When plumbers get a call during the holiday season, they can usually guess the problem before they even pick up the phone.
It could be a malfunctioning water heater.
It could be a clogged drain or toilet.
There’s even the off chance that a plumber might need to take care of an emergency in the bathroom—clogged sink replacements and repairs that might be needed as the result of an overly-rambunctious family member’s antics.
The most likely problem, though, is the garbage disposal.
Why Your Garbage Disposal Breaks Down
It’s understandable if you think about it.
After a large meal, you wash the dishes and rinse down the sink, pushing gobs of leftover food and cooking dregs into the garbage disposal.
Unfortunately, this leads to most of us being careless with what we put down the disposal.
The result is either a clog in the drain or the garbage disposal motor jamming up.
Be Careful What Goes Down the Drain
The best thing about garbage disposals is how conveniently they seem to grind up whatever you put in them.
Even a garbage disposal has limits, though, so avoid sending the following items down the drain:
Any non-food item: This should be a no-brainer.
Anything plastic or paper should go in the trash instead of down the drain.
Water-absorbent foods: Things like pasta, rice and bread not only absorb water—they expand the more they absorb.
This may not jam garbage disposals, but they have a high chance of clogging the drain after they’ve passed through the disposal.
Hard leftovers: Anything like meat bones, peach pits or popcorn kernels shouldn’t go into the disposal.
These types of leftovers can be easily overlooked and can wreak havoc on your garbage disposal.
Fibrous foods: Foods like celery contain long fibers that can tangle up the blades in the garbage disposal and be a nightmare to remove.
Potato skins: One or two potato skins probably won’t do much harm to your garbage disposal.
The problem is that potato skins rarely come in ones and twos.
The sheer number of potato skins left over after a holiday meal will jam garbage disposal blades and clog sinks.
Grease, oils and fats: This group seems like a safe bet to toss down the garbage disposal.
They’re either soft or liquid, so what could be the harm?
The problem is that they can solidify and build up inside your pipes, quickly leading to a clog that will probably require a professional plumber to remove.
How to Avoid Clogging Your Disposal
If you want to know how to avoid putting these foods down your drain, the answer is simple—watch what you put in the drain.
If you have any doubts, dump your leftovers in the trash instead.
As for fats, grease and oils, put them in a used soup can or empty plastic container before tossing them in the garbage can.
Do this, and you can save yourself a lot of headaches during the holiday season.
Call London Plumbing
If you’ve got a clogged sink or a jammed garbage disposal, don’t delay.
Contact London Plumbing.
We’ll inspect your sink and get it unblocked again in no time.
