What to Keep Out of Your Garbage Disposal This Thanksgiving

Between inviting guests over for dinner, making your grocery shopping list, and food prep, it can be easy to push caring for your garbage disposal to the back of your mind.  However, many Thanksgiving foods are bad for your drain!  Prevent plumbing problems by keeping these Thanksgiving dishes out of your garbage disposal.

Be Careful With These Thanksgiving Foods:

• Potatoes - Starchy vegetables like potatoes can expand in your garbage disposal system.  This can clog the drain and keep your garbage disposal blades from spinning.
• Asparagus - Including asparagus in a side dish?  This stringy vegetable can wrap around the disposal blades and keep your system from working properly.
• Turkey Bones - If you're cooking a whole turkey, be sure to keep any bones out of your drain.  It's a common myth that bones can go down your disposal.  However, bones are strong enough to bend and break your disposal blades.
• Leftover Grease - Although grease may look like a liquid, you'll want to keep it far away from your kitchen sink.  When grease hardens, it can cause clogs in your plumbing drains and in your garbage disposal.  Be sure to dispose of any leftover grease from your turkey or other dish in the garbage.

If you're using a dishwasher this Thanksgiving, it's important to scrape off any leftover food.  In many cases, the dishwasher is directly linked to your garbage disposal.  Similarly, this can cause plumbing problems.

If you experience any problems with your garbage disposal this Thanksgiving, give us a call.  Our expert plumbing technicians can help clear your drain and leave you with a stress-free holiday.  Call 585-216-3058 to contact our office or visit our website to learn more about the plumbing and remodeling services that we offer to the Rochester area.

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How to Prevent Garbage Disposal Problems During Your Summer BBQ

Grill season is here!  

As you enjoy backyard BBQs with your friends and family this summer, we want to make sure you avoid potential plumbing issues.  Keep your garbage disposal running smoothly by keeping these BBQ foods out of your disposal during cleanup.

Keep These BBQ Staples Out of Your Disposal:

• Leftover Grease and Oil from Grilled Meats
• Pasta Salad
• Mayonnaise
• Bones from Ribs and Other Meats
• Corn Husks
• Baked Beans

Don't have a garbage disposal?  Now is the perfect time to add one to your kitchen!  Now through the end of June, take $50 OFF a new 1/2 or 3/4 horse garbage disposal when you call and mention the code FB50!  Call 865-583-3957 to book your appointment today.

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What Shouldn't Go Down Your Disposal?

Photo Source: Flickr/David Winer

Your kitchen garbage disposal is a great way to get rid of food scraps. However, some foods can clog your pipes and harm your disposal blades.  Avoid putting these foods down your disposal to keep it running smoothly.

Foods to Avoid:

• Fibrous Foods - Celery, artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, corn husks, carrots, onion skins and potato peels can clog your disposal.  The fibrous foods wrap around the blades and keep your motor from operating well.  Dispose of these foods in the garbage instead.
• Bones - Keep those turkey bones out of your garbage disposal.  Bones and other hard foods can dull and even break your garbage disposal blades.
• Grease - Greasey foods will create a film over your garbage disposal blades.  Eventually, this grease will begin to decay and cause your disposal to smell.  Grease can clog your drains, too!
• Egg Shells - Egg shells can wrap around the shredder ring and can clog your pipes.
• Starches - Pasta, rice and other foods that swell with water can clog your garbage disposal trap.

For more information on what you should and shouldn't put down your garbage disposal, check out this Angies List article.  You can also contact our professional technicians if you experience any problems with your garbage disposal.  Call 585-216-3058 to contact our office today.

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