The Rules of Thanksgiving Garbage Disposal Usage

It’s November already! This is the time of year we receive an increased number of emergency plumbing calls. Thanksgiving, as it should be, is a time when Portland homeowners host family and friends. It should not and certainly does not need to be a time to worry about home plumbing systems!

The reality is that an abundance of cooking, food, and waste tends to tax garbage disposals. We are sure you’d much prefer to enjoy your family and dinner celebrations without worrying about garbage disposal breakdown. To help support that cause, here are some tips to avoid problems plus some 3 Mountains Plumbing upgrade solutions:

Do This

  • Use cold water when running the disposal. Hot water melts fats that may clog or damage your pipes more quickly, while cold water tends to keep things moving.
  • Toss sliced-up citrus down the drain. Citrus helps reduce odors associated with garbage disposals. Garbage disposal blades easily slice through fruit leaving behind a clean, fresh scent.
  • Get higher-horsepower garbage disposal. More horsepower means more strength and less to worry about. We are fully stocked with a variety of home garbage disposal options. Consider an upgrade before the holidays!
  • Do Not Do This

    • Do not shove everything but the kitchen sink the kitchen sink. Be reasonable. We know it may be tempting to throw a whole turkey or corn husk down the drain, but anything that large is going to strain and most likely break down the system.
    • Don’t stuff the disposal and start it. Stuffing in piles of organic waste at once may overwhelm the disposal. It’s much better to add smaller chunks than to try to dispose of everything all at once.
    • Avoid all of the following food items: bacon grease, oil, coffee grinds, bones, corn husks, dairy products, and of course, non-food items. Don’t spend more money on garbage disposal repairs and replacements. Properly maintain the one you have or consider an upgrade.

    Call 3 Mountains Plumbing to find out about our garbage disposal installation or upgrade options.

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