Prevent Damage To Your Commercial Disposal Unit

One of the challenges of keeping your commercial kitchen running smoothly is maintaining the efficiency and longevity of your commercial disposal unit.

What is supposed to be a convenient tool to handle kitchen waste can be damaged by your employees putting things down your commercial disposal unit that cause significant damage.

Items that should go into the trash are ground up in the garbage disposal and can lead to enhanced damage in a short time.

Understanding what these items are and how to prevent damage can save you from costly repairs and downtime.

Fibrous Foods

One of the most common culprits that can damage your commercial disposal unit is fibrous foods. Items like celery, asparagus, and corn husks might seem harmless, but their fibrous nature can cause significant issues.

These foods tend to wrap around the blades, leading to clogs and making it difficult for the disposal unit to function properly. Over time, this can result in the unit becoming less effective and eventually breaking down.

Grease, Fats, and Oils

Grease, fats, and oils are notorious for causing problems in commercial disposal units. While it might be tempting for your employees to pour cooking oil, bacon grease, or melted butter down the drain, these substances can solidify once they cool.

This solidification can lead to blockages not only in the commercial disposal unit but also in the pipes, creating a much larger issue that can affect your entire plumbing system.

To avoid this, it’s crucial to find alternative methods for disposing of grease, fats, and oils, such as using recycling programs or installing proper grease traps.

Starchy Foods

Starchy foods like pasta, rice, and potato peels are another group of items that can cause significant damage to your disposal unit. These foods have a tendency to expand when exposed to water, creating a pasty blockage that can clog the disposal and the pipes.

This expansion can lead to the motor working harder than it should, potentially causing it to overheat and fail.

The starch within these foods can combine into something known as oobleck, a sticky and pasty fluid. Oobleck actively gums up the works of your garbage disposal thanks to its thickness.

Hard Items

Hard items, such as bones, fruit pits, and shells, including eggshells and seafood shells, are particularly damaging to disposal units. These items can dull the blades or even cause the motor to jam.

Once the blades are dull, the unit will struggle to break down even soft foods, leading to further clogs and potential breakdowns.

Non-Food Items

Non-food items are perhaps the most common and damaging. Utensils, pieces of glass, plastic straws, and rubber bands can severely damage the blades and motor of your disposal unit. These items can cause immediate and costly damage, often requiring professional repair or replacement of the entire unit.

Preventive Measures

To prevent these issues, it is essential to educate your staff on proper disposal practices. Ensuring that everyone knows what can and cannot go into the disposal unit is the first step in maintaining its functionality.

Using strainers can also help catch inappropriate items before they enter the disposal, providing an additional layer of protection.

Regular Maintenance

Regular maintenance and inspection of your commercial disposal unit are critical. By routinely checking for potential issues, you can address minor problems before they become major repairs.

Regular maintenance should include daily cleaning methods, such as using ice, baking soda, and vinegar, which can help keep the disposal clean and odor-free without causing damage.

Avoid Chemical Cleaners

It’s also important to avoid harsh chemical cleaners that can damage the components of your disposal unit. These chemicals can erode the blades and other parts, leading to premature wear and tear.

Instead, stick to gentle cleaning methods that maintain the integrity of the unit.

Run Water

Another key practice is running cold water before, during, and after using the disposal. This helps to wash away debris and ensures that any remaining food particles are flushed through the system, reducing the risk of clogs.

Keep Your Kitchen Running Smoothly With Our Commercial Disposal Unit Alternative

If you want to keep the 3 compartment sinks from getting clogged with food solids, The Drain Strainer™ scrap collector system captures food debris that either can be disposed of or kept for composting.

The Drain Strainer™ can help you avoid issues with what gets put down your 3 compartment sinks. No matter how much you focus on employee training, short cuts are always going to be taken and items are going to be put down your commercial disposal unit that can harm it.

If you want to avoid issues with clogged grease traps or commercial disposal units that are leaking or have burned out motors, The Drain Strainer™ scrap collector system is an effective and affordable commercial disposal unit alternative that doesn’t require the use of water or electricity.

Invented by a former restaurant owner, The Drain Strainer™ can eliminate issues with mangled silverware or dangers from employees putting their hands down the commercial disposal unit trying to clear out a clog.

Click here to find out more about how our scrap collector system can keep your grease trap free from clogs.

Let The Drain Strainer™ keep your 3 compartment sinks running smoothly by capturing food solids and avoiding any drain problems.