What you put down your garbage disposal can have a serious impact on your household pipes. Here, review food items that don’t belong anywhere near your drainage system to avoid the need for emergency plumbing repairs. You’ll sidestep sewer backups and similar problems that can inflict severe water damage.

Food Products That Clog Household Pipes

1. Fruit Peels & Rinds

While it can be tempting to grind fruit rinds and peels in your garbage disposal for deodorizing purposes, their hardiness stresses the appliance. Rinds and peels won’t grind the way you want them to, resulting in large chunks clogging your drainage system.

2. Grease, Oil, & Fat

Be mindful of leftover oil, fat, and grease during cooking and baking projects, and always throw them in the trash instead of using the garbage disposal. Oil, grease, and fat solidify in cold pipes, creating thick seals that cause slow drains. The food products and byproducts also contribute to “fatbergs” that have caused major sewer damage in cities throughout the world.

3. Fibrous Foods

Place scraps from celery, onions and skins, carrots, and other fibrous foods in your trash instead of the disposal since their fibers can wrap around the appliance blades, causing them to warp. Warped blades can also fail to fully grind foods, allowing them to pass into your pipes. Avoid putting eggshells down the drain as well since their membrane can also cause warped blade issues.

4. Starchy Foods

Never allow potatoes, pasta, rice, and any other starchy food near your drainage system. Starches expand in water; even if you throw uncooked pasta or rice down the disposal, they will expand as soon as they hit liquid, resulting in serious household clogs. 

If your home’s drainage system needs servicing, despite your best efforts, count on A All Valley Plumbing & Sewer Service in Cincinnati, OH, to do the job efficiently and correctly. Serving the Tri-State area since 1989, they offer sewer cleaning, among many other services that keep plumbing systems functional. Call (513) 733-3311 today for an estimate or learn more about services online.