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Garbage Disposal Dos and Don'ts from a Plumbing Crew

By the Dallas Plumber team · Reviewed by Mark A. Farley, Responsible Master Plumber (TX #M-39682)
July 8, 2026·4 min read
Plumber working on a garbage disposal under a kitchen sink while the homeowner watches

Field Notes From Under a Thousand Sinks

Since 2013, our crews have spent a lot of time lying under DFW kitchen sinks, and the garbage disposal is one of the most misunderstood machines in the house. It isn't a wood chipper, it doesn't have blades in the way people imagine, and most of its failures are caused by what it was fed. Here's the practical guidance we give homeowners, straight from the truck.

The Dos

  • Run cold water before, during, and for a good while after grinding. Cold water keeps any grease solid so it breaks up and moves down the line instead of coating it.
  • Feed food scraps gradually instead of packing the chamber full and then flipping the switch.
  • Run the disposal regularly, even briefly. A disposal that sits unused for weeks can seize and develop odors.
  • Grind small citrus peels or a few ice cubes occasionally — a harmless, natural way to knock debris off the grinding components and freshen the chamber.
  • Keep the splash guard clean. The black rubber baffle collects the gunk that causes most disposal smells; scrub its underside.
  • Know where the reset button is before you need it. It's the small button, usually red, on the bottom of the unit.

    • The Don'ts

  • No grease, oils, or pan drippings — the disposal handles them fine, but they congeal in the drain line downstream, and that clog is a much bigger job than a jam.
  • No fibrous, stringy scraps: celery, corn husks, onion skins, artichokes. The strings wrap around the moving parts.
  • No starchy expanders in quantity: rice, pasta, potato peels, oatmeal. They swell into a paste that settles in the trap.
  • No coffee grounds. They seem harmless going down and then pack like wet sand in the pipe.
  • No bones, fruit pits, or shells beyond the occasional accident.
  • No eggshells by the handful, whatever the internet says — the membranes wrap and the ground shell adds sediment.
  • Never use chemical drain openers in a disposal. They sit in the chamber, attack the seals and metal, and put whoever opens it next — including your plumber — at risk.
  • Never put your hand in the chamber. Use tongs or pliers to retrieve dropped items, always with the power off.

    • Humming? Here's the Reset-and-Release Routine

    A disposal that hums but won't spin is jammed, and its overload protector will trip within seconds — then it goes silent entirely. Don't keep flipping the switch; that just cooks the motor. Instead: switch it off, and unplug it or kill the breaker. Look into the chamber with a flashlight and remove any visible obstruction with tongs. Most units take a hex wrench in a socket on the bottom center — work it back and forth to free the flywheel. Restore power, press the reset button on the bottom until it clicks, run cold water, and try again. That sequence resolves a huge share of "dead" disposals without a service call, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you a visit you don't need.

    When Replacement Beats Repair

    Some disposal problems are worth fixing; some are the machine telling you it's done. Our honest rule set:

    SituationOur Call
    Jam, tripped reset, or dropped objectRepair — often simple
    Leak at the sink flange or hose connectionsRepair — reseal or refit
    Leak from the bottom housingReplace — internal seals are gone
    Needs a reset every weekReplace — the motor is failing
    Persistent odor after real cleaningReplace if grinding is also weak
    Ten-plus years old with any new problemReplace — you're on borrowed time

    The bottom-housing leak is the one that surprises people: when water drips from the underside of the unit itself, the internal seals have failed, and no repair is cost-effective — it's simply time. And if your disposal troubles come with slow drainage in the sink itself, the disposal may be innocent; the real problem is often the drain line behind it, which is kitchen plumbing territory.

    When it is time, replacement is a same-visit job: we match the horsepower to your household, make the drain and dishwasher connections properly, and haul off the old unit. See our garbage disposal service for what's included, or call (682) 900-4100. Send a photo of the unit and we will quote the replacement free.

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