Can You Put Watermelon in a Garbage Disposal

It is All in the Power

When you have doubts about what to put into your garbage disposal, consider its power first. Knowing how many HP it puts out will help you decide if it is okay to put certain food items inside the appliance or not.

The higher its power output, the more items can be thrown inside your disposal. Will the higher power help you with watermelon leftovers? To find out, all you have to do is continue reading our article. It provides that answer and more.

Is it Safe to Put Watermelon Inside Your Disposal

This is a good question as watermelon rind and seeds are not fibrous fruits. You may have doubts because the left-over watermelon can be thick and big. If your garbage disposal is under-powered, at 1/2 HP, then the answer would be no.

Even if you cut the leftover pieces up into tiny fragments, it is still not a good idea to put watermelon or seeds into this level of disposal. If you have a 3/4 or 1 HP disposal, then the answer is maybe and yes, respectively.

You should be able to put watermelon pieces into these levels of disposals. But to do so safely, you need to cut the rind up into small pieces and feed those pieces slowly into the disposal. Do not over-fill the disposal or you may damage the motor.

Clearing Your Garbage Disposal

Food items will get stuck from time to time inside your disposal. No matter how powerful, it will happen at some time. When it does you should follow these safety methods to protect your hands and keep your disposal running at peak performance levels.

1. Use Tongs or Pliers – Make sure that before you stick anything into your disposal, you unplug it first. Then reach inside with pliers or tongs to remove any obstructions.

2. Empty the Drain – A clogged drain will hamper your disposal’s best efforts. To clear the drain, undo the pipe where the clog happens to be and use a metal coat hanger or some other device to clear the obstruction.

3. A Plunger Works – If all else fails, use pressure. A plunger can create enough pressure to force the obstruction down the drain and out into the sewer.

Some Final Words

If you are still having doubts about using your disposal to get rid of old watermelon pieces, then simply use your kitchen trash can. It is safe, less work and you avoid any problems that come with using your disposal.