[mixsonci]

Can I use products such as Liquid Plumber in the sink with the garbage disposal? If it is slow draining or backing up into the side by side sink when I turned on the GD, is there anything simple I can do besides call a plumber?

Please don't suggest I try to take it apart by myself, I'm not going to do that.

[Neils]

Try blocking off the opposite sink drain with some type plug. Then fill the GD sink side with about a gallon or so of warm water.
Run the GP. The pressure it creates “might” clear the partial blockage.

Good luck

[retiredguy123]

Yes, you can use Liquid Plumber in the sink with a garbage disposal, but always read the label. I would also suggest filling the sink about two thirds full of hot water and then turning on the disposal to try to flush out a clog. You can also try a plunger with water in the sink. Be careful not to do anything that will cause the drain cleaner to splash out of the sink.

[John_W]

I've seen plumbers use toilet pluggers in sinks and bathrooms as well. On the sink if you have two drains, put the stopper in the other drain. The plumbers around here use this style, which I have and they work great, only $6 at Walmart. You might also take the allen wrench that came with your disposal and turn it a few times from the bottom in case it's slightly locked up.

Master Plunger with Air Release Valve - Walmart.com - Walmart.com



Allen wrench

[mixsonci]

Thank you, I'll try these suggestions.

[bluedivergirl]

Mine was doing the same thing ~ I could hear the water trickling through. DH did take it apart and found a plug of eggshells, onion skins and peels. Now those items go in the trash, and it hasn't acted up since. Firm items seem to be fine, but flimsy trimmings cause problems.

[dhdallas]

Originally Posted by mixsonci

Can I use products such as Liquid Plumber in the sink with the garbage disposal? If it is slow draining or backing up into the side by side sink when I turned on the GD, is there anything simple I can do besides call a plumber?

Please don't suggest I try to take it apart by myself, I'm not going to do that.

Trust me as a veteran of numerous kitchen sink plugs. Drano, Liquid Plumber, etc. only work at draining your wallet. They are absolutely worthless. I always had to use a snake so save your money, do NOT buy any liquid products, and call a handyman with a snake.

He may only have to pop the PVC tube off that connects the disposal to the main sink drain downtube. I am guessing your problem is right there, he won't need a snake and it should only take him no more than 15 minutes.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by bluedivergirl

Mine was doing the same thing ~ I could hear the water trickling through. DH did take it apart and found a plug of eggshells, onion skins and peels. Now those items go in the trash, and it hasn't acted up since. Firm items seem to be fine, but flimsy trimmings cause problems.

For a couple years when I was in grad school I managed an apartment complex and had to repair dozens of garbage disposals. I actually kept a 2’ long sawn off broomstick beside the front door for turning disposals from the inside. (That can be easier than using a hex key from below.)

You are absolutely right about onion skins—the dry, papery stuff on the outside of onions that gave its name to the thin onion skin paper that used to be used for making carbon copies with carbon paper and manual typewriters. (Remember those?) They don’t easily soak up water, and they aren’t easily cut up by the blades, but the blades will force them down the pipe uncut, where they easily jam pipes. A few seconds of paying attention and putting the skins in the garbage can prevent an expensive call from a plumber.

[nick demis]

Drains are the most neglected part of a house. You should use a small amount of drain cleaner on a regular basis down all drains. A little bit of preventative maintenance can save a huge expense.

[RICH1]

It's the PTrap and you possibly have a clog in the pipe leading to your main drain pipe! The liquid plumber will not work and possibly shorten the life of your Garbage Disposal.. Good luck. You may need a real plumber to fix this

[tjlee500]

1. Coffee Grounds
Don't let coffee grounds fool you. Although they may appear to be finely milled, they're very densely packed and almost paste-like when you take them out of a filter. Put that down your garbage disposal and you'll end up with a pile up of gunky sediment in your drain, increasing the likelihood of a clog.

2. Pasta, Rice, and Bread
What do these three things have in common? They all absorb water and expand, which can easily lead to a clogged drain. Don't stress about a little bit of leftover spaghetti down the disposal, but don't make a habit of dumping pasta into the disposal either. If you do run pasta, rice, or bread down the disposal, run it for at least 30 seconds, and make sure to run cold water down the drain to flush the grains down without expanding them. The same goes for oats, and any other grain that will absorb water.

3. Animal Bones
Although it can be hard to accept, the garbage disposal is not indestructible. It's simply not built to grind up exceptionally hard items. Bones are one of the hardest naturally-occurring substances out there, and they can significantly shorten the lifespan of your disposal. Don't panic if you accidentally drop a small fish or chicken bone down the drain—a garbage disposal can handle that. But anything larger than that will simply spin around your disposal, and damage its grinding mechanisms.

4. Nuts and Shells
Similar to bones, nuts and shells (including seafood shells) can be very damaging to your garbage disposal. And softer nuts, such as peanuts, are still not a good idea for the disposal. You garbage disposal is not unlike a nut grinder, and know what you get when you grind and mash peanuts? Peanut butter. Well maybe not exactly the peanut butter you get in a jar, but a somewhat thick, peanut paste that can easily clog up your drain.

5. Pits and Seeds
If you can't cut it with a knife, it's safe to say putting it down the disposal is not a good idea. Pits and seeds are often round and small, making them even harder to grind up. Not to mention the terrible racket they make bouncing around your disposal. Save your disposal the trouble and throw them in the trash.

6. Onion Layers
While chopped onions can easily go down the disposal, it's the outermost layer you need to watch out for. The membrane that lies just beneath the dry skin can pass through the disposal, missing the blades grinder altogether or wrapping around it. It can even get wedged in the drain and act as a net, trapping other items in place with it.

7. Egg Shells
There's a commonly held misconception that egg shells can help to sharpen the "blades" of your garbage disposal. But the truth is, garbage disposal don't have blades. Rather, they have impellers that are more blunt than sharp. These impellers grind food waste down, rather than chopping it up like a blender. And anyways, when was the last time you used egg shells to sharpen your knives? Not only do egg shells not serve a purpose in sharpening the grinding mechanisms, but they also have membranes that can easily get wrapped around the grinder. This can create a whole host of problems for you appliance.

8. Fibrous or Stringy Fruits and Vegetables
Many fruits and veggies have fibrous strands that can tangle around your disposal's grinder. Here are a few items to throw in the trash instead of the disposal next time: celery, asparagus, banana peels, corn husks, and rhubarb. A few here and there won't hurt, but try to avoid it to preserve the quality of your appliance.

9. Potato Peels
When tossing potato peels down the disposal, one of two things can happen: 1) the peels may be thin enough to slip past the disposal, causing them to potentially catch in the drain or 2) they are ground up, and turn into a starchy paste in your disposal. If this paste makes its way into the pipes, you can have major blockages down the road. The same goes for other starchy vegetables and beans.

10. Grease, Oil, and Fat
The tricky thing about grease, oil, and fats is they may look like liquid now, but they don't stay that way for long. These materials will congeal with time, which can cause a major blockage in your drain. It's best to simply allow these substances to cool, and then dispose of them in trash.

11. Non-Food Materials
The name "garbage" disposal can be a little misleading. It does not mean you should treat your disposal like a garbage can. Any non-food items including paper towels, plastic wrappers, or tissues can be a big problem for your drainage system. Not to mention these items can spread through your drainage system and deposit into your local water supply. If something isn't biodegradable, it shouldn't go down the disposal.

[thevillages2013]

Originally Posted by mixsonci

Can I use products such as Liquid Plumber in the sink with the garbage disposal? If it is slow draining or backing up into the side by side sink when I turned on the GD, is there anything simple I can do besides call a plumber?

Please don't suggest I try to take it apart by myself, I'm not going to do that.

The problem is more than likely that what you grind up is getting hung up in the p-trap that is under the sink but down the line from your disposal. Get a plunger but deflate the plunger so you are sucking the water back up. Do that action a few times and run the disposal between each action. I know you said you don’t want to work on it yourself but taking the p-trap off and cleaning it out is simple. It is the little U shaped piece under your sink. It screws on and off. If you do take it off get a big bowl to put underneath it to catch the water. The p-trap is where your problem is . It is there and under all your drains except toilets and has water in it at all times to keep sewer gas from coming back up your drains. By all means don’t run the dishwasher as it drains through the disposal

[JOG]

We don't put potatoe, banana peels or any peelings or egg shells but ours have stopped up from grease, I use blue liquid Dawn dish degerent, it break it up immediately, But like I said there are some things we just don't put in the disposal from past experirnce, Good luck

[Rsenholzi]

There is a product called blink made for this. You drop the pellet down and run it for a few seconds . Works great

[banjobob]

Put a stopper in one side fill the other with some water and use a Plummer’s friend sink plunger, worked for me.