Seriously now, what CAN'T go down the disposal?

The only time I've had problems with potato skins is when I peel a bunch of potatoes. That has clogged the drain. (twice)

I've learned not to put them all down at the same time.

We dont have such a thing as garbage disposal anymore. We used to, but he moved out.
how does a garbage disposal work? spinning blades cut the scraps into smaller pieces then flushed down the drain with more water?
What happens to the gunk after you put scraps in the hole, where does it end up?
We have an ex icecream bucket under the sink for food scraps. This gets emptied each day into the compost heap/chook yard.

The disposal in BBB's house has clogged up twice since I've been here, probably from sweet potato skins. The last time, we replaced it with the most powerful motor we could afford and have no problems with anything going into the disposal since, rice, sweet potato and onion skins included. The whole house vibrates when that thing is turned on!

One tip the plumber says is to run cold water through the disposal for 30 seconds before and after turning on the disposal. He also says to never ever pour hot, liquid grease down the disposal while it is full because it solidifies around the stuff. His other tip was to, on a weekly basis, drop a handful of ice cubes down the disposal to help keep the blades sharp.

I had one when I lived in a highrise where composting wasn't really kosher, now at home it all goes on the heap.
Yes, sharp rotating blades break up the stuff you put down the drain. The flushed material goes through the normal sewage lines and is processed the same way all black water would be.

Is there water running as you grind?

definitely

Sorry, with the water usage required there is absolutely no way that garbage disposals are part of responsible waste management. Far more than the loss of compost the loss of clean water is indefensible, though they sure are handy.

It is definitely nervy of someone to label garbage disposals as environmentally responsible.

Good lord. I entirely agree with Hawkeye!

I didn't post it to advocate it being good for the environment. I posted it for Dadpad so he'd get a better understanding of how the mechanics of the appliance work.

It is from one of the largest manufacturers of garbage disposals. Send them your comment about the video.

I was told by a technician that chicken bones are actually good for the disposal. It sharpens the blades. I would suspect that any bones that you could give to your dog to chew on would be no good for the machinery.

Ditto spoons. I have about a half dozen spoons that are squared off at the end, due to my dropping them into the disposer. They do match, though!

Yes, but I took the time to watch it and I was amazed that they have the nerve to claim that these handy gadgets are environmentally friendly, so I thought that I'd mention it..

Laughing about your spoons..

Soon after I bought my lemon house, the disposer died. I happen to have a new one in the garage that I brought with me when I moved, as I didn't redo the kitchen in the last house - that had been next in line after the heating and electrical, bla bla. I also brought the kitchen sink meant for that house with me, a Kohler in a design I like. Those are still in the garage, as I don't have the funds to redo the whole cabinet system here. Meantime, I've lived years now without a disposal, and am fine without it, except that I expect the occasional cockroach visits via that corridor (a tear in the disposal apparatus).

I don't compost meat or grease - do you all do that?

Thanks Btrfly. I didnt think you were posting the vid as an advocate and I dont think anyone else thought that either.

I would classify the unit in the video as a grinder rather than a chopper
The advice about putting ice or bones in to keep blades sharp would seem misplaced if all systems built are the same. I cant see how spoons would be at all helpfull.
BTW garbage disposal units are available in Australia. I just havnt experienced one personal

I tend to think of environmental conciousness in terms of degrees. I'm sure a lot of people do what they can in their given circumstances. If there isnt anywhere to keep a compost heap then this seems more ideal than wrapping up and disposing of food waste to landfill via the garbage collection system.

That video shows other than I am used to in my old disposals.. there were blades.

They can't be all that common. I don't think I've ever seen one - or ads for them.
We compost all our scraps.

There are things you can put down your garburator that you can't put in your compost, like leftovers, meats, breads, dairy. That's why it's useful to have one. And there's no danger of rats/mice near your garbage if it's out there for a week.

I do compost but don't have a garburator anymore, unfortunately. I could have installed one when we renovated but didn't think about the electricity it required until too late.

I hope you are mistaken about that, k. That would be a serious violation of the Clean Water Act.

We don't put much of anything down the disposal. No food, that goes in the freezer until Thursdays. We have a septic. Gawd, it costs some neighbors over $20,000 to put in a new field. They last about 30 years, or so.