Memorial Day Grill Prep: Don't Abuse Your Garbage Disposal
Memorial Day weekend in Traverse City is the unofficial kickoff to summer. For many of us, that means firing up the grill, gathering friends and family, and enjoying the beautiful Northern Michigan weather. Whether you are planning a backyard barbecue with brats and burgers or a full steak dinner, the kitchen is going to be busy.
However, amidst the excitement of food prep and cleanup, there is a hidden danger lurking in your sink: garbage disposal misuse.
At Grant Mechanical, we often see a spike in service calls right after major holidays. Why? Because well-meaning homeowners accidentally treat their garbage disposal like a trash compactor. To help you avoid a plumbing emergency this holiday weekend, we’ve put together a guide on what never to put down your disposal during cookout season.
The "Do Not Grind" List for Cookout Season
Your garbage disposal is designed for light food residue, not heavy-duty waste. Here are the biggest offenders to watch out for this Memorial Day.
1. Grease, Oil, and Fats
When you are grilling burgers or frying bacon for potato salad, you will have leftover grease. It might look liquid when it’s hot, but do not be fooled.
- The Problem: Once grease enters your pipes and cools down, it solidifies. It acts like cholesterol in an artery, restricting water flow and eventually causing a stubborn blockage. This is especially true in Michigan, where ground temperatures can keep pipes cooler.
- The Solution: Pour grease into a tin can or jar, let it harden, and throw it in the trash. Wipe oily pans with a paper towel before rinsing them.
2. Bones and Pits
Ribs, T-bone steaks, and chicken wings are barbecue staples. Fruit salads with peaches or cherries are also common.
- The Problem: Your disposal has impellers (blades), but they aren’t strong enough to pulverize hard bones or fruit pits. These hard objects can jam the flywheel, burn out the motor, or simply spin around and create a racket without breaking down.
- The Solution: Keep a “bone bowl” or trash can nearby during cleanup. All bones and pits go straight into the garbage or compost.
3. Potato Peels
Who doesn’t love a good homemade potato salad? However, peeling five pounds of potatoes over the sink is a recipe for disaster.
- The Problem: Potatoes are full of starch. When pulverized, potato peels turn into a thick, starchy paste—similar to mashed potatoes but stickier. This paste can clog the drain trap or coat the disposal blades, preventing them from working correctly.
- The Solution: Peel your potatoes over a trash can, newspaper, or a compost bin.
4. Fibrous Vegetables (Corn Husks, Celery, Asparagus)
Memorial Day often brings corn on the cob or veggie platters with celery.
- The Problem: Vegetables with long, stringy fibers are the natural enemy of the garbage disposal. These fibers can tangle around the disposal’s moving parts, causing the motor to jam.
- The Solution: Throw corn husks, silks, and fibrous veggie scraps into the trash.
How to Keep Your Disposal Happy
If you are rinsing off plates that have small amounts of soft food, your disposal can handle it. Just follow these best practices:
- Run Cold Water: Always run a steady stream of cold water before, during, and for 15 seconds after grinding. Cold water keeps any incidental fats solid so they can pass through the system rather than coating the pipes.
- Feed It Slowly: Don’t cram the disposal full. Feed waste in small batches to prevent jamming.
Stuck with a Jam? Try This First
If your disposal hums but won’t grind, or stops working entirely, don’t panic.
- Turn it off: Ensure the switch is off.
- Check the Reset Button: Look under the sink at the bottom of the disposal unit. There is usually a small red button. If it has popped out, press it back in.
- Try Again: Turn the water and power back on to see if it works.
When to Call the Professionals
If the reset button doesn’t work, or if you have a major clog that a plunger won’t fix, it’s time to call in the experts. DO NOT use chemical drain cleaners, as they can damage your pipes and the disposal unit itself.
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend and keep the grilling stress-free! If you find yourself with a kitchen sink backup or any other plumbing issue, Grant Mechanical is here to help. We are Traverse City’s trusted team for reliable, professional plumbing service.
