Chicken bones and Kenmore disposal

Our home garbage disposal is a Kenmore model, recommended to us by our longtime trusted appliance repair guy. I think it's a 3/4 hp model; it's certainly a big one.

One thing this disposal does not do that previous Insinkerator models did well is dispose of chicken bones. The Insinkerators would, in 30 seconds or less, take several chicken drumsticks and flush them and the disposal would again run quietly.

By contrast, the Kenmore gets rid of MOST of the bone, but has problems with the cartilage, and the small chips of the bone just rattle around making noise and getting stuck under the grinders (or whatever the sharp twirly projections in the disposal are called, that grind the garbage). Yesterday, I pulled out of the disposal a large heaping handful of cartilage bits and pulverized and smooth-edged bits of bone, and the disposal is still making rattling noises.

Is this normal? Understand, the disposal doesn't balk at chicken bones going into it (we've never ever tried turkey bones) - it smoothly chops them up in seconds. What it's failing to do is chop up the small pieces and flush them out.

If this isn't normal, what are some simple fixes/adjustments I might make to correct this?

Reply to
trader-of-some-jacks
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Yes, stop putting all that crap in the disposal to begin with. Disposals are great, but IMO, they should be used for the occasional scraps of food from washing, prep-work, etc, not the main vehicle for getting rid of bulk garbage. For example, if I do prep work peeling vegs, I'll scoop most of it out of the sink and toss it in the trash, then wash the remaining down the disposal. I think the more stuff you send down there, the more problems you're asking for, either with clogged pipes, septic tanks (if u have one), etc.

Reply to
trader4

on 8/19/2007 8:54 AM snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net said the following:

...and more solids that the water treatment plants have to get rid of in municipal sewer systems.

Reply to
willshak

Some people might care about this, but I don't.

Reply to
Kuskokwim

bones of any sort should never be run down the drain anyway. Don't you have a trash can?

steve

Reply to
Steve Barker

You're wrong. That's not what they're for and anyone with a brain, does not use them in that manner.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Shame on you.

Reply to
Dan Espen

Then why are they called a "garbage disposer (or disposal)"?

You get rid of your garbage with them. I have been doing it for years and have never had a problem.

Reply to
Kuskokwim

- Then why are they called a "garbage disposer (or disposal)"?

-

- You get rid of your garbage with them. I have been doing it for years and

- have never had a problem.

At the risk of feeding the troll, I really gotta ask why.

My Insinkerator claims to be able handle just about anything up to and including a small car, but I have no idea why I would want to use it in that manner.

Let&#39;s see...I&#39;m done eating a plate full of corn on the cob, fried chicken, spare ribs, mashed potatoes and baked beans. Now I&#39;ve got a choice of where to dump the remains. I&#39;ve got this plastic thing with a 150 square inch opening that requires no electricity or water, and I&#39;ve got this motorized thing with a < 9 square inch opening that comes with a switch and a faucet.

Choice 1 - Tilt plate over 150 sq in opening, maybe scrape with a fork, put plate in dishwasher. Choice 2 - Tilt plate, maybe scrape with a fork, turn on switch, turn on faucet, manuver some bones, cobs and other debris into < 9 sq in, push it in, manuver some more debris over to the < 9 sq in opening, push it in, repeat until all debris is gone, rinse out sink, turn off switch, turn off faucet, put plate in dishwasher.

Please tell me why I would opt for Choice 2?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

So you don&#39;t have to take out the garbage? I like to support the sanitation men. They have families, you know.

Reply to
willshak

Because the contents of the container you are using for choice 1 will start to smell after a short period of time.

Reply to
Kuskokwim

I like my sanitation man. I give him some cash at Christmas. I also try to make his job more pleasant by putting the things that will smell to high heaven if put in the trash down my garbage disposer.

Reply to
Kuskokwim

No I won&#39;t. Possible tax increases were factored in when, years ago, I decided not to care about the sewage treatment plant&#39;s capacity problems.

Reply to
Kuskokwim

"> If this isn&#39;t normal, what are some simple fixes/adjustments I might

The easy fix: Don&#39;t put chicken bones in the disposal.

Reply to
J.A. Michel

The only reason i can see that you would choose option #2 is that you like having clogged pipes and a ruined septic system. Sewers are even worse, cause of the long horizontal runs they usually involve.

steve

Reply to
Steve Barker

- I like my sanitation man. I give him some cash at Christmas. I also try to

- make his job more pleasant by putting the things that will smell to high

- heaven if put in the trash down my garbage disposer.

Similiar to the smell of a troll feeding at the trough of a.h.r...

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Thank goodness the rest of the world doesn&#39;t have your philosophy on waste disposal. If everyone had garbage disposals and used them like you your city would need a waste treatment plant that would cover half the county, a staff that would increase equally, and energy costs to run the plant,.... And who would pay for all that???? I personally think garbage disposals should be made illegal. If your sink clogged up then you could support the economy by paying a plumber, or God forbid, get your hands dirty and do it yourself. Get a garbage can or a goat.

Harry

Reply to
hebintn

If I remember correctly the instructions for our disposal encouraged small chicken bones and the like as it keeps the blades sharp. I also agree that it&#39;s great for keeping rancid odors out of the kitchen trash can. It&#39;s annoying and wasteful to have to take a half-filled bag out of the kitchen trash can because it stinks so bad.

Reply to
Jeffy3

I think it&#39;s the -new- "normal", mine operates similarly, it doesn&#39;t seem to work as well as the old one, although I don&#39;t run chicken bones through it often. I think your problem might be too many bones and not enough other material that might carry or assist the cartilage through the grinder.

When I hear small chunks rattling around I throw in a couple handfuls of ice cubes and run it, and throw in leftover lemon/s if I&#39;ve got &#39;em to achieve that "lemony freshness". -----

- gpsman

Reply to
gpsman

-- It&#39;s annoying and wasteful to have to take a half-filled

-- bag out of the kitchen trash can because it stinks so bad.

Every household is different. In my case, there are enough people producing trash that the can is full *long* before anything begins to stink. The only times that I can recall having to deal with a smelly can are those times when something old was found in the back of the fridge. Other than that, the normal turn around for trash going in and the can being emptied is always shorter than the time it takes for the can to get smelly.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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