Can You Pour Boiling Water Down The Garbage Disposal? (Explained)

You can run boiling water down the garbage disposal but check what types of pipes make up the drain Some less-durable pipes such as PVC or Pex may not withstand the high heat from the boiling water. For such, they may end up cracking, requiring you to replace them, which can be pretty expensive.

If pipes can withstand high heat, then only pur boiling water after using the garbage disposal. If you are in the process of grinding food or the food you pour has grease, you should not pour boiling water. Instead, use cold water and, in most cases, use cold water to avoid clogging the drains.

Should You Run Hot or Cold Water Down the Garbage Disposal?

Chances are you already pour water down your garbage disposal after use. Well, this is always an important thing to do to avoid clogging given the fact that there is a possibility of food accumulating down the disposal. But have you ever wondered whether it is more appropriate to use cold or warm water?

For your disposal to serve you right and for a longer time, you need to ensure that you keep it clean. So to do this, you may be either running the cold or the hot water tap to clean up the mess. Well, whether you run either of these, the truth of the matter is that there will be one that is more appropriate and will do a much better job.

Usually, most people, even me, prefer running hot water because of its ability to make areas cleaner. Also, hot water helps in getting rid of germs that may be more prevalent in garbage disposals. But it is best not to run it here.

You may need to put down grease or fat down to help with dirt movement in garbage disposals. If you pour hot water, it will start to liquefy the oil, which creates a significant problem in your garbage disposal. After this grease melts down, it will solidify somewhere down the drain, therefore, clogging it.

Dealing with this solid grease will be so much work; therefore, you should run down cold water. Also, if you are grinding food, ensure you avoid using the hot water since it will also lead to the grease melting, therefore messing up with the motor.

Using cold water ensures that your garbage disposal is much better and does not spoil parts such as the motor. It provides that the grinding on all the foods that pass through the drain is excellent. The force from the cold water is enough to ensure that it cleans up the drain.

When using cold water, you can be sure that the grease along the drain will not melt. It will instead chop it up, ensuring that it does not go down the drain. Such consequently prevent further clogging, and you can be sure that the garbage disposal will serve you for a longer time.

Typically, you cannot prevent grease from building up in your garbage disposal, and such comes from maybe the many leftovers you put in there. You, therefore, want to ensure that the fat remains solid as it passes through the drain pipes. It will only remain so only if you run cold water down the lines.

With cold water, start by running it down the drain continuously for about 30 seconds. Ensure that the grinding stops first so that now you can turn off the water. This process ensures that you do away with any debris that may be along the drains.

Can You Pour Boiling Water Down The Garbage Disposal?

Hot or instead boiling water is known for ensuring that things are clean and germ-free hence the main reason why it is always a good idea to use it. However, when it comes to garbage disposal, it is not a great option. But this should not mean that you cannot use it; actually, it is perfectly ok to pour boiling water down the garbage disposal.

While it is acceptable to use boiling water in the garbage disposal, cold water is always a much better option. Such is especially the case when you are in the process of grinding food. If you will use boiling water, ensure you run it down the drain after using the disposal.

However, even after using the disposal and pouring the hot water, it may still bring about some problems. Boiling water tends to melt the grease or fat in your drain away. Well, this may seem a good thing, but it is not.

Once the grease melts away, it will at some point become solid, maybe at the end of the drain pipe. It will lead to drain-blocking; therefore, washing away any other debris from the drain will not be possible due to this clogging. The clog will also trap the water that will run through the pipes, and if it stays here for long, it will start producing a foul smell.

Also, whether or not to pour boiling water into the garbage disposal depends on the pipes that make up the drain. Some drain lines, such as PVC or Pex, may not withstand the high heat from the boiling water. For such, they may end up cracking, requiring you to replace them, which can be pretty expensive.

If your pipes are made of iron or copper, then they may withstand high temperatures. But with time, they may end up damaging.

Even though they can take up such a temperature, they are also prone to clogging if you try to clear out any grease from them. If there are any rubber joints along these pipes, they will also damage with time.

Therefore, if you have the option of using cold water, ensure you use it. It will save you the costs of repairing the parts of the garbage disposal that the boiling water tends to damage, and it will also ensure that the grease remains intact and does not clog down the drain.

Even though cold water is a good option, it would be better to ensure that you do not put any food containing fats or grease at your disposal. It will ensure that you have an easy time cleaning the garbage disposal. Moreover, the parts of the removal will be able to last longer than usual.

How Do You Clean Garbage Disposal with Boiling Water?

Using Boiling Water and Dish Soap

This method may be the most basic way to clean the garbage disposal since all you require is boiling water and dish soap. The technique may come in handy when there is a foul odor coming from the garbage disposal or just when you want to give your garbage disposal a proper wash.

When using it, start by plugging in the disposal drain using the sink stopper. Then, halfway fill the sink with hot water. You then need to pour in some generous amount of dishwashing soap in the sink.

After you allow the hot water to run for some time, start releasing the sink stopper. As you remove it, please turn on the disposal to allow the contents in the sink to drain in the garbage disposal as it runs.

With this method, the soapy water can reach the upper parts of the garbage disposal and ensure the drain line is clean.

Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

You can also clean the garbage disposal by mixing vinegar and baking soda. Usually, you can mix equal proportions of these two or maybe a cup of vinegar and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Once you combine them, you need to pour them into the garbage disposal.

After pouring them in, allow them to sit there for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should ensure that you spread these components to all the garbage disposal parts to do away with all the odor and break up all the food particles.

Finally, pour in boiling water to flush the vinegar and the baking soda, and your garbage disposal will be clean.

Conclusion

Pouring boiling water in the garbage disposal is fine, but it has some drawbacks. For better results and long-lasting garbage disposal, always run cold water. It will give you clean garbage disposal, and there will be no clogging due to the fats or grease in this machine.