Nice Insinkerator. Generally nothing more than the occasional stall, fixed with the hex wrench. However, recently have had a couple of jams in the connection between the GD and the "T" that comes down from the other sink. There is a baffle there to deflect the water down, which seems to be a good thing.
A bad dose of Brussel sprouts and broccoli clogged it up. Cleaned out OK, with the usual water in the face and appropriate profanity. This has happened twice now.
The chief domestic engineer might be feeding it too rapidly, but any thought on different "T" designs or general observations? This is a new house, and never had that kind of problem in another house I owned. No obvious burrs, etc. to catch things. Before I start replacing fittings, I thought I'd seek the advice of the group.
Yeah, that's what I thought at first, too: "oh, cool, a baffle - that's a good idea!"
NOT.
Yeah -- baffle tees suck for garbage disposal drains. Don't wait for a third time. Get rid of it now.
We have two sinks in our kitchen, each with a garbage disposer -- and each, originally, with one of those damned baffle tees in the line. The drains used to get plugged regularly, and always at the baffles. I finally got sick and tired of cleaning the stupid things out, and replaced them with baffle-less tees. No more clogs.
Cutting or grinding away as much of the baffle as you can reach is a waste of time. It will reduce the frequency of clogs, but not eliminate them. BTDT, didn't work.
No plumbing suggestions, but if you ever want to make your own rope, strong enough to tie up an aircraft carrier in a storm, try putting kale stems into the disposal.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, and restarting an old flame war- IMHO, large chunks of food waste should go in garbage can or compost collection canister, not down the disposal. Disposal is for the little flakes that stick to the plate after scraping. (Of course, this septic tank house doesn't even have a disposal, being built in old-school era. After 2+ years, I find I don't even miss it any more.)
Many years ago we had one of those gadgets someone had given us, free; feeling very up to date and modern we installed it. Eventually the outflow to the house sewer got blocked and operating the disposer resulted in a jet of water containing food shreds out of the roof vent! Although it was a powerful 1/3 HP IIRC model it also jammed; twice in some three years! Once because of small bone that inadvertently got in there and on another occasion for what appeared to be no reason at all.
So two new houses and some 45 years later we have never had another of the nuisances. A completely unnecessary device AFIK! Would never bother with one again even though we have been on municipal sewer for last 30 odd years.
Our vegetable scraps, banana peels etc. go in an empty waxed paper milk carton, (non recyclable btw) next to the sink. It fills at approximately the same rate as we use each two litres of milk. Whereupon the top is folded down securely and the carton is placed out side the patio doors.
Next time one is outdoors the contents are emptied into the compost heap and immediately covered over with earth and the carton is tossed into the trash burning barrel. We don't have very good recycling systems here; yet. But anyway we don't buy many of the items that are usually recycled, such as soft drink bottles etc.
Paper, especially anything with a name, account number or address on it and other combustibles are put in a small bag in the kitchen and regularly tossed downstairs. Next time one is down there, workshop area etc. the papers are put near or in the wood stove. Result is that we have very little actual garbage indeed.
Today it was weekly garbage pick up. Glanced at our trash can with a normal sized plastic garbage bag lining it and it was no more than a third full. Let it go another week!. And because the trash container contains very little in the way of actual food scraps it doesn't usually smell. If/when a proper recycling system is introduced we can keep tin cans and probably glass out of it also and will then have virtually zero garbage to put out for collection.
Just as well because trash collectors these days are defining more and more items as 'hazardous waste' including those CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps, that do occasionally fail we are told here) and other items. They won't take 48 inch fluorescent tubes at all; unless I break them up and hide them inside something. And the recycling depots don't want them! Half expecting that one of these days the collector will be standing out there holding up one or two used flashlight batteries in triumph and stating 'Cannot collect due to presence of hazardous materials'! Or something else will be declared unsafe; might have lead paint on it, don't chew!.
The human animal is one of the best garburators around. Maybe the sign on some marine toilets which reads, "Please don't put anything through this toilet system unless you have eaten it first", is a good maxim? :-)
A garbage disposal is a great thing. But agree with aemeijers. They are great for getting rid of food scraps, or some left over scraps from food prep, but should not be used as the primary means of waste disposal. If I'm peeling vegs, for example, I scoop up most of the waste and send it outside to compost or throw it in the trash. The rest I wash down the disposal and have never had a clog.
We bought a house about a year and a half ago. The kitchen sink had a garburator installed in one side, but the housing was cracked and leaking - even when the garburator was not used. The easiest repair would have been buying a new unit from the same manufacturer, which would have fit the quick-connect fitting already on the sink.
But we'd never lived with a garburator before and didn't see much point in having one, so we junked the existing one and redid the plumbing to have two ordinary sink drains instead. We've never missed it.
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