Common Garbage Disposal Mistakes Families Make in Summer

Summer can be hard on garbage disposals. With more cooking, kids at home, BBQs, parties, and family meals, your kitchen sees more food waste than usual. That extra use can lead to clogs, smells, jams, leaks, and disposal breakdowns.

The good news is that many garbage disposal problems can be prevented with better habits.

Mistake 1: Putting Grease Down the Disposal

Grease is one of the biggest causes of kitchen drain problems. It may rinse down easily when warm, but it can cool and harden inside the pipes. Once that happens, food particles stick to it and create buildup.

Do not pour grease, oils, or fats down the drain. Put them in a disposable container and throw them away once cooled.

Mistake 2: Grinding Fibrous Foods

Celery, corn husks, onion skins, and similar foods can wrap around disposal blades or create stringy clogs. These items should go in the trash or compost instead.

Mistake 3: Sending Pasta and Rice Down the Drain

Pasta and rice expand with water. Even small amounts can swell inside your pipes and contribute to clogs.

During summer gatherings, scrape plates into the trash before rinsing.

Mistake 4: Not Running Enough Water

Always run cold water before, during, and after using the garbage disposal. Water helps move food particles through the drain line.

Without enough water, debris can sit in the pipe and cause odors or blockages.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Bad Smells

A smelly disposal can be a sign of trapped food, buildup, or drain issues. If cleaning does not solve the odor, there may be a deeper problem in the drain line.

Mistake 6: Treating the Disposal Like a Trash Can

A garbage disposal is not meant to handle large amounts of food waste. It is designed for small scraps. Bigger cleanup jobs should start with the trash can, not the sink.

Signs Your Disposal Needs Professional Help

Call a plumber if your disposal:

• Hums but does not grind
• Leaks under the sink
• Drains slowly
• Smells bad after cleaning
• Trips the reset button often
• Makes loud grinding sounds
• Stops working completely

Putman & Son’s Plumbing provides professional garbage disposal repair and installation for homes throughout Metro Detroit.

Keep Summer Cleanup Simple

A working garbage disposal makes kitchen cleanup easier, especially during busy summer months. If yours is clogged, leaking, jammed, or unreliable, do not wait for the problem to get worse.

Call (248) 652-0990 or visit pnsplumbing.com to schedule service.

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You may be surprised to find that a lot of debris goes down the shower drain. Over time, this can build up, causing a slow moving drain. There are a few things you can try at home to stop this common plumbing problem.

Unclog By Hand

As long as the blockage isn’t deeper in your sewer system, you may be able to clear it by hand. To do this, remove the stopper. Find a piece of wire and bend the end with pliers to form a hook. Slide into the drain and use the hook to lift away tangled hair and debris. Have a utility knife on hand in case you have trouble getting all of the hair out. Once the drain is clear, remove the wire and replace the stopper.

Use Hot Water

A simple household solution to a slow moving shower drain is hot water, vinegar, and baking soda. This method should only be used on drains that are fitted with CPVC pipes. Boiling water can damage PVC pipes.

Pour a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then pour in two cups of boiling water. Let it work for five minutes before adding a combination of baking soda and vinegar. Next, pour baking soda and vinegar into the drain and replace the stopper. Let it sit while the mixture foams. After it has had adequate time to work, pour a cup of boiling water down the drain.

Do Not Use a Drain Cleaner

There are many commercially-made drain cleaner products available at home improvement and grocery stores. If you have frequent drain problems, it is best to contact a certified plumber to evaluate your system rather than using harsh chemicals that can do further damage. Contact Putman and Son’s Plumbing today.

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The two primary options for clearing a clogged drain are snaking and jetting. Both methods are proven to clear blockage, but it is important to consider the pros and cons of each before using either one.

Regular Drain Snaking

This traditional method features a metal auger with a specialized head to cut through blockages as resistance increases. The metal coil is unwound into the pipe until the operator believes it has arrived at the clog. Once the coil is locked into position the head can be rotated to cut through built up material. Snaking in ineffective against some types of clogs and may leave waste behind allowing for them to quickly reform.

Hydro Jetting

Hydro jetting works by shooting pressurized water at the blockage, similar to how a pressure washer cleans surfaces. Unlike snakes which rely upon mechanical force, jetting quickly cuts through and removes material from the area.

Which Tool Should I Use?

If you are unable to clear a clogged drain using a plunger, chances are you will need to use jetting or snaking to clear the pipe. Hydro jetting is much more effective and should be the tool of choice for most jobs. Although jetting is a safe procedure, owners of older homes should take precautions as the pressure generated by the machine can damage weak pipes.

Unsure of what to do about your clogged drains? Putman & Son’s Plumbing certified plumbers are ready and happy to help, just give us a call on our 24/7 hotline.

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Below are some of the most common toilet problems and fixes; so that your toilet runs properly and efficiently.

Clogged Drain A force-cup plunger works for most clogged drains. For stubborn clogs, a closet auger may be necessary.

Phantom Flushes This occurs when your toilet runs periodically “by itself”. Usually this is caused by a slow leak from the tank into the bowl. To fix this problem, clean the flapper seat and replace the damaged flapper if needed.

A Snake in Your Tank Reports of a “hissing” sound is usually due to water seeping through the inlet valve. Adjusting the float and refill tube sometimes fixes this problem. If not, you may need to replace the ballcock or inlet-valve assembly.

A Weak Flush Often this is the outcome of stopped up holes beneath the rim of the bowl. Clearing each flush hole should remedy the problem.

Leaky Seals A leaky seal needs to be identified, tightened or replaced if malfunctioning. A break can sometimes initiate a sizeable leak depending which seal is broken and how badly. Call us immediately to remedy this problem before it causes further damage.

Putman & Son’s Plumbing professional, master plumbers are here to take care of all of your plumbing needs. Give us a call. We are available 24/7.

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