Insinkerator Diet: Feeding Your Garbage Disposal
What is an Insinkerator?
People often think of a kitchen waste disposal system as thing big spinning blade waiting for their hand, but there’s actually nothing sharp about them! Insinkerators have a spinning disk with small lugs or teeth attached. The lugs break down the food as the disk spins until the food waste is small enough to pass through the small holes on the grind ring. This food waste then flows out of the disposal system and into the sewerage system. You still shouldn’t put your hands anywhere near it while plugged in, of course!
Insinkerators are a kitchen necessity, reducing the food waste in your household and the landfill while keeping your kitchen clean and free of ants and other hungry insects on the hunt for your scraps.
What Can Go Down?
In all honesty, as technology continues to be developed, more and more can in fact go down your pipes. Most modern waste disposal systems can handle almost all food waste—some can even crunch up bones—but you’ll want to know for sure before pushing half-eaten chicken wings down, as they can jam if overloaded.
It essentially comes down to common sense. It’s a food disposal system, so no food tags, ties, or plastic rubbish. It’s primarily about judging whether what you’re putting down can be broken up by the force of the spinning disk.
If you run a bit of cold water and slowly feed the waste down, it should be able to deal with almost any scraps properly. Keep the cold water running while you’re using your waste disposal and for a few seconds after switching it off. This allows the broken food to flow through and out of the system, rather than building up inside and blocking it.
What Can’t Go Down?
Even though most things are fine, there are some things you should avoid at all costs. Fibrous, starchy, and hard items should be avoided, depending on what model of Insinkerator you have. This includes fibrous vegetable material, such as lettuce, celery, and onion skins, which can tangle around the teeth and spinning disk. Tough fruit pits or nuts can also damage the spinning disk.
Starchy foods—potato skins, for example—can turn into a thick mass inside, making it more likely for a clog or blockage to occur. Coffee grounds cause many issues for household plumbing too, as the grounds form into a solid packed mass in the pipes and clog up the sink. Coffee grinds are perfect for compost, so if that’s an option for you, we recommend it. Foods that expand when exposed to water also pose a risk of blocking pipes. All these foods can be handled in small quantities, as we tend to empty our coffee machines and peel potatoes over the sink, some will inevitably make it down, but they should be avoided in large quantities.
Grease and oils should not go near your sink or pipes at all. They’ll go down an Insinkerator alright, but the rest of your plumbing won’t be able to handle them. Like cooling candle wax, grease and oil can solidify in your pipes and cause some expensive damage. It’s better to let it cool and put it in the rubbish, but you might be surprised how valuable it is to save too. Bacon grease can be kept in the fridge and re-used to season your pan next time you’re frying!
Many modern waste disposals may be able to handle some of these foods without a problem. If you’re not sure of the capabilities of your garbage disposal system or you just want to keep it in tip-top shape, these guidelines and a bit of common sense will ensure your kitchen waste is dealt with efficiently. At the end of the day, if it’s hard, sharp, sticky or pasty, it might be best to avoid it.
A Clean Diet
We constantly run water down the sink, so we may assume this keeps our Insinkerator clean, but over time, small scraps can get caught. It pays to throw in some leftover lemon slices every now and again to help get rid of any bad smells, as the fruit’s acidic properties help scrub the inside clean.
You should also give your system a clean every two or so weeks, depending on your usage. Cleaning is as simple as throwing in some ice cubes, rock salt and switching it on. The ice and salt help scrape away any remaining food scraps that could be stuck inside, and adding some baking soda and vinegar will help kill the bacteria and make sure your kitchen sink stays clean.
Insinkerator Still Causing Trouble?
We’re always happy to bring our plumbing and drainage service to you. If you’ve got a blockage, leak or any other plumbing and drainage issue, contact the team today for a free no-obligation quote.