Why Your Garbage Disposal Keeps Clogging

Garbage disposals are excellent tools for managing food waste, but dealing with a constant clog can throw a wrench into your nightly cleanup routine. Clogged drains could mean you’ll eventually need professional garbage disposal repair in Olympia, WA, to get things flowing again. These backups don’t always have to be serious, and figuring out what the issue is could prevent you from having a costly plumbing breakdown.

Clogs From Cooking Fats, Oils, and Grease

You should never pour grease down your drain. It might flow smoothly while it’s hot, but it cools quickly, solidifying in your pipes and creating a sticky mess in the blades. The food you send down the drain gets caught in the grease, making the problem much worse.

Not Enough Water

One of the most frequent mistakes homeowners make is turning off the tap too quickly while running their garbage disposal. They need a steady stream of cold water to help grind up your food and send it through the kitchen plumbing.

The debris can settle in the trap under your sink, leading to you needing garbage disposal repair in Olympia, WA, when all you needed to do was give it a few more seconds of water.

High Fiber or Starchy Foods

Most garbage disposals handle small food scraps without breaking a sweat. Yet more fibrous foods, like celery or potato peels, are often much harder for them to break down. These fibers can wrap themselves around the moving parts and stop your system from working.

Starchy food continues to take on water, swelling and forming a blockage if you don’t give the disposal enough time to grind it down thoroughly.

Does Your Disposal Need Repairs?

Minor surface blocks are easy to clear with a bit of DIY troubleshooting. But anyone finding themselves with any of these issues should call an expert technician:

• Only buzzing or humming when you turn it on (the motor is jammed)
• Standing water or dripping underneath your sink
• Frequent electrical resets just to get it to run

These signs all indicate that your ongoing clogs have already done enough damage to warrant calling a plumber.

Call Today for Plumbing and Garbage Disposal Repair in Olympia, WA

If you’re finding yourself dealing with clogs more frequently, a quick professional inspection can save you a ton of time and energy on future repairs. Reach out to the team at Brooks Plumbing Company to learn more and schedule your service appointment today.