Although the horror movie images of someone losing their fingers or a hand in a garbage disposal is entirely a Hollywood creation (the blades inside a garbage disposal are actually rather dull and not razor-sharp like movie producers want you to believe), it is still possible to become injured if you don’t practice basic safety measures while you are working on one.
Sarah J. (one of our customers in Smyrna, GA) noticed that her garbage disposal stopped working. It was no longer grinding anything and had started making a weird humming noise whenever she turned it on. She followed the rule of never reaching into a garbage disposal and contacted Trinity Plumbing instead.
Common Mistakes Home Owners Make With Garbage Disposals
Sarah had never had a garbage disposal before, so when she moved into a new house that already had one, she says she really didn’t know that much about them.
She admits that she made the common mistake that a lot of people make and pretty much sent anything and everything down the sink and into the garbage disposal, including corn husks and chicken bones along with copious amounts of grease from whenever she would fry or sauté food items on her stovetop.
Not only are these types of items hard on the grinders of a garbage disposal, but when grease is added to the mix, it can make for a very messy situation.
Since the garbage disposal was making a humming noise, but wasn’t removing the waste, it didn’t take our team long to realize that they were dealing with a clog in the garbage disposal system.
A Big Problem, Fixed Quickly
While a clogged or jammed garbage disposal is a problem that you can generally fix on your own with a little know-how, if you don’t have plumbing and/or electrical knowledge, it is usually better to contact a professional plumber and let them handle it.
After we removed the clog, cleaned out the grinders, and reset the garbage disposal, everything was back to working smoothly again.
Sarah reports that she has had no other problems with her garbage disposal and that she appreciates the information we gave her to help keep the grinders in the garbage disposal working properly as they should. (If you would like to see what we shared with her, read our list of what you can and can’t put in a garbage disposal.)
How to Prevent a Clogged Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals are a great asset to the kitchen, but they do have their limitations. Some things just aren’t meant to be put into a garbage disposal.
This includes:
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Banana peels
- Corn husks
- Egg shells
- Fruit Pits
- Grease
- Large bones
- Nuts
- Onion skins
- Pasta and rice
- Potato Peels
- Shrimp shells
While clogs can still happen, avoiding these types of items can make them a whole lot less likely to occur.
We Fix Garbage Disposals and a Whole Lot More
Whether you have a garbage disposal issue or another type of plumbing problem, Trinity Plumbing is your one-stop plumbing solution.
Trinity Plumbing
Whether your garbage disposal stopped working, just needs a good cleaning, or it’s time for a replacement, we’ll always give you an estimate right up front, so you’ll know the cost and there’s no hidden fees.
Why wait for a plumbing issue to get bigger than it already is? Contact us today to schedule service.
