Having a garbage disposal can be quite a luxury, and an environmentally safe way to rid your home of unwanted waste. However, unless you use your disposal properly, it can become clogged.
A clogged garbage disposal can cause your unit to smell and prevent you from enjoying your disposal and kitchen until it is repaired.
Why Does My Garbage Disposal Smell?
Your garbage disposal contains an “upper hopper chamber” and a “lower hopper chamber”. Food is placed into the upper chamber, then it is washed down into the lower chamber. On the bottom of the upper chamber, is a flywheel with various small slits in it.
Once the impeller blades, located on the bottom of the upper chamber, liquifies the food and debris, it is then injected through the small slits in the flywheel where it collects in the lower chamber to be expelled through the drain.
Some foods may not be broken down or liquified by the disposal. When this occurs, foods will clump or fail to pass through properly, which can clog your disposal and cause it to smell.
What Shouldn’t I Put Into My Disposal?
- Fibrous foods such as celery, banana peels, artichoke, corn husks or onion skins can become entangled in the drain, which can jam the disposal as well as block the drain.
- Starchy foods like potatoes or rice can clump and clog the disposal.
- Egg shells and coffee grounds can adhere to gunk and cause clogs.
- Cigarette butts.
- Combustibles.
- Plastic, paper or metal.
- Oil, grease and fat can build up in your drain and hinder its ability to grind and clog your drain.
- Large bones.
- Expandable foods, such as pasta, can expand in your drain and clog the drain.
- Feeding large amounts of food down your disposal at one time can prevent food from being broken up properly. Instead, place small amounts of food into your disposal, with the cold water running, at a time, so it flows smoothly down the drain.
- Harsh chemicals such as bleach, can damage the pipes and drain.
- Hot water can liquify the grease from foods, which can build up and clog the drain.
What Can a Plumber Do to Get Rid of It?
Sometimes, your clog can be in the plumbing line which lies behind the wall. Such repairs can be time consuming and require specialty tools and expertise to repair.
Licensed plumbers are equipped with the proper tools, and they are highly skilled in all kinds of garbage disposal repair. Enlisting the aid of a professional plumber for your garbage disposal repair can save time and costs, so you can get back to enjoying your kitchen.
Is your garbage disposal clogged and smelling up your Columbia kitchen? No need to wait, Call Plumbing Solutions LLC at (803) 513-5749 and get
the right plumbing services you need.