Clogged drain, I think below the garbage disposal.

[DawnCt1]

I put a whole bunch of potato peels down the disposal and the disposal works but the water won't drain from the sink. I tried taking the elbow out of the drain but the ring is too tight. Can I put draino or something like that down the drain?

 

[tiggersmom2]

I put draino down my disposal and sink side when this happens. It has always cleared it right up.

 

[disneysteve]

Pour a kettle full of boiling water down the drain. If that doesn't help, pour down a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of white vinegar. If those both fail, then yes, you can do a commercial drain cleaner product.

 

[mtblujeans]

Every once in awhile I forget you can't shove a whole bunch of 'tater skins down the garbage disposal and it gets clogged up. I do use drain cleaner down but there are usually warnings on the bottle telling you not too. And, even with drain cleaner, it could take hours for my drain to clear out. One time it was so bad that, after waiting a whole day, I finally (carefully) used a plunger to try to force some pressure down there to move things along....and you aren't supposed to do that either!

After clogging my kitchen drain with peels about 4 times in the last 6 years, I try to remember to throw the peels out in the garden in the summer or put them down the disposal just a few at a time.....it's just trying to remember...

 

[pumba]

our clog ended up down in the cellar on another elbow area......I mean not in the pig or under the pig .....but way below it.....between the potato and the egg shells........what a mess....he had to use a snake and twirl it and finally four hours later it was gone.......this was at night or else I would of called ROTO ROOTER......

 

[DawnCt1]

I just called DH on the cell phone and told him to come home. I used one of those channel lock wrenchie things and took the drains apart and the trap off. I have a bunch of potato fragments all clogged in the down part of the drain before it gets to the trap. I am saving it for DH so he can see it. I knew thats where it was. Now if i can get the sink back together, I will be all set! Thanks for your help.

 

[DawnCt1]

I forgot to tell you. When I took it apart, all kinds of disgusting stuff came squirting out at me. I need to take another shower. Yuck!

 

[doxdogy]

I have always been told not to put drain cleaner down the disposal side. Due to the risk of splash back. I have only done it once and I think this is how I fixed it. I basically used a plunger on the sink side and for some reason the pressure from the sink side forced the clog on the diposal side down the drain.

 

[mtblujeans]

I would be too chicken to break a seal on my pipes! Thus, all the things I am "not supposed to do" would take place!!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I put a whole bunch of potato peels down the disposal and the disposal works but the water won't drain from the sink. I tried taking the elbow out of the drain but the ring is too tight. Can I put draino or something like that down the drain?

Potato peels are one of the worst things you can put down a drain, according to my ex, who's a master plumber. I've never figured out why, but he used to get on to me all the time for doing it.

Our business owned a sewer camera (grab the popcorn!) and he ran it down our drain one day to show me the damage I was doing. All I can say is, "YUCK.", and this was in a one year old house, too.

He's also said that Draino and those types of uncloggers were his best friend. I think they work some of the time (obviously), but he said they do more damage than good. I can't back that up, because we aren't married any longer.

 

[LauraR]

Good luck with that. I had a bunch of potato peels kill my garbage disposal once (who knew?) I do not envy you getting your hands (and other things) dirty under the sink, but I do admire you! I'd have waited for my husband to do it (I'll admit it, I'm a coward!)

 

[DawnCt1]

The saga continues. I cracked the trap (black pipe that looks like a U) I put it back together anyway and DH is going to have to go to Home Depot in the morning and get me a new one before he goes to work I have a pan catching the water but I have to run the dishwasher. Its full! Are you sure it isn't Friday the 13th?

 

[DawnCt1]

Good luck with that. I had a bunch of potato peels kill my garbage disposal once (who knew?)

Not me, that's for sure!

 

[mum4jenn]

Ya know this is the second time in several months where people were talking about potato peels breaking their disposal!!! I just don't understand that at all!!!! I have put tons of potato peels down my disposal and I have never ever had a problem. I put LOTS of stuff down the disposal and the only thing that ever bothered it was when some aquarium gravel got logged in there and it would not work then. All we did then was take an allen wrench and put it in a little place underneath and it was fine after that. What am I missing with this? And when I put potato peels down the drain we are talking peels from at least 2-3 pounds of potatoes!! I have never in my life ever read or heard about this except on here!!??!! I just don't get it!!!!

 

[mtblujeans]

I have a fairly new GD and it is a 5/8 HP Heavy Duty thing and the peels just seem to be so slimey or slippery that they slip past it untouched or something! Potato skins are the only thing I have a problem with!!

FYI, we are on a septic system so I don't put egg shells down the GD either. They also go out in the garden or in the garbage. I have heard that they help keep the blades of the GD sharpened but will wreck havoc with a septic system.

 

[mickeyboat]

Potato peels are one of the worst things you can put down a drain, according to my ex, who's a master plumber. I've never figured out why, but he used to get on to me all the time for doing it.

I have always had trouble with potato peels, too. It usually backs up on a holiday or when there are a lot of people over.

DH always gets mad at me because he has to do plumbing when out guests are ther, so now I leave the peels for him to dispose.

We have started putting ice cubes down the disposal with our peels and it seems to be helping. It has also helped with the smell.

Denae

 

[Dodie]

I too just wanted to chime in and say that I really clogged up a drain with potato peels once and the plumber made me repeat after him 5 times: "Never, ever put potato peels or banana peels down a garbage disposal!"

He said that they are "slimey" so they slip through the grinder without getting chopped up and clog up the pipe (beyond the disposal).

 

[mum4jenn]

Hmmmmmmmm that is just SOOO weird!!!!! We are on septic also and have never had any kind of problems with anything clogging the drains or not getting chopped up. The potato peel thing just truly baffles me!! Maybe it is the GA water that takes care of them properly!!! Do y'all run water in the disposal side while you are using it?

 

[mtblujeans]

I usually end up putting potato peels from more than 5 pounds of potatoes down the GD. The first year we had this GD, they went down fine. Then, one day they stopped up and I should have remembered not to do it after that....but didn't. I do run water down while running the GD, ususally cold water.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Do y'all run water in the disposal side while you are using it?

If you don't, you run the risk of burning up the motor and that's any time it's running, not just when you're grinding food.