4 Common Garbage Disposal Problems

Garbage disposals are incredibly handy kitchen appliances. When used properly, a disposal grinds down food debris into small particles that are less likely to get stuck in drain pipes. Using a disposal helps keep food debris from rotting in landfills and most newer homes come with a disposal already installed. Garbage disposals are relatively inexpensive and if used properly, last between 10-15 years.

Use Garbage Disposals Wisely

Despite the name, a garbage disposal isn’t a trash can. Most garbage disposals are designed to handle light food scraps from a limited range of foods. In general, homeowners should avoid placing the following in their garbage disposal:

• Fats including cooking oil, grease, butter, and heavy cream sauces
• Starchy foods including pasta, rice, and beans
• Fibrous foods including banana peels, potato peels, celery, and carrots
• Hard materials including large bones, seafood shells, and egg shells
• Any non-food liquids or solids including paint, solvents, plastic, or glass

In addition to what you put in a garbage disposal, how you operate it matters as well. Always turn on the cold water before starting the disposal and let it run while the disposal is on. Using cold water helps small amounts of grease to coagulate and flow through the pipes. Hot water thins grease and allows it to build up in pipes which can lead to clogs.

Gradually feeding small amounts of food debris down the disposal is best practice. When you finish grinding food scraps, turn off the disposal and let the cold water run for another 20 seconds to flush food particles completely down the drain pipe. If you don’t run enough water, food debris is likely to remain trapped in the drain trap or pipe which can lead to clogs and odors.

Attend to Disposal Issues Promptly

There are four common garbage disposal problems that most homeowners deal with at one time or another. Fixing these problems quickly can save your disposal and prevent bigger plumbing issues from occurring.

1. Clogs

A garbage disposal usually has no problem grinding up most food waste, but it’s what happens after grinding that causes a clog. Clogs are usually the result of how the ground food waste reacts to water (or lack of water) during the grinding process.

If the wrong type of food or insufficient water is used during the grinding process, a clog can develop in the drain trap, also known as the P-trap. If a large amount of food waste is ground at one time, a clog can easily occur. It’s no surprise that a spike in service calls happens over Thanksgiving weekend for just this reason.

Clogs can also develop slowly over time as the waste line and drain trap become coated with food waste. If your disposal is draining very slowly or not at all, the problem is most likely in the drain trap. Removing the trap and manually removing the clog may be an easy fix.

If you don’t locate a clog in the trap, then a clog has likely developed in another area of the drain. Depending on your comfort level with taking apart the branch drain which leads to your home’s main drain and using a drain snake, it may be time to call a plumber.

Don’t be tempted to try to clear a clog using a chemical drain cleaner. These chemicals rarely work and can easily leave you with a sink full of toxic chemicals. Try these tips instead.

The chemicals in drain openers can corrode the metallic components in garbage disposals leading to future leaks. Because of their corrosive properties, using them will void your manufacturer’s warranty. Even more importantly, when the disposal is turned back on, these chemicals can easily splash up out of the drain leading to potentially serious injuries.

There are two easy ways to help prevent clogs. First, only grind the food waste recommended in your user’s manual. Secondly, always flush the disposal with plenty of cold water when it is running and for several seconds after you turn it off.