Can you drain a garbage disposal

Garbage Disposal Dos There are some basic ways to keep your garbage disposal in tip-top shape. The following five things ensure proper garbage disposal maintenance: Use cold water: It may seem counterproductive to use cold water since hot water is better for breaking down food, but that can end up being harmful to your garbage disposal drain. Hot water allows greasy substances to break down and move down the drain, but those broken bits can end up coagulating and creating a clog further down.

Use it regularly: It may seem silly to be told to use your garbage disposal, but sometimes we may think that selectively using it will help it last longer. However, the opposite is true. Without regular use, the garbage disposal is at risk of corrosion and rust, which can lead to the need to replace the disposal sooner than expected. Using it also ensures that all parts of the disposal keep moving, which prevents waste from accumulating and obstructing the mechanisms.

Keep it clean: Aside from preventing blockage and clogs, a clean garbage disposal is one that will continue to work properly — and will keep away any offensive odors. Some of the things that are encouraged for a garbage disposal include: Most vegetable and fruit scraps: Tomatoes, apples and cucumbers are perfect for garbage disposals.

Any fruits or vegetables that tend to be fibrous or stringy — like bananas or celery — are better for a compost bin instead. Chicken bones are small as well as fairly weak, compared to cow or pig bones, and will be more easily broken apart in a disposal. Cooked meat scraps: Again, smaller and softer is the key, so well-cooked meat scraps are okay for the garbage disposal.

And make sure to put them in little by little. Small amounts of coffee grounds: Some coffee grounds are okay to put into a garbage disposal, and they may even help keep it smelling fresh and clean. But too much coffee grounds in the garbage disposal can clog up the drain, leading to plumbing problems. Treat your garbage disposal well, and it will treat you well, in return. Proper maintenance and operation will extend the life of your garbage disposal and prevent plumbing and drain mishaps.

Non food items can damage both blades and the motor. When in doubt, throw it out! If the P-trap and trap arm were relatively clean when you removed them, the clog is likely in the branch drain leading to the home's main drain.

The best way to clean this line is by snaking it with a drain snake, or auger. A simple foot drum auger sold and home centers and hardware stores usually does the trick. Feed the auger cable into the branch drain from under the sink, turning the drum as you go to work the cable past pipe bends and break up the clog. Run the cable out and back through the drain a few times to be sure the clog is cleared.

Reinstall the trap arm and P-trap, tightening the slip nuts just snug. Check the positions of the pieces and make sure the trap arm slopes downward slightly toward the branch drain. When all looks good, tighten the nuts all the way by hand. If necessary, tighten them a bit further with channel-type pliers, but be careful not to over-tighten, which can damage the nuts or threads.

Run water down through the disposal for several minutes to flush any loose debris through the drain system. When you're sure the drain is working properly, you can do a bigger flush by putting a stopper over the disposal opening, filling up the sink basin with hot water, and quickly pulling out the stopper. This helps to flush out the pipes and dislodge remaining clog material. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. For more information on how to get rid of drain clogs, check out our article How to Unclog a Sink. You can use drain cleaner in a garbage disposal. Liquid-Plumr has many drain cleaning products that are safe to use to unclog a garbage disposal.

Our drain cleaners can help tackle your toughest garbage clogs and clean your disposal. Drop one quick-dissolving pack into your disposal to clear the drain and leave a fresh citrus scent. Use our garbage disposal drain tips below to know how to unclog your garbage disposal and to prevent clogged disposals. Make sure you are using your garbage disposal as directed by the manufacturer. If you are using and maintaining your garbage disposal properly and it still clogs often, or takes a long time to grind up food, is leaking or making unusually loud noises, you may want to talk with a plumbing professional to learn more about how to unclog your garbage disposal and resolve bigger issues.

Proper maintenance of your garbage disposal and your septic tank will help keep everything running smoothly.