, orange peels, rocks, grease.
I haven't had mine back up on me, but if I put these things in it it will stop up somewhat. I find that it is best to run it under warm or hot water and after shutting it off, run the water for a while longer. I also make sure that I put some bleach down there to help dissolve the yuk that accumulates in it.
You could also look into getting a better one.

Answer 6

Sometimes you just have a cheap disposal unit. Lots of new homes come with one that's only 1/2 horsepower, and that just won't do it. Switch to one that's at least a 3/4 horsepower; preferably a full horsepower model. It's more up front, but you'll have FAR fewer problems with with your plumbing.

Answer 7

People make the mistake of putting lots of food scraps down the disposal. They are really made for just loose scrapping from plates. Don't out loads of things down.

Also make sure you run lots of water down the drain during and after.

Answer 8

Most of the time it is not what you put down it but the size. Usually, the pipe is not very wide where the chopped up food will go, so you have to make sure that it is put in there a little at a time and slowly.

Answer 9

ok this will sound weird, but....small pieces of broken glass put into a garbage disposal will sharpen the blades. is it rotating well? does it sound alright (hard to tell, admittedly, if you aren't used to them)?

avoid plastic wrappers, metals, and too much bulk at once. ALWAYS have the water running while in use. find out, if you can, why the plumber said not to use it. he is presumably a professional, and there might be a good reason

i hope this helps

Answer 10

for a home owner they should not be use,its easy money for plumbers to make,you decide