By: Rich Jolly
What does a Garbage Disposal really do?
The name “garbage disposal” is very deceiving. The manufacturers of these nifty little plumbing gadgets call them this to get you to use them in a manner that will eventually cause the device to fail so that they can get you to buy another one! What I’m about to tell you actually got me kicked out of a customer’s home once and will make some people angry.
People have been taught to use garbage disposals the wrong way for years and years and have a hard time believing this when I tell them, ” YOU SHOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY PUT FOOD DOWN YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL. YOU SHOULD NEVER USE IT AS A METHOD TO DISPOSE OF FOOD!” Yes. There I said it. This is what the manufacturers of waste disposal systems don’t want you to know. It is not a trash can, and your garbage disposal is not meant for shoving food down. Your disposal system is connected to a pipe that is only 1 1/2″- 2″ in diameter. Stuffing it with too much food will clog your drain pipes and cost you money on a plumber. It also shortens the life of your disposal itself. It will have you buying a new garbage disposal in no time, which is exactly what the manufacturer wants to happen!
Using your Garbage Disposal the right way
So that’s why they continue to call it a “waste disposal.” The lady who kicked me out of her home for telling her this yelled at me and wanted to argue about it by telling me I was wrong, and I didn’t know what I was talking about. After all, it’s called a “garbage disposal,” that’s what it does, and the whole chicken she threw down it shouldn’t be clogging her drain because she chopped it up first!
So if you can’t throw food down your disposal, what good is it for, you ask? I’ll tell you. It’s a safeguard. Always dump your dish into the trash can first and then put it in the sink. And if there are a few small scraps left over, go ahead and run your disposal with running water and wash those tiny scraps down the drain and let the blades in the disposal shoot them down the 1 1/2″ p-trap and away down the sewer.
As a plumber, I shouldn’t tell you all this, right? Wrong. Even though the disposal companies help me make money with their deceptive practices, We will always be 100% honest with our customers because that’s who Jolly Rooter is.
We are here for you
However, if you get in a bind and read this blog too late, you can always call us at 775-557-5656. We will be happy to unjam your disposal, unclog your drain, or replace your disposal at a fair and honest price.