Are Garbage Disposals Bad for Your Septic System?

What Goes Down

• Numerous food items can be placed into a garbage disposal, including peelings from fruits and vegetables, leftover soups and salads, breads and cereals. Although it may seem like a good idea to keep harder items away from the disposal, small, firm items such as small fruit seeds, pits and eggshells actually sharpen the blades of the garbage disposal, according to Horizon Services, helping to keep the disposal in its best working order.

How to Use the Disposal

• To prevent clogging of the pipes and possibly the septic system, make sure the food you put into a garbage disposal is properly ground and washed down the drain. When using the garbage disposal, run cold water before you turn the disposal on; allow the water to continue running for several seconds after turning the disposal off to make sure the water carries the food particles down the pipe to the septic system.

What Not to Put in the Disposal

• Some food items may cause clogs in the pipes connected to your garbage disposal and lead to a backup in your septic system. Coffee grounds shouldn't be put down a disposal because they don't break down quickly once in the system, leading to clogs, pasta and rice should be avoided because they become larger as they absorb the liquid already in the septic tank, and oils and greases shouldn't be put down a disposal because they create a build-up inside the septic system.

Maintenance

• A garbage disposal does increase the amount of waste that drains into your septic system, but that doesn't make it bad for the system. Your septic system may, however, require more frequent pumping than it would if you didn't have a garbage disposal installed. A system that may need pumping every four to five years, for instance, may require yearly pumping to remove the extra waste from a garbage disposal.