Clogged Kitchen Sink w/ Disposal

[ea56]

Mark,

I’m pretty sure you are correct in your guess that the vibration of the GD has loosened the fittings of your drain pipes, because the same thing used to happen to my pipes too before I took out the GD. Since removing the GD I have never had to retighten these connections again.

If you really don’t use your GD much serioulsy consider just taking it out like I did. You won’t miss the GD or regret getting rid of it.
Eddie

 

[lotsosudz]

Said it before, and i'll say it again

If you have a decent disposal, put ice cubes, small chicken bones, egg shells, and small pieces of broken glass in, and you will have a disposal that will take anything. When we moved into this house we inherited an ancient Kenmore unit. It was dull and could not cut butter. I started my usual borage, of the above mentioned items, and 14 years later it is sharp, and quick. It was so bad initially, that our frugal land owner thought it should be replaced. I told him to hold off, and let me have a go of it. Like I said, its now omnivorous.
Hugs,
David

 

[tolivac]

NEVER,NEVER put glass in a disposer!!!!The unit can be damaged,the glass could get thrown out and up at you,and shredded glass does not "float" and could cause nasty clogs in the plumbing.The other items mentioned are fine-yes a disposer fed a "soft" diet will get its shredder elements covered in slime reducing their effectiveness.If the disposer is still under a warrantee the glass -"foreign object" by the disposer maker will void the units warrantee.

 

[mark_wpduet]

So ice

will not only clean it, but will sharpen it too???

 

[tolivac]

The ice CLEANS the disposer-it is "sharpened" by the ice removing slime and grime from the shredders.For REALLY bad disposers use a little scouring powder with the ice cubes.

 

[askolover]

I bought a toilet brush at walmart several years ago that will fit through the opening and down into the disposal.  Sprinkle some Comet or Ajax powder on it, stick it in and scrub it around with hot water running.  When I pull it out it inverts the rubber baffles and scrubs them too. 

 

[lotsosudz]

Just for general info

Glass beads are what the pros's use to sharpen them. Yes I would use extreme caution, and cover the opening with a cover that allowed water to flow by. Ice is probably safer for newbies. The rest of the regimen that I mentioned, really does work. And easy to do as well.

 

[ultralux88]

I put everything down the disposal, if it’s food waste it goes in there, peels, bones, rinds, cores, and even bones. I even put the leafy green pineapple top down it with the rest of the rind. Coffee filter with all the grounds in it? Absolutely! I have a Waste Maid 3/4 HP disposal, before that there was a 1/3HP badger that lasted 13 years and then leaked all over early this year. I put in a 1/2HP one that really left me wanting... the flywheel was starting to rust on the surface and it couldn’t grind up an apple core, I was heavily dissatisfied and thoroughly disgusted. I’ve always thought it disgusting to throw food in the trash, as it stinks, so now no food is allowed near the trash can, and I haven’t smelled that familiar food in the trash can stench since!

 

[tolivac]

Again,I WOULD NOT put glass down ANY disposer-the shredded glass can cause future clogs.DON'T DO IT!!!!!!Also the glass can wear the shredders rather than "sharpening" them.

 

[ultralux88]

Glass to me is not food, so it doesn’t go down the disposal, besides, there’s nothing to sharpen, it’s all full from the factory... If you need/want to knock all the crud out of it, just drop bones down it!

 

[thomasortega]

I agree with Ultralux

I do the same. I just avoid soft diets, but... I have soft leftovers too, so guess where they go.

Of course, I try to feed my disposer with a very balanced diet and after i use if for a considerable amount of food or every few days I fill the disposer with detergent (pencil-thick water flow, a squirt of detergent then close the tap) until the foam overflows on both drains. I let it run for 1 minute, then i rinse both sinks with the disposer on.

Turn off the disposer, fill the sink with water and use the disposer as my landlords says "only to drain the sink faster".

A few days ago I thought my crappy Badger disposer died, I was even thinking it would be the chance to get a decent disposer, but then it suddenly decided to come back to life.

Today I'm making chicken wings for dinner, intentionally to have tons of bones to clean it.

I can't imagine my life without a disposer.

Well actually i can, i lived 6 months at Extended Stay America in Dallas and it was a NIGHTMARE without a disposer or a dishwasher.

 

[ultralux88]

Here's a better idea than glass! LOL

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[tolivac]

I use chicken bones or ice cubes.When I buy beef just buy it already trimmed of bones.Takes a BEEFY home unit to shred bones.Large commercial disposers were talking about 3-15Hp class-no problem!Those will grind ANYTHING thrown in them.But the plumbing system may not like it.

 

[ultralux88]

This 3/4 HP unit, as you see, will easily shred bones, even if they don't fit completely down in the grind chamber. Just the other day I disposed of a ham bone down the thing, it is a bit noisy, but it took care of it quickly!

Not that I'd do this regularly, but I find the idea of being able to drop one of those paper Chinese food containers, contents and all, down a commercial disposer and having it all disappear to be very intriguing...

 

[askolover]

My 3/4hp ISE made Kenmore spit a bone back at me once so I just don't do that anymore.  But it will do it.  I used to stick chicken bones down it all the time but they tend to make it smell more.  I posted above about how I clean mine with Comet or bleach.