There are two things nearly every homeowner has in their kitchen that both serve very functional purposes: coffee and garbage disposals. The first gets us up in the morning and keeps us going throughout the day, at least for the avid caffeine drinkers. The other makes food cleanup more efficient and less time-consuming. What happens when you mix them together, though? Garbage disposals are not nearly the catch-all devices that many people make them out to be.
Should Coffee Go Down the Drain?
Believe it or not, there is a laundry list of items that should never go down your sink, and coffee grounds may be one of them. The answer is not so clear-cut because disposal models are not all the same since they vary in performance and drainage systems.
It will be a good idea to know your garbage disposal's limits before proceeding any further because the last thing you want to do is have an emergency plumber unclog your drain. To err on the safe side and avoid paying high dollar prices for 24-hour plumbing services, consult your disposal's manufacturer to determine the recommendations for proper use.
There is another reason for why people choose to dispense coffee grinds in the sink vs. the trash, and it has to do with odor. Over time, the accumulation of food debris can cause your sink to start smelling less than stellar, and coffee is one way of amping up the freshness factor. Crushed ice works well to oust any stuck particles in addition to cleaning the disposal blades, and there is no disputing the power of orange peels when it comes to creating a good odor.
The composition of coffee grounds makes them a bit trickier though, particularly when you start going down the line. Many septic systems are ill-equipped to handle the texture and buildup of coffee grounds, so please do this only on a sparingly basis. There is a reason why our plumbers in Pittsburgh are called by local coffee shops to auger their kitchen sinks! Once a month is enough to thoroughly clean your garbage disposal and minimize the damage to your Pittsburgh plumbing system.