What Not to Put Down Your Kitchen Drain

Watch What Not to Put Down Your Garbage Disposal and other heating, cooling, and plumbing tip videos on YouTube.

You flip on the water and the disposal after cleaning dinner dishes, and the water doesn’t drain. The water mixed with the scraps from dinner circle the drain while your disposal hums. You probably have a clog that needs to be cleared. The main culprit of a clogged kitchen sink is a backed-up garbage disposal, which can happen when you put things down the drain that collect in the pipe. Kitchen disposals are designed to chop up food refuse and send them down the main drain, but there are some foods and particles that can collect and create a backup.There are many preventive steps you can take to avoid these problems, which starts with knowing what NOT to put down your kitchen drain.

The worst items to put down your garbage disposal are greases and fats, coffee grounds, vegetable scraps and eggshells. Other no-nos include pasta and rice, which when combined with water, can stick together and create a mess. A good rule of thumb, or hand, is … if the scraps are bigger than your fist, then don’t put them down the disposal. And don’t forget to run lots and lots of water.

If you have a clogged sink or backed-up garbage disposal, call Atlas Butler to schedule an appointment. Our experienced plumbing techs will inspect the drain and find the quickest solution to open your drain.