Had a similar call last week—lady insisted her disposal was haunted. Turns out a bottle cap got wedged in there. These things aren't supernatural, just hungry and picky eaters... metal's definitely off the menu. Glad yours pulled through.
Interesting story about the bottle cap—I had something similar happen a while back, but mine was a bit trickier. Disposal started making this awful grinding noise, like it was chewing on gravel. I checked inside (after unplugging it, of course) and couldn't find anything obvious. Eventually, after some poking around with a flashlight and a pair of needle-nose pliers, I pulled out a tiny piece of broken glass that had wedged itself under one of the blades. No idea how it got there, since we're usually careful about what goes down the drain.
That experience made me wonder: aside from metal and glass, are there other less obvious things we should avoid putting down the disposal? I've heard conflicting advice about eggshells—some say they're great for sharpening blades, others claim they clog pipes. Same goes for coffee grounds; some swear by them to freshen things up, but plumbers seem to disagree strongly on that point.
Personally, I've been cautious ever since my little glass shard incident. Now I mostly stick to soft food scraps and run plenty of water afterward. But I'm curious if anyone else has had unexpected trouble with supposedly "safe" items causing disposal issues...
I've always heard mixed things about potato peels too—some say they're fine, others swear they turn into a gluey mess. Has anyone actually had trouble with veggie scraps like that, or is it mostly hype?
I've definitely had potato peel drama before. Thought I'd be clever and toss a whole batch down there after making mashed potatoes... big mistake. It turned into this weird, gluey paste that clogged everything up. Had to spend half an hour fishing it out—gross. Since then, I just toss peels into compost or trash, safer bet.
But honestly, other veggie scraps haven't given me trouble. Carrot ends, cucumber peels, even celery bits seem fine. Potato peels though... they're sneaky. Maybe it's the starch? Either way, I'd steer clear unless you enjoy plumbing adventures on your weekend.
Potato peels are definitely tricky—seen tenants deal with that same gluey mess more times than I can count. Have you tried citrus peels occasionally? Heard they freshen things up and help keep blades sharp... might be worth a shot.
