The average American city dweller generates around 2.5 lb. of garbage per day. If we were to vector in a city the size of New York, for example, that comes out to literally thousands of tons every single day. All of this has to be properly disposed off.

And it all starts from the humble garbage disposal chute that is typically found in the kitchen. There are many things that can go wrong with a garbage disposal chute especially if not used correctly. Let us take a look at a few (potentially scary) scenarios that can easily come about, if your garbage disposal chute is not in working order.

Vermin!

Yes, this is a major problem with nonfunctional garbage chutes. Once the trash goes in and does not get properly disposed off, by the chute’s operating system, then it can easily lead to an exploding vermin population. First the little roaches and their larger counterparts along with flies and ants (especially if there are animal remains such as chicken and beef) are attracted to the feast.

These, in turn, attract other predators such as spiders and lizards who like nothing better to feast on the ‘wildlife’ in your chute. They will all enthusiastically start breeding and before you know it “Houston, we have a problem!”. They will eventually overlap on to your kitchen floor and then from there onwards, allthe way into each and every nook and cranny of the house.

And on top of the food chain, we have the ubiquitous mice and their markedly more unpleasant cousins, ‘rats’. Since rats are not picky they will eat roaches and garbage with equal impunity and then breed in your chute till eventually they tart invading your home as well.

Putting the wrong stuff down the garbage chute

Now this is a very important point indeed. A functional garbage chute can become nonfunctional quite easily if you put the wrong things ‘down the drain’ (no pun intended)

And speaking of wrong things, nothing is quite as important as your hands. If you think the chute is not working the way it should, the very last thing you want to do is to put your hands down the chute to figure out what is wrong. If you do figure it out and it starts working... Well, wave your hand goodbye!

The single most important thing to do under such circumstances is to unplug the device completely and check to see if there is any residual voltage in there. Even a single turn of the blades can potentially bring upon the demise of your hands. Always remember, the blades in the average electronic garbage disposal chute are signed to shred tough fibers, plastics, bones and other refuse.

This is why always keep your hands clear of the blades as much as you possibly can. And if for any reason, it is absolutely necessary to use them, such as removing refuse that may have jammed the blades, wear thick safety gloves and remove your hands as soon as possible. Some other things that you should never attempt to dispose off, in a garbage disposal chute, include the following:

Metallic objects

These include ordinary kitchen utensils such as broken spoons and forks (for instance). However, even very small pieces of metal, such as bottle tabs or lids for instance are items that should be thrown in the neighborhood dustbin rather than spoiling your own garbage disposal chute.

The thing is that the chute’s blades are made of metal, as are most of these items and therefore they tend to be difficult for the chute’s blades to break down properly. Yes, the blades can get the job done but chopping and subsequently disposing the same can significantly diminish the life of the blades, and by extension, of the whole disposal chute system itself. In case the items are too large they can clog up the works by creating a large and unapproachable obstruction in the pipes located beneath the chute.

Fat and other greases

Such items can also include cooking oils, animal grease, margarine or butter spreads, or other types of fats and greases (including gristle and animal fat), with the reason being that once they cool down they have a tendency to effectively ‘congeal’ i.e. they solidify and ultimately clog the works. And their residue can form a thin film on the blades, thereby decreasing their effectiveness, quite significantly.

Egg shells

Most egg shells have thin membranes (that anchor the yolk to the inside of the egg). These membranes can easily get wrapped up and around the blades, while the shell can be ground into sandy powder that can easily clog the drain.

Combustible liquids and solids

Anything that is flammable should never be put into the electronic garbage disposal chute. Apart from the fact that the blades rotating at very high speeds can trigger a spark and thereby ignite a conflagration, there is the very real danger that the electronic motor can lead to sparks and thereby case the combustible material to burn.

Coffee and tea grounds

This is because both tea leaves as well as coffee grounds have the potential to get firmly stuck in either the trap or the drains of the disposal chute.

Luckily, these are just some of the things that can potentially go wrong with your garbage chute and the best part is that should there be anything wrong with the system in Arizona, the mesaplumbingcompany.com will be at hand to take care of the issue.

They are a highly trained and skilled outfit and have extensive experience in both repairing and also maintaining garbage disposal chutes in many cities in the state. Just go ahead and give them a call today so that their highly trained technicians can get your garbage chute up and running, as soon as possible.