Keep These Holiday Foods Away From Your Garbage Disposal
traffic…especially during the current shelter-in-place orders. With
added time on all of our hands, holiday treats that may have been purchased
in the past, are being whipped up in our kitchens. From homemade lollipops
to beautifully baked pies, your kitchen plumbing is being put to the test.
That is, if it is not being used properly.
So today, we here at
American Mechanical are providing tips on garbage disposal use to ensure your holiday cooking
and baking do not jeopardize your kitchen plumbing systems. And when it
comes down to it, it’s actually quite simple! You want to keep these
food items away from your drains to avoid system malfunction or breakdown:
Halloween Candy Wrappers
Although the word “garbage” is in its name, your
disposal system should not be treated like a trash can. When unwrapping your Halloween
candy this season, any chocolate or sweet that is covered in plastic,
paper, wax, or foil must be thrown into your kitchen trashcan.
Candy casings are not manufactured to break down in your piping, so if
they make their way into your plumbing network, they will likely cause
a massive blockage.
Thanksgiving Poultry
When it comes to Thanksgiving the star of the show is also the most dangerous
drain clogging, disposal breaking culprit: the thanksgiving turkey. It
is imperative that any poultry and all meat bones end up in your trash.
If these bones are rinsed down your disposal, they can become lodged between
your disposal’s blades, breaking your system’s motor. If this
occurs, you will need a new motor! Otherwise, you will experience
consecutive clogging, as your system will not effectively chop up subsequent food coming down
your disposal.
Holiday Side Dishes
Although these dishes are not the main event, they are some of our favorites.
From green bean salads to stuffing, and from casseroles to mashed potatoes,
any unwanted leftovers should be scraped into your kitchen trash. Fibrous
vegetables should not be put down your drains. Celery, asparagus, broccoli,
and brussel sprouts, for example, will all become stringy in your disposal,
forming tumble-weed-like blockages in your piping.
Now, when it comes to starches, we all can’t wait to grab seconds;
however, complex carbohydrates will clog your plumbing. Just think about
what happens when you add water to pasta or rice—it expands! And
in your piping, it will do the same, restricting your water flow.
This will likely lead to slow drainage and potentially
backflow, which compromises your water quality. If you notice a shift in the state
of your water,
contact your local experts ASAP!
If you suspect that your garbage disposal is underperforming, contact American Mechanical
at (757) 703-1529
! We will restore your system so you can get back to
what matters most: spending time with your family this holiday season.
