A properly functioning garbage disposal is essential for a clean and efficient kitchen. Whether you’re preparing dinner or cleaning up after guests, your disposal helps manage food waste, prevent drain clogs, and reduce odors.

However, frequent use without proper care can lead to blockages, foul smells, or even motor burnout. Watch out for signs like slow drainage, grinding noises, or a unit that won’t turn on. Simple habits—like running cold water during use and avoiding fibrous foods, grease, or bones—can extend the life of your unit.

If your disposal is outdated or malfunctioning, Putman & Son’s Plumbing offers professional installation and repair services. We’ll help you select the right model and ensure a flawless setup. Let’s get your kitchen running smoothly again—call (248) 652-0990 or visit www.pnsplumbing.com to book your appointment.

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Your garbage disposal may seem like it can grind up anything you please, but you should only grind up small debris. You want to protect the blades as much as possible to avoid wear and tear and a replacement.

When using your garbage disposal, you need to always run it with water to drain and break down the foods, otherwise, you may damage the blades. Most garbage disposals should last about 10 years, but that lifespan can be greatly reduced if you use it to grind up any of the banned items listed below.

Okay to put in your garbage disposal:

•  Most fruits and veggies: Your garbage disposal can easily handle most fruits and veggies. Avoid the items listed in the banned foods
• Wet pet food: Take care of your pet’s uneaten wet food by dumping it down the disposal!
• Meat scraps that are cooked: Avoid big chunks if you are dumping these down the disposal.
• Fruit rinds: Fruit rinds like oranges and lemons can help to clean your disposal and will leave it smelling fresh and citrusy!

Banned from your garbage disposal:

• Large Bones: The best way to quickly damage your disposal is with bones! Avoid them at all costs!
• Artichoke leaves: These leaves are known to jam disposals, throw them in the trash instead.
• Grease: This gooey disaster will clog your drains and back them up, disposal or not.
• Nuts: Grinding nuts up in your disposal will result in a sticky mess, like peanut butter.
• Fruit pits: Throw these in the trash! Banana peels: Like artichokes leaves and asparagus, these will jam your disposal.
• Corn husks: These can jam your disposal if you put too much in, just throw them in the trash!
• Rice and Pasta: Rice and pasta will expand in your drain and can create clogging issues.
• Asparagus: These are known the jam disposals like banana peels and artichoke leaves.

If you follow these rules above, your garbage disposal should last longer. Contact us today if you have any further questions!

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Besides being a helpful appliance that prevents clogged drains, garbage disposals are fun! We’ve all been tempted to test the capacity of our disposals, just for the satisfaction of watching a big mess magically disappear. However, you can break your disposal if you overload it.

There are two essential rules when it comes to running your garbage disposal. First, you should always be running water in the sink when you turn on the disposal. Second, you should only put biodegradable items into the disposal. Break these rules, and you will probably also break the disposal system.

There are a few food items that you should not put into your disposal. Eggshells, coffee grounds, bones, banana peels, potato peels, fruit pits, and oil and grease belong in your garbage can. Rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables are also bad for your disposal.

Some people feel okay with disposing of paper trash and cigarette butts using their disposal. While you may get away with it for a while, this practice will probably cause you problems at some point. You should never put plastic, glass, and metal into the garbage disposal.

Some people have been shocked by how much damage that paint can cause to garbage disposals. It may seem simple just to run the water and flush the paint down the drain. You don’t even have to activate the disposal. However, the paint residue can dry on the inside of the disposal, locking up the moving parts.

If you want to clean your garbage disposal, ice and lemon peels are the best options. The ice sharpens the blades and knocks off loose debris, while the Lemon peels are antiseptic and smell great. Some people also use rock salt and vinegar for the same reasons.

If you make a mistake and need to repair or replace your disposal unit, we are just a phone call away. A busy household depends on the fast clean-up that garbage disposals provide. We can have your disposal fixed in time for dinner.

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With more people staying and working from home, not surprisingly, there has been an increase in residential plumbing requests. Increase use and abuse on plumbing from family members can cause need for our plumbers. We have especially seen an increase in clogged toilets, as more people are flushing tissues and wipes. The toilet really can only handle toilet paper, so if you are using other items, just toss them in the garbage after use to save yourself the need to call us. Garbage disposals have also received additional abuse with homeowners throwing items down their drains that are meant to be disposed of in the garbage or composted. Putman & Son’s Plumbing knows that toilets back up, garbage disposals break, pipes burst, and sewers clog. We are always here to help you 24/7 if a plumbing need or emergency arises. Contact us for your plumbing problem. We not only will fix it properly but provide white glove service.

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Manually Rotate Blades to Break Up Clog

If the clog is under the sink, you can try manually rotating the blades to break up the blockage. You will need an Allen wrench to do this. The manual operator is usually accessible along the base of the unit, on the outside. Look under your sink, find the manual operator, and turn with the Allen wrench. Your owner’s manual will have more information on how to safely turn the blades.

Unclog Garbage Disposal with Pliers

You should not pour chemicals down a garbage disposal, but you can use tools to clear a clog. To do this, shut off the power to the unit as a safety precaution. Next, reach into the drain with pliers and remove loose materials so you can inspect the blockage. Continue removing objects until clear. Never insert hands into the garbage disposal.

Clear Sludge and Debris from P-Trap

Excessive buildup in the P-trap can cause blockages in your garbage disposal. If this is the problem, find a bucket to catch debris in. Place it under the P-trap then unscrew the pipe. You may need to wiggle it to remove it from the trap arm and waste tee. Pull out debris and rinse the trap then replace.

If you prefer to hire a professional or none of these methods work, call Putman & Son’s Plumbing certified plumbers now to schedule an appointment for a garbage disposal repair or installation in Southeast Michigan.

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When purchasing a new plumbing fixture or appliance such as a sink, garbage disposal, tub or shower, toilet, water heater, you will need to choose to install it yourself (if you have the know-how) or hire a professional. In either case, someone with experience should handle your plumbing installation to ensure that it’s done right to avoid costly repairs or water damage.

An Improper Installation Can Be Expensive to Fix

If your plumbing fixture or appliance isn’t installed the right way the first time around, it can end up being quite expensive for you to fix. If the appliance or fixture is damaged during your installation, you may end up having to pay for another. Also, if the installer doesn’t have experience, he or she could damage your home and cost you even more money in home repairs.

Hire a Plumbing Professional for Your Installation

Other potential problems that can occur include water damage as the result of improperly installed pipes and more. In any case you should hire a professional company with experience for your plumbing installation. Putman & Son’s Plumbing certified plumbers have experience with installing plumbing appliances and fixtures of all types, are bonded and insured, and can assist you with your next installation. If you have any questions about our plumbing services or would like to schedule an installation appointment, please give us a call.

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The holidays are one of the most common times for plumbing problems to sprout up. The days after Thanksgiving are some of the busiest days in the year for plumbers. To avoid plumbing issues in your home, it is helpful to take a few preventative steps and be aware of what exactly can cause problems to sprout up during the holidays.

Never pour oil down the kitchen sink or other drain.

Although you may have excess oil waste from cooking during the holidays, it is important to never pour oil down your drain or your kitchen sink. Disposing oil down your drain can easily cause a drain to clog and totally block your plumbing system. Oil and grease can be allowed to congeal in a container and then disposed of in the trash or any receptacle in your area that is marked for cooking oil disposal.

Be careful of what you put in the garbage disposal.

Your garbage disposal can only dispose of certain food items; other items can cause it to clog or break down. You should avoid putting any grease or oil down the disposal, along with egg shells and any non-food items. Fibrous foods like potato peels, celery, asparagus, onion skins and others have fibers that can wrap around the blades of the disposal and affect the functioning of the motor.

Be conscientious of hot water use.

With more people in your home, the availability of hot water can quickly start to dwindle. Be careful of using washing machines and other appliances, so that you are not competing for hot water with the shower. Check back on our blog for more tips or call us 24/7 if you have any plumbing problems at all during the holidays.

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Summertime is usually challenging and presents extra stress on your garbage disposal due to outdoor cookouts and swimming pool get-togethers. The garbage disposal, contrary to what many think, needs to be treated with care and is unable to handle all food items. To preserve the life and effectiveness, you should always be very conscientious of what you put down your garbage disposal. Avoid placing large or fibrous items (many fruits and vegetables), cramming too much food, and do not pour dirty grease from cooking oil after grilling down the drain. Always run cold water for a few seconds before and after you turn on and off the disposal. These tips and preventative measures will help preserve the life expectancy of your garbage disposal and may save you money in replacement in the long run.

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