Will A Garbage Disposer Clog My Pipes?

NO. A garbage disposer which is used properly will not clog your pipes.

However, the key to making sure that your garbage disposal doesn’t clog your pipes requires proper installation and then use that is compliant with your particular model. Before you install any kind of garbage disposal, you have to make sure that the drainage pipes are clear in the first place.

This is why a garbage disposer should always be installed by a professional plumber. They can check for preexisting clogs and also clear them out. Remember, a garbage disposal is supposed to be a convenience, not a nuisance. There is nothing like installing a new garbage disposal and then have it clog your pipes simply because you did not check the pipes first.

The next part of using a garbage disposal and making sure that it won’t clog your pipes is that you need to only put food particles down the drain that you feel will wash away down a sewage system. Even the most powerful garbage disposer is only capable of so much. So if you have a household garbage disposer, you need to treat it with some respect.

You have to remember that anything you put down your garbage disposal will travel through your drainage pipes and ultimately need to clear them. This is why it is so important to only put food particles that can be liquefied into your garbage disposal so that any food waste that you have will reach its final destination.

Clogged pipes from a garbage disposer are totally avoidable if you follow a few simple rules. If you buy a home, make sure the pipes are unclogged from the previous owner. Make sure that you also buy a garbage disposal that is the right horsepower for your situation, and then use it properly.

Does a garbage disposer clog pipes in old apartment buildings?

Yes and No – in both old and new buildings, but obviously quicker in old buildings that are likely to have a buildup of corrosion and grease in them from decades of use. The more garbage that goes down the more slime buildup you can expect in the pipes, ESPECIALLY from meaty and fatty garbage.

The worst thing is liquid grease like fat poured down the drain followed by other fats and greases – it forms a very water and erosion resistant slime that can dramatically reduce the inside diameter of the pipes.

However, if you do NOT provide a garbage disposer, then when the dishes are cleaned most people will not scrape them off in the garbage first, which is best for the sewers – they just wash down anything that will fit through the drain holes even if it means jamming it through the holes, so you get much more frequent clogging in the traps.

Therefore, the garbage disposer reduces particle sizes and thereby reduces clog frequency, but having one promotes putting more garbage down the drain, so overall they do promote clogging.

Sort of a can’t win situation – I believe you should provide disposals to reduce the size of material going down the drain and avoid clogging that way, then use a flyer to educate the renters on the detrimental effects of quantities of garbage and pouring/dumping any grease down the drains, then plan on having the sewer pipes routed out (not snakes, but full-diameter routed) on a preventative schedule.

On houses about 15-20 years works pretty well in most cases (excluding cases where roots are causing pipe blockages), for apartment buildings I would recommend every 5-10 years though if jetting is much cheaper in your area, you could get every 4-6 years and then route every 10-15 to give a clean surface.

Liquid or foaming cleaners do little to help with the general slime buildup (as opposed to specific clogs) – their contact time is too short (especially in apartment buildings where someone is using water almost all the time), and most down-the-drain type cleaners only contact the very bottom of the pipe, not the full diameter, so the reduction in diameter from buildup is little affected because the invert (bottom) of the pipe is usually relatively clean anyway from constant flow over it.

Does a garbage disposer clog pipes in old apartment buildings?

Yes and no – in both old or new buildings, but obviously quicker in old buildings that are likely to have a buildup of corrosion and grease in them from decades of use. The more garbage that goes down the more slime buildup you can expect in the pipes, ESPECIALLY from meaty and fatty garbage.

The worst thing is liquid grease like fat poured down the drain followed by other fats and greases – it forms a very water and erosion resistant slime that can dramatically reduce the inside diameter of the pipes.

Sink Clogging

However, if you do NOT provide a garbage disposer, then when the dishes are cleaned most people will not scrape them off in the garbage first, which is best for the sewers – they just wash down anything that will fit through the drain holes even if it means jamming it through the holes, so you get much more frequent clogging in the traps. Therefore, the garbage disposal reduces particle sizes and thereby reduces clog frequency, but having one promotes putting more garbage down the drain, so overall they do promote clogging.

Sort of a can’t win situation – we believe you should provide disposals to reduce the size of material going down the drain and avoid clogging that way, then use a flyer to educate the renters on the detrimental effects of quantities of garbage and pouring/dumping any grease down the drains, then plan on having the sewer pipes routed out (not snakes, but full-diameter routed) on a preventative schedule.

Liquid or foaming cleaners do little to help with the general slime buildup (as opposed to specific clogs) – their contact time is too short (especially in apartment buildings where someone is using water almost all the time), and most down-the-drain type cleaners only contact the very bottom of the pipe, not the full diameter, so the reduction in diameter from buildup is little affected because the invert (bottom) of the pipe is usually relatively clean anyway from constant flow over it.

Fortunately, our solution to this particular trouble and issue would definitely help you in your kitchen.

Stay clean and hygiene.