Whether lye damages a disposer or not (although manufacturers specifically state NOT to put caustic or acid drain cleaners in), I would be cautious as splashing could get a lye solution on the face or in the eyes.
If the drain cleaner does not work, you will have a disposer hopper full of a lye or acid solution you will have to carefuly drain away when you remove the trap.
One can use it if they want, but for safety, I think there may be better alternatives.
Enzymatic cleaners will often work, if left in over night. Sometimes they require two treatments. Yes, there are slower than caustic soda,or sulphuric acid, but a whole lot safer. Whether you use them in a disposer or any other plumbing fixture.
Better yet, use a plumber's snake. Best of all, keep your lines consistently clear by using the weekly flush method above, and grind plenty of abrasives, like bones, which help keep the lines scoured when the tiny sharp particles are forced through the lines under pressure, by the disposer. Over time they can remove grease deposits on pipe wall. which if unabated, can continue to collect and eventually constrict water flow.
Remember back in the 70's when Consumer Report tested the life of disposers by simulating years of usage with ground up glass.
I don't personally condone grinding up glass in a disposal, but my record in not unblemished.
There have been times, when I have broke a drinking glass on the counter or in the sink. I picked out the largest pieces, and washed the smaller shards down the disposer, with the sink sprayer, and ground them up.
The disposer will certainly handle them, but I always have a fear of a small glass particles shooting out.
So I always make sure the disposer cover is on and turn off the disposer before turning off the water (as one is supposed to do all the time anyway.) and only then remove the cover.
If the drain cleaner does not work, you will have a disposer hopper full of a lye or acid solution you will have to carefuly drain away when you remove the trap.
One can use it if they want, but for safety, I think there may be better alternatives.
Enzymatic cleaners will often work, if left in over night. Sometimes they require two treatments. Yes, there are slower than caustic soda,or sulphuric acid, but a whole lot safer. Whether you use them in a disposer or any other plumbing fixture.
Better yet, use a plumber's snake. Best of all, keep your lines consistently clear by using the weekly flush method above, and grind plenty of abrasives, like bones, which help keep the lines scoured when the tiny sharp particles are forced through the lines under pressure, by the disposer. Over time they can remove grease deposits on pipe wall. which if unabated, can continue to collect and eventually constrict water flow.
Remember back in the 70's when Consumer Report tested the life of disposers by simulating years of usage with ground up glass.
I don't personally condone grinding up glass in a disposal, but my record in not unblemished.
There have been times, when I have broke a drinking glass on the counter or in the sink. I picked out the largest pieces, and washed the smaller shards down the disposer, with the sink sprayer, and ground them up.
The disposer will certainly handle them, but I always have a fear of a small glass particles shooting out.
So I always make sure the disposer cover is on and turn off the disposer before turning off the water (as one is supposed to do all the time anyway.) and only then remove the cover.
