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My wife FREAKS OUT when i run the disposal with out the water running. She claims i am going to burn it up, as if water is its lubricant. Anyone else have this happen at home? How can i tell her she is wrong, as i know i am right?
I am thinking she's right. In any case you need the water to carry the "grounds" out of the disposal unit and into your plumbing.
Although, I'm not a fan of garbage disposals anyway, the plumber's best friend, grind up stuff you could compost and make for more than a few plugged drains.
My wife FREAKS OUT when i run the disposal with out the water running. She claims i am going to burn it up, as if water is its lubricant. Anyone else have this happen at home? How can i tell her she is wrong, as i know i am right?
Oops your wife wins this one. But maybe not for the reasons you think. Despite old wives tales, the bearings do not burn up without water.
Some of the reasons is while running cold water you will solidify the fats from food particles and they will wash down being suspended in the wash. Hot water should not be flushed. Hot water will not hurt anything but it will not flush food particles like cold will. Heat will make the fats cling into globs and could clog drains. If the disposal is not completely flushed clean then decomposing food particles create acid in the decomposition process and destroy the disposal unit prematurely. Run the cold water a half a minute after all grinding has ceased.
If you have a septic, DO NOT put egg shells or seafood or especially DO NOT EVER EVER EVER put bleach in your washing machine. Most food particles are organic matter which will break down in the septic by the good bacteria. Seafood and shells will never decompose. Bleach kills the good bacteria that breaks down solids. If you put bleach in a septic you will have to have it pumped every year or 2 rather then every 10 to 15. Also never ever let hair down your drain because it not only will never decompose but it will clog the perforated lines out in the leach fields. Once all the holes are clogged you are in for a whole new leach bed and maybe $15,000 repair.
Your wife is right. We had the disposal replaced when we moved in our current place and was told to make sure you run cold water when using it. Last week when we did a walk through on the house we are buying, we were told the same thing.
The bleach issue is highly overblown. Bleach is sodium hypochlorate. It reverts to table salt (sodium chloride) or in intermediate stages as chloramines. If you poured five gallons of bleach into a septic system, you would kill a lot of the active bacteria, the bleach would decay, and a fresh batch of bacteria would re-colonize. If bleach was as powerful as claimed, mold would not come back in shower stalls, clothes and towels washed with bleach would never hold body odor again, etc.. In general, using less bleach is a good thing with septic systems. So is using less salt, and never using a garbage disposal. Hair in a properly designed septic system should never reach the leach field.
The bleach issue is highly overblown. Bleach is sodium hypochlorate. It reverts to table salt (sodium chloride) or in intermediate stages as chloramines. If you poured five gallons of bleach into a septic system, you would kill a lot of the active bacteria, the bleach would decay, and a fresh batch of bacteria would re-colonize. If bleach was as powerful as claimed, mold would not come back in shower stalls, clothes and towels washed with bleach would never hold body odor again, etc.. In general, using less bleach is a good thing with septic systems. So is using less salt, and never using a garbage disposal. Hair in a properly designed septic system should never reach the leach field.
Harry Chickpea, does using a water softner system affect the septic system?
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I caught my wife putting chicken wings down the disposer. I freaked out. I shudder to think what she's doing when I'm not around. Please tell me I'm right.
The sodium from the softener shouldn't be a big issue. If you want to feed your septic bacteria, give 'em some sour milk or other milk products.
Chicken wings. Not sure what else your wife might be putting down the disposal. I can imagine a mystery story with a disappearing body...
The bones will become sediment. Not a big deal, just means more cleaning of the tank. The meat and skin will be digested easily. The fat... that could be a real problem. Maybe you could convince your wife to make burning oblations of the chicken wings? The big guy LOVES the smell of BBQ.
My wife FREAKS OUT when i run the disposal with out the water running. She claims i am going to burn it up, as if water is its lubricant. Anyone else have this happen at home? How can i tell her she is wrong, as i know i am right?
Well, you're both right-
If you're just running the disposal no water is needed.
But, if you're actually grinding something to a pulp- then add water!
It helps the solids migrate down the drain; nothing more, nothing less.
I caught my wife putting chicken wings down the disposer. I freaked out. I shudder to think what she's doing when I'm not around. Please tell me I'm right.
My first disposal was a , "bone crusher". So maybe if it is that model you are ok
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